


Tentative Bliss

by Remmy-AoT (Remembrance)



Series: Tentative Bliss [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - BDSM, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asshole Levi, Bad Jokes, Betty Boop Sadness, Comedy, Comfort, Complete, Cooking, Difficulties, Dom/sub, Dorks, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Humor, Issues, Kink Exploration, LapTap, Light Angst, Light BDSM, M/M, Mostly humor, Nervous Eren, Safe Sane and Consensual, Serious at Times, Silly at Times, Sorry Not Sorry, Sweetheart Armin, Threesome - M/M/M, cute at times, light hearted, medium build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-11
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2018-01-08 10:36:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 382,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1131646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remembrance/pseuds/Remmy-AoT
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the D/s community, a contract is the agreement between the Dom and sub: It outlines the structure, expectation, rules, and limitations of the temporary relationship. After Eren nervously signs one with his new Dom, Levi, they both have a month to decide if they're right for each other and to see if Eren can fit in the household without clashing with the others. Although, Eren is a little surprised by Armin's kindness and Levi's actual objective...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Week (1)

**Author's Note:**

> So the first Attack on Titans fanfic I'm actually posting. This is the D/s fanfic, but... I want to make a disclaimer: D/s is very similar from community to community, but there are some differences (especially with the naming of terminology) so that may cause some confusion, but the fic is supposed to be an accurate representation of modern BDSM. This is not a super kinky PWP. There is smut and some kinky smut, but BDSM is not about sex. If that confuses you and you don't know what BDSM is about, then... keep reading? 8D
> 
>  _Edit—_ I'm just going to say one thing: This fic is geared mainly towards multishippers. You don't _have_ to be a multishipper to enjoy it, but just please keep that in mind. This is a Levi/Eren/Armin fic that focuses on Levi/Eren and Eren/Armin (Eren is the main character). There is Levi/Armin, it is prominent, but it is secondary. I only tag the main ships in a fic.
> 
> * * *

Eren had been more than just a _little_ impressed when the driver came to pick him up.  
  
He didn’t know much about cars, never really had interest in them, but he knew enough to get that this car was expensive from the moment he saw it. Sleek and sexy, the black colour had a nice sheen to it. When he got inside, he found the backseat chairs were actually really nice. He tried to make himself comfortable, but ended up crossed his legs, nervously scratching at the side of his navy jeans with his short nails, green eyes looking out the window.  
  
They had been driving for about ten minutes now.  
  
But that was to be expected after all.  
  
Mikasa lived downtown, and the person he was going to meet – this ‘Levi’ – lived over the bridge, in a quieter area. It wasn’t just a residential area, but one of the wealthiest in the country. ‘North Crescent’ was the name of the region, and the people there had the tendency to buy large lots of land, build massive houses, and poison trees if it would mean they could get a better view; they were the kind of people who hosted large, lavish parties and sneered at the middle class. In fact, the municipality of North Crescent actually outlawed homeless people to loiter in the region.  
  
Eren wasn’t even sure if that was legal, but he just hoped the person he was going to meet wasn’t snobbish or uptight. His green eyes moved to the rear-view mirror and he glanced to the driver. Eren didn’t really take a look at him when he got in the car, but now that he took the chance he couldn’t help but notice he was cute. Black hair, cute freckles, boyish smile.  
  
“Um,” Eren spoke up, but didn’t really know what to say.  
  
The driver looked up to the rear-view mirror and offered him a smile, “Yeah?”  
  
“So, uh, how well do you know this Levi-guy?”  
  
“Well, I work for him. Known him for about… I want to say two years? He’s a nice guy. He can… kind of come off as a jerk, or cold, but he cares. He’s got a lot of layers, I guess.”  
  
Layers, Eren looked out the window again. “Thanks.” Layers. Now he was thinking of Shrek and the ogre/onion metaphor. He rubbed his forehead to get the mental picture out of his head—Shrek on top of him, dominating him. He shuddered a little and secretly hoped Levi looked nothing like Shrek.  
  
“So, I’m curious,” the driver glanced at the mirror again before focusing on the road, “How did you end up talking to Levi? He’s sort of a really, closed-off guy.”  
  
“Uh,” Eren was slightly distracted by the scenery—everything was so damn green and pretty. It really was a rich neighbourhood. “My friend knows him.”  
  
“Through the community?”  
  
Eren blinked and looked back at the driver, tilting his head.  
  
“I mean, through the community of Doms and subs here, right?”  
  
“Oh, yeah,” Eren blinked, “Sorry, I didn’t think you would know about that… Are you one of Levi’s…?”  
  
“No,” he laughed, “I’m Marco by the way. I have my own Dom, but I… uh…” His freckled cheeks suddenly warmed into a rose blush and he tried to laugh it off, “I have spent some time with Levi before I met Jean.”  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow, then it clicked. Sex. “Oh,” he nodded, feeling his own cheeks warm a little. “Eren,” he offered as he looked out the window. “Yeah… My friend knows Levi through the community.” Thinking about Mikasa and a guy named ‘Jean’ reminded him of the bastard he knew from years ago, Jean Kirstein, who kept flirting (or awkward trying to flirt) with Mikasa. But there was no way it was that jerk or anything. It was totally a common name.  
  
“What’s your friend’s name?” Marco smiled, “If she knows Levi, maybe I know her too.”  
  
Eren looked up, “Oh, Mikasa.”  
  
“Ackerman?” Marco blinked twice.  
  
“Uh, yeah.”  
  
“Wow, I didn’t think Mikasa really made friends with anyone—Ah, sorry, that was rude, it’s just she tends to keep to herself, that’s what I meant.”  
  
Eren glanced again to the mirror, seeing how worried Marco’s expression was made him laugh a little. “Nah, it’s fine… Mikasa and I grew up together, she’s always been distant I guess. I know what you mean.”  
  
“Good,” Marco breathed out of relief and his finger flicked the turn signal, “We’re almost there. He’s got the nicest house here, actually.”  
  
He blinked, “Really?”  
  
“Yeah, it’s not the biggest, but it’s the nicest. Probably since part of his job is designs and stuff, anyway, it’s that one down the street, isolated from the neighbours since he hates everyone here.”  
  
Eren leaned forward, looking through the windshield. If he knew how to whistle, he would’ve. Although his view was somewhat limited, he tried to take in the sight as much as he could.  
  
Marco pulled into the driveway, which was wide enough for four cars, and he looked over his shoulder. “I’m just going to drop you off, but if it doesn’t work out between you two, just ask Levi to give me a call. I’ll still be in the area, have a couple more errands to run.”  
  
“Okay,” Eren nodded slowly, slightly intimidated by the size of the house. “Um, you know Levi so uh, any tips you can give me?”  
  
“Hmm, not really… All I can say is just be yourself. He’s a fair Dom; he won’t punish you or get mad at you if you don’t understand something. If he’s for you, and you’re for him, it’ll work out. If not, it’s not your fault, sometimes personalities just don’t mix and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Marco noticed Eren wasn’t any calmer, and he chuckled, “If you want one good hint, though, I guess I can tell you one thing: When he’s deciding if he wants to keep you, he’s going to ask the other people in the household. So just make sure to get along with his other subs.”  
  
“Oh, okay… So, how many subs _does_ he have?”  
  
“Just one, right now,” Marco chuckled, “Don’t worry. Just try your best to get along with them.”  
  
“Alright, I guess…”  
  
“Don’t be so nervous, okay?”  
  
He offered Marco a small smile and nodded, “Thanks.”  
  
“You’re welcome. Good luck.”  
  
“Thanks,” Eren nodded and opened the door. He stepped out and made sure his shoulder-bag didn’t drag behind. He closed the door, giving the driver a little wave before looking up at the house. Three floors, with a black roof, walls made of a mix of white stone and furnished wood. He looked down and noticed there was a paved path through the green front lawn. He knew it was better to get it done as fast as possible, so he started walking.  
  
There was a tightness in his chest and he winced as he stepped up the three steps. He examined the front door: Double-doors, mix of dark furnished wood and foggy glass. He was a little surprised by how nice it looked, but eventually started looking around for the doorbell. After a good thirty seconds, he eventually realised the button was on the side and he clicked it, hearing a chime from the inside.  
  
Eren took a deep breath.  
  
He heard footsteps.  
  
The door opened.  
  
There was a blond, and Eren half wondered if it was a guy or a girl, but he realised it was a short male, late teens—he guessed eighteen or nineteen—with a petite build. He had big blue eyes and a round face, framed by his blond hair. He was wearing a light blue sweater and a pair of black skinny jeans. He smiled softly and tilted his head, “Eren?”  
  
“Hi!” Eren said with his outside voice by accident, then felt his cheeks warm. “Are-are, you, um, Levi… Sir?”  
  
The blond laughed and shook his head, “No… I’m Armin, one of Levi’s subs,” he offered his hand.  
  
Eren instantly calmed down and shook the blond’s hand, “At least you don’t look like Shrek.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Sorry—Nothing!”  
  
Armin laughed again and smiled, “It’s okay, just breathe a bit. Levi’s on the phone right now, so just come with me and I’ll sit you down in the living room.”  
  
Eren nodded and stepped in, closing the door behind him. He noticed Armin’s shoes were off and saw a couple pairs of shoes neatly by the door, so he stepped out of his own shoes and moved them with his feet so they were next to the others. He looked up to see Armin giving him a small smile and he smiled back, feeling somewhat as ease as he followed the blond to a smaller room.  
  
It was actually quite simple.  
  
A couch on one side, a wooden coffee table in between, then two black leather chairs on the other side.  
  
Armin motioned to the couch with his hand, “Just sit here and Levi will be with you in a moment. Can I get you anything to drink? Soda, juice, water?”  
  
“Water,” Eren nodded, “Ice water.”  
  
Armin fought back the small smile and he nodded.  
  
Eren watched the blond leave and almost called out for him to come back because he didn’t want to be left all alone. He did his best to relax, controlling his breathing. He ended up having nothing to do, so he pulled out his phone, checking his messages. Nothing. He frowned.  
  
“Here.”  
  
Eren looked up to see Armin handing him a glass of ice water. He sipped it and nodded in thanks.  
  
Armin grabbed one of the circular drink coasters from the second level of the coffee table and he placed it on the surface. “Levi will be with you in a moment.”  
  
“Um, do you have any… tips?”  
  
Armin blinked for a moment, then thought about it. “Technically you’re not his yet, but he wants to be called ‘Sir’ by his subs, so the sooner you start using it the better, maybe?”  
  
“Thanks,” Eren smiled, “Anything else?”  
  
Armin opened his mouth to say something, but paused and looked behind him. “Sir.”  
  
Eren’s eyes moved past Armin and his eyes widened—Not at all like Shrek.  
  
Shorter than he expected, Levi’s grey eyes stared right into Eren. He had black hair, straight and short, in an undercut. He was wearing a business suit, black blazer, black dress pants, white undershirt. He looked rather youthful, but there was a slight furrow beneath his eyes that gave him a sense of authority.  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
Levi glanced to the side, “Armin.”  
  
“Yes, Sir?”  
  
“Leave us.”  
  
Armin nodded his head politely and left the room.  
  
 _‘Don’t leave me alone with him…’_ Eren attempted telepathy with Armin, but it obviously didn’t work. The door was closed and his green eyes shifted over to Levi. He was sure he was taller than the man, but he feared being crushed by mere presence if he tried to stand.  
  
Levi’s gaze eventually left Eren and he took a seat on the leather chair across from him. He crossed his legs and scratched the side of his head. Grey eyes made contact with green, and there was a crack of a smile. “Eren, was it?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
“Pleasure to meet you,” he muttered in a dry tone.  
  
Eren felt his throat tighten and he nodded slowly.  
  
Levi tilted his head and examined the dark brown haired male in front of him. “Are you nervous?”  
  
“Y-Yes.”  
  
Levi seemed a little amused by the stutter and shifted, getting comfortable in the chair. “Let’s get down to business, then. I’m a little pressed for time. I’ll start with personal questions, if they’re too invasive, you don’t have to answer, that won’t affect my judgement. How long have you been into D.s.?  
  
“About a year and a half, or about two years,” Eren realised he was messing up on the first question, “Somewhere between there.”  
  
Levi gave a little nod, “Have you always been the sub in that time?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
“How many Doms have you had?”  
  
“Well, I’ve had a couple casuals, but I’ve only really had three real Doms.”  
  
“Three in two years is a pretty average number,” Levi said as in a monotone voice, “What went wrong with those relationships?”  
  
Eren blinked, not expecting that. He scratched the back of his head, “Um, well, the first one was great. It was more episodic D.s. and he was the guy who taught me everything, we were together for about four months, but… His wife found out, and I found out he had a wife, so I ended that there.”  
  
The corners of Levi’s lips curved into the faintest smile.  
  
“A couple months later, I wanted to get back into it, so I met my second Dom, but that lasted about a month. He said I was too eager, and he suggested I try to go for more… What’s the opposite of episodic?”  
  
“Lifestyle,” Levi supplemented. “At least those are the terms our community uses.”  
  
“Yeah, that,” Eren felt his cheeks warm, “Third Dom was lifestyle, so he taught me most of that. We only were together for a couple months, two or three, and we just decided we weren’t right for each other.”  
  
“Interesting,” Levi seemed amused, “May I ask how you ended up in D.s.?”  
  
“Uh… Well it’s a bit of a funny story,” he chuckled nervously. “Two years ago, my parents were making demands since I lived under their roof and I figured since I was nineteen I was old enough to live on my own—bad idea—So I ended up moving in with a friend of mine, Mikasa Ackerman, and she was fine with it, but she said if her bedroom door is closed, don’t enter, no matter what. And so one day… it was slightly open, and I needed to talk to her, so I opened the door, and, well… There was this blonde chick all tied up, gagged, and she had these things on her nipples and I had no idea what I was looking at but she made eye contact with me and… I basically just started screaming because I didn’t understand what I was looking at, at all.”  
  
Levi actually laughed.  
  
Eren paused for a moment, listening to the sound of Levi’s laugh, and he decided he liked it.  
  
“I’m sure, now, you could comprehend what you saw.”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren nodded, “I still can’t look at nipple tassels without flinching, though. They’re not really my thing, anyway.”  
  
There was a smirk on his face, “You’re interesting. I guess it’s only fair that I tell you my story now. I admit it won’t be as entertaining as yours, though.”  
  
“That’s fine,” Eren grinned, “I’m still interested.”  
  
Levi paused, having no doubt that Eren meant that sincerely. “I got into D.s. when I got into BDSM, fifteen years ago.”  
  
“–Wait!” Eren blinked, “How old are you?”  
  
“Thirty one,” Levi replied simply.  
  
“Really? You don’t look like you have ten years over me…”  
  
Levi seemed amused, but kept going, “Fifteen years ago, I was only sixteen. I came from a very… conservative, small town. A man liking other men was a big no-no, and it might as well have been illegal. The gay community, if it could even be called that, ended up thinking they were crazy out-laws. Sex, drugs, booze, you name it and we probably did it. Back then… it was warped and twisted. The more ‘okay’ it became to be gay, the more that began to crumble. And now, there’s this modern movement within all BDSM communities to push for safety—which I support. I’ve gone from rampant sex freaks, to an actual caring community. Sure, we’re kinky, but safety is number one on everyone’s mind, and I agree with that.” He paused for a moment, watching how intently Eren was listening to him, “It’s for that reason, I have this.” He reached for a small stack of papers on the small table next to him. “How is your eyesight? Can you read size nine font?”  
  
Eren blinked, surprised by the question. “Yeah, why?”  
  
“I’m sure you’re familiar with contracts,” Levi glanced at the papers in front of him, kept together by a staple in the left top corner. “They are the agreement that a Dom and sub sign. Most Dom’s just have a single piece of paper, some are comfortable with verbal communications. Since you’ll be living with me for the duration, I think it’s best you’re very clear on what I expect from you, and what you can expect from me. I know it’s a bit long, rather annoying to read, but I think this one of the times that being thorough is a good idea, Eren.”  
  
Eren felt a little shiver from the way Levi said his name. He took the papers and began flipping through the pages, seeing the nine point font in what he guessed was times new roman. He counted four pages and looked up, “Why is the font so small?”  
  
“Truth be told,” Levi sighed, “I usually end up making ten or so copies at a time, just in case we make a mistake, or if we want it renewed halfway through the month. It just saves paper, really. My printer decided it doesn’t want to print on both sides of a page anymore, so fuck it. Anyway, Eren, read it carefully, but don’t sign it yet. If you don’t understand anything, just ask. It’s important that you know what you’re getting yourself into. I’ve been in the community long enough to have had several misunderstandings, and I don’t want to deal with the hassle of another one, got it?”  
  
Eren looked up and felt a little chill run down his spine. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the severity of the words, Levi’s voice, or the way those grey eyes looked like they were fucking him over a table. He swallowed hard, not trusting himself to speak, and gave a little nod.  
  
  
 _ **The Contract**  
  
This Contract establishes the relationship of Dominance and submission between  Levi Rivaille and ________________, from the day of _______, ___ to _______, ___. This Contract is not a legal one and will not hold up in the court of law. This Contract wishes for both parties to reach mutual understanding of the objectives and expectations of this Dom/sub relationship, as well as ensure the safety of both parties. The parties will hereafter be referred to as the ‘Dom’ (stylisation: capitalised) and the ‘sub’ (stylisation: lower-case).  
  
This agreement must be entered voluntarily.  
  
This Contract is written for guidance, betterment, and the benefit of the Dom/sub relationship, as well as seeking to guide, better, and benefit both the Dom and sub individually.  
  
  
 **The Relationship**  
  
Dominance and submission as a whole is both a behaviour and an expectation which involves the giving by the sub to the Dom complete control over them in either episodic times or as a lifestyle. The relationship outlined in this Contract is that of lifestyle Dom/sub. It will exist beyond the bedroom, to all aspects of the relationships, within the limitations of the Contract.  
  
The sub is the one who gives consent for the Dom to do as He wishes to them. They wish to maximise their Dom's pleasure, happiness, and well-being.  
  
The Dom is the one who dominates for order and control. His goal is to help His partner find and achieve pleasure through submission.  
  
The Dom/sub relationship is designed for both parties to take innocent and erotic pleasure from it. Though obedience and submission to the Dom is mandatory, the safety (both physical and psychological) of all parties involved is far more important. In the household, there are three words (known as ‘safe words’) that will trump any authority.  
  
"Green" means that everything is fine. The act may continue.  
  
"Yellow" means that everything must come to a pause. Something is wrong.  
  
"Red" is an emergency exit. When Red is called, consent is removed.  
  
Any violation of the safe words will call for immediate termination of the Contract.  
  
  
 **Termination of the Contract**  
  
This Contract may be broken at the will of either party at any time. There is no need for a specific reason.  
  
  
 **Changes to the Contract**  
  
This Contract may not be changed; however, it may be terminated in a mutual agreement to draft a new, better suited Contract. The newly drafted Contract may have the same end-date as the original Contract did, or a different one._  
  
  
Eren paused and looked up, “So basically… If we want to change the contract, we have to terminate it and then make a new one with those changes?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Um,” Eren blinked, “Why?”  
  
“The reason for that is that I don’t want any roles present during the drafting or signing of a contract,” Levi shrugged, “A Dom can easily overlook what a sub is saying because he is the Dom; likewise, a sub might feel that their opinion is inferior. At least this way, we are equals when you agree to be beneath me, as it should be. Being my sub is not forced slavery, but choice.”  
  
Eren nodded, “That makes sense.” He looked back to the papers and continued reading  
  
  
 _ **The Role of Submission / Expectations of the submissive**  
  
A submissive is not the same as a bottom or slave.  
  
A submissive is the member who takes the role of being obedient in a relationship of Dominance and submission. They willingly give power over themselves to the Dom and seek to please the Dom. They can expect to be subjected to acts of servitude, in all forms. The sub agrees to submit to the Dom's every desire, as the sub belongs to the Dom. The sub will keep themselves and their bodies ready for the Dom at all times._  
  
He flipped the page.  
  
 _The submissive is only allowed to have sexual relations with those that the Dom approves of. The submissive is free (and encouraged) to engage in sexual activity with the other members of the household, should they wish to. Should the submissive break this rule and have sex with anyone not approved, they must inform the Dom. Should the submissive have unprotected sex with anyone not approved, they are to immediately inform all members of the household and be tested for any sexually transmitted diseases/infections.  
  
During their stay, the sub is free to pursue paid occupation, volunteering jobs, and education. They are entitled to the time needed for those events, as well as all of their salary.  
  
If the Contract is terminated and there are no plans to draft a new one, the sub can expect the Dom to house them for a minimum of 30 days if they have nowhere else to go. At this point, the ex-submissive may request help finding a place from the ex-Dom. The ex-Dom will comply.  
  
  
 **The Affirmations and Promise of the submissive**  
  
I, ________________, of my free will, agree, swear, and affirm that I am willingly giving myself into a state of submission to  Levi Rivaille. My signature at the end of the Contract signifies my full acceptance to this agreement, as well as my full participation.  
  
As I am owned by Him, I vow to submit myself for His pleasure, well-being, and enjoyment.  
  
I vow to keep myself physically ready for Him at all times, I will keep all body hair in order and pubic hair trimmed at the minimum, and I will bathe or shower at least once a day. I vow to keep myself mentally ready for Him at all times, always willing to learn how to better myself as a sub for His enjoyment. I vow to keep myself spiritually ready for Him at all times by not allowing any fears or negative emotions to build up. I understand that in Him and other members of the household I may confide and speak of my worries, fears, or problems.  
  
I vow to call him "Sir" at all times, except when it may be socially unacceptable to do so, such as in the presence of those who are not aware of our relationship; at those times, I shall use my judgement.  
  
I vow to reshape myself in habit and attitude so that I may best serve Him.  
  
I vow to attempt all of His orders or commands to the best of my abilities.  
  
I vow to conceal nothing and to never lie to Him.  
  
I vow to be humble and thankful for Him and His patience. I will accept His corrections, and listen to His criticism. I will accept His punishments and understand that they are to better me as a sub.  
  
I vow to never use a safe word meaninglessly.  
  
I vow to use a safe word when necessary.  
  
I vow to respect the safe words of my Dom, or any other member of the household.  
  
I understand that violation of the safe word means immediate termination of the Contract.  
  
I understand that I must work with the other submissive to ensure the pleasure of my Dom. I understand that if I need time off for work, volunteering, education, or to visit family, that my Dom will be understanding. I understand that if I have any concerns, my Dom wishes to hear them.  
  
I understand that I have the right to cry, scream, or beg, in both pain and/or pleasure, but I accept the fact that my Dom may choose to ignore them. Further, I accept that if my Dom tires of my noises, he may gag me or demand my silence._  
  
  
He reached the end of the section, and the thought crossed his mind of being gagged by Levi. A shiver ran through his body. He knew he would regret it, but Eren’s green eyes flicked up to see steel orbs pretty much eye-fucking him.  
  
“Yes, Eren?”  
  
Eren’s entire consciousness was completely on how smooth Levi’s voice was, and he just prayed he wouldn’t get a boner in the middle of—too late. He cleared his throat and forced himself to speak, “N-Nothing, Sir. I’m just, um, surprised by how… sort of, not gentle but, like… It’s really making an attempt to make sure both parties are happy, and yeah…”  
  
Levi just snorted, “Keep reading.”  
  
Eren did as he was told.  
  
  
 _ **The Role of Dominance / Expectations of the Dominant**  
  
A Dominant is not the same as a Top or Master.  
  
A Dominant is the member who takes the role of being controlling in a relationship of Dominance and submission. They take the active role of owning the sub, and give duties to the sub. The Dom wishes to help the sub find pleasure in their submission, and—_  
  
He flipped the page  
  
 _—wishes to help correct the attitude and habits of the sub, so that they may further work in harmony. It is a Dom's duty to correct a faulty sub, punish an out of line sub, and reward a pleasurable sub.  
  
The Dom will not have sexual relations with anyone outside of the household. Should they break this rule and have sex with anyone outside the household, they must inform all their subs. Should the Dom have unprotected sex with anyone outside the household, they are to immediately inform all members of the household and be tested for any sexually transmitted diseases/infections.  
  
For the safety of His submissives and slaves, the Dom may not engage in sexual activity while intoxicated, nor will they be allowed to engage in any activity that may be dangerous for their partners during that time due to intoxication.  
  
If the Contract is terminated and there are no plans to draft a new one, the Dom must offer the sub a minimum of thirty days of food and shelter if they have nowhere else to go. If the ex-submissive requests help to find a new place, the ex-Dom must comply.  
  
  
 **The Affirmations and Promise of the Dominant**  
  
I,  Levi Rivaille, of my free will, agree, swear, and affirm that I am taking _____________ into a state of voluntary submission to Me. My signature at the end of the Contract signifies My full acceptance to this agreement, as well as My full participation.  
  
I vow to take responsibility of him, and secure his needs. This includes food, water, shelter, as well as emotional support, direction, and guidance. I will allow My sub to confide in Me his fears and worries. I vow to enrich his life through My Domination.  
  
I vow to establish a clear set of rules that are easy to understand and firm. I understand that My sub's failure may come from a miscommunication error from My part.  
  
I vow to take into respect the rules of life and society when interacting with My subs.  
  
I shall use My subs body as I wish, being only limited by My responsibility to not damage his essential being physically, mentally, or spiritually.  
  
I will undertake the task to train My sub, guiding him towards a state of complete obedience and true submission. I will be a responsible Dom: I will not discipline him for foolish reasons, and I will discipline when it is necessary so that he becomes a better submissive.  
  
While My sub is only an object to Me, he is My most prized possession. I will treat him honourably, and I will treat his body honourably.  
  
At My discretion, I may administer pleasure or pain at any time, within the limits set by this Contract.  
  
I may instruct him any way I feel appropriate, within the limits set by this Contract.  
  
I vow to never use a safe word meaninglessly.  
  
I vow to use a safe word when necessary.  
  
I vow to respect the safe words of My sub, or any other member of the household.  
  
I understand that violation of the safe word means immediate termination of the Contract.  
  
I understand that if My sub needs time off for work, volunteering, education, or to visit family, that I must work with them to allow this.  
  
I will gift My sub "Free periods" in which he may express himself openly and freely, with no punishments; however, the dynamics of Dom/sub still remain. A sub is free to request a free period.  
  
  
 **Correction, Punishment, and Reward**_  
  
He flipped the page.  
  
 _Correction: It is assumed that a submissive wishes to perform a task to the best of their ability for their Dom. Therefore, if a submissive fails a task, it is initially assumed that the failure is not intentional, and that the failure itself was due to a lack of understanding or instruction. It is for that reason the Dom must help the sub to see what it is they are doing wrong. A correction is usually a verbal remark, possibly paired with either words of encouragement or a threat of disappointment depending on the context of individual occurrences. For small corrections, it may be also accompanied by a quick spanking or lecture.  
  
Punishment: Punishment is not the same as Correction. Where Correction is for occasional and unintentional failures, Punishment is for either failures done on-purpose, done repeatedly, or are very severe. Punishment will not be a pleasurable activity. If the Dom finds the punishment of His sub to be pleasurable, then the Dom may be more willing to punish and less willing to understand. If the sub finds the punishment given to him by his Dom to be pleasurable, the sub will be more willing to break rules for those punishments. It is for that reason that punishment is not to be enjoyed by either party. Possible punishments include: Being forced to stand in a corner, more tasks or work, being confined to the 'dark room', or anything else the Dom wishes.  
  
Rewards: As unruly subs are punished, good ones are rewarded. To complete a complicated task or to have a record of excellence is worthy of rewards. Rewards can include jewelry, trinkets, a night out, a dinner date, free time, or a possible request of any kind.  
  
  
 **Limitations of the Contract**  
  
All actions by the sub are limited to safe words.  
  
All actions and orders by the Dom are limited to safe words.  
  
At no point may the Dom inflict any serious damage or permanent bodily harm to the sub. This includes any act which draws blood, causes a loss of circulation, causes a loss of consciousness, cutting or pulling of the sub's hair without permission, leaving visible marks outside of normal public or work clothing (this does not include bathing suits, unless the sub is a lifeguard or such).  
  
In terms of administering pain, only basic spanking and whipping is allowed in this contact.  
  
In terms of bondage, only basic bondage is allowed in this contact.  
  
No humiliation (physical or verbal) is allowed in this contact._  
  
  
“What is it?”  
  
Eren looked up, “Huh?”  
  
“You made a face, as if you were confused.”  
  
“Oh, well, sorta…” Eren tilted his head, “I’m just confused by the limits of pain and bondage… I mean, I know bondage and pain aren’t necessarily a part of Dominance and submission, but… I guess it’s something I sort of, kind of… expected?” He knew he sounded like a complete moron, and he was doing it in front of Levi.  
  
Levi only smiled, “You seem quite eager about being tied up and whipped.”  
  
Eren’s cheeks burned and he swallowed hard.  
  
Levi found the reaction amusing and he let his lips curve into a dangerous smile. “If we complete our contract and you still want to be my sub, we can alter the contract to change the limits. This is just a standard, default contract. The one I have with Armin is different, because we change it every month to better suit what we would like from each other. If you want more excessive bondage and pain administered to you, you’ll have to wait until our next contract. Plus… I think it would be better to know you, and your limits, before I do anything extreme. While I want to hurt you, Eren, I don’t want to put you in actual harm.”  
  
Eren let the words sink in and he breathed out slowly, “That actually… kinda makes me feel a bit more relaxed.”  
  
Levi smiled, and for once it was a sincere smile. “Good.”  
  
Eren felt his blush weaken, but it was still there. They made eye contact and he feared he would burst into flames, so his green eyes went back down to the paper.  
  
  
 _ **Signatures**  
  
The submissive:  
  
I have read everything in this Contract. I fully understand this Contract. I agree to give everything I am to my Dom, and I agree to accept His claim and ownership over me, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I understand my duty is to be trained. I will accept all punishments and rewards. I will be true to my promise and do my best to fulfill His wishes, to further His pleasure.  
  
I understand I am able to withdraw from this Contract at any time.  
  
Sub’s signature: ______________________________________  
  
The Dominant:  
  
I have read everything in this Contract. I fully understand this Contract. I agree to accept this sub as My property and to care for him to the best of My ability. I shall provide him with security, food, shelter, and all emotional and psychological needs. I will train and command him. I understand My responsibility and will have no harm come to My sub as long as he is Mine.  
  
I understand I am able to withdraw from this Contract at any time.  
  
Dom's signature: ______________________________________  
  
  
Eren flipped the page and then was surprised there was no more. He reviewed the pages again, making sure he read it all, then gave a nod. “This looks good to me, Sir.” He saw Levi’s open hand and he offered the stack of papers.  
  
“Good,” Levi took it and dropped it in his lap. “Do you have any allergies or injuries I should be aware of? Bad back?”  
  
“No, Sir.”  
  
“Do you need to take any medication?”  
  
Eren shook his head.  
  
“Do you take any drugs recreationally?”  
  
“No, Sir.”  
  
“Are you sure? Weed? Coke? Heroin?”  
  
“None of that,” Eren admitted. “Would have been in my blood test.”  
  
“Fair enough,” Levi shifted his head to the side, hair moving slightly with the movement. “You’re not engaged in any illegal activities are you? Do you have a gun?”  
  
“N-No,” Eren scratched the back of his head. “The worst I do is social drinking, really.”  
  
“And submitting to random men. The community does have an underlying level of drugs and questionable activities.” He grabbed the papers in his lap and then reached for a pen, “Fine, then how long do you want to serve me? The standard is a month. Some people prefer three weeks. I prefer a month, but whatever makes you most comfortable.”  
  
“A month is fine.”  
  
“Good,” Levi looked at the first page and then paused, “What day is it?”  
  
“The first, Sir.”  
  
“Convenient,” he wrote the date, month, and year, then paused again. “Does this month have thirty or thirty-one days, I can’t ever remember.”  
  
“Thirty-one,” Eren smiled, seeing a glimpse of Levi’s humanity.  
  
“Then we’re going from the first to the thirty-first,” Levi wrote the date of the contacts expiration date on the underlined line and he frowned. “I don’t know why the days have to be so messed up with the thirty, thirty-one thing. Shitty idea, whoever came up with it. Should have just thrown the thirty-one days into February, make it the weird-ass month that keeps everyone’s shit together.”  
  
Eren couldn’t help but laugh, and he brought a hand up to cover his mouth.  
  
“Don’t do that,” Levi didn’t look away from the contract as he reviewed it. “I like your laugh.”  
  
Eren froze, swallowing hard, cheeks reddening.  
  
Levi signed the last page of the contract then handed it over. “Fill in your names on the spaces, then sign the end. Look through it one more time, too.”  
  
He nodded and did as he was told; filling in his name, he read it one last time and signed the contract. He offered the paper to Levi, and the thought crossed his mind. He looked at the man’s stature and felt that imposing presence, and he knew he was this man’s submissive.  
  
Levi took the papers and looked at the first page, “Jay-gar?”  
  
Eren blinked, “Sorry?”  
  
“Your last name. How do you pronounce it?”  
  
“Jaeger,” Eren tried to hide his smile, “The ‘J’ is pronounced like a ‘Y’, Sir.”  
  
“Oh, Jaeger, that sounds kind of nice, actually.” Levi stared at the word, then frowned, “But whoever chose to spell it with a ‘J’ also needs to get their shit together. Same with jalapenos.”  
  
Eren snorted.  
  
Levi’s lips curved into a small smile and sighed. “What time is it?”  
  
He quickly pulled out his phone, “Three-fifteen-ish.”  
  
“I have to get going,” Levi silently groaned as he stood up. “Follow.”  
  
Eren instantly stood up and followed as Levi moved through the house. They made their way to the kitchen and he did his best to make a mental map of the house.  
  
“Sit.”  
  
He saw Levi pointing to a high chair by an island counter and he did as he was told.  
  
Levi grabbed the paper pad and pen on the counter and began scribbling some numbers. “First one is the home phone, second is my cell-phone. Third is Armin’s cell-phone. Call or text us if you need, and text me your full name because I won’t remember how to spell ‘Jaeger’.” He suddenly paused and looked up, “Actually, you have a phone, but what’s your plan like?”  
  
“Unlimited calling and texting nationally,” Eren replied automatically.  
  
“Good, call or text us if necessary. Don’t send me nudes if you know I’m in a meeting or so help you God, I will drown you in the pool.”  
  
Eren blinked, “You have a pool?”  
  
Levi’s eye twitched, but he nodded. “Yes, I have a pool. When I leave, I’ll have Armin show you around. He can give you the quick run-down. You’ll be sharing a bed with the other subs, which is only Armin at this point. While having sex with Armin and me is encouraged, I usually ask… and I say ‘ask’, not ‘order’, so you have a choice here… I ask that you try not to have sex for a couple days. Just get yourself situated, set up your stuff. Get comfortable, or whatever. Your stuffs being delivered here, right?”  
  
“Yep,” Eren nodded. There was a pause, and he straightened his back, “I mean, yes, Sir.”  
  
Levi’s face was a steel wall, betraying the fact that he was chuckling on the inside. “Good. Any questions?”  
  
“Um, yes, Sir,” Eren dipped his head, “Do you have any preference in what kind of underwear I wear, or whether I should shave? I know the contract said it’s my choice, but I was wondering what you prefer, Sir.”  
  
“Underwear is completely up to you, nothing tasteless though. I live in a house worth several billions, I don’t run a whore-house. As for shaving, again, that’s up to you,” he grabbed Eren’s arm, examining it. “You don’t seem like the type to have that much body hair. Just a bit, and it’s lighter than your hair, so I don’t mind. For your other areas, trimmed at minimum.”  
  
“But, um,” Eren swallowed hard, wondering if this was questioning his Dom, “What do you prefer, Sir? I want to be the best, for you.”  
  
Levi smiled, letting go of his arm. “There are several differences between owning a slave and owning a sub, Eren. One of those is that a sub is a person who consents to giving up power. A slave is treated as less than a person – within the limits of modern society. The difference is that; while they both are toys, a sub is an individual. The difference between owning you and another sub, is who you are. For that reason, I let my subs have a certain amount of individuality. So do whatever you feel most comfortable with, that’s an order.”  
  
“Yes-Sir,” Eren said quickly. He thought about it and pursed his lips, “Hmmm… You know, all my Doms so far have asked me to shave, so it’s all I’ve ever done.”  
  
“Well, if you’re comfortable that way, then stay that way. If you’re interested in changing that, that’s up to you. You don’t have to decide right away, and you’re free to go back and forth.”  
  
“Oh, okay,” Eren nodded respectfully, “Thank you, Sir.”  
  
“Good,” Levi raised his hand, scratching the underside of Eren’s chin, as one would do with a dog, “Now I’ve got to go deal with some bureaucratic ass-fucks. I look forward to seeing you later, Eren.”


	2. The First Week (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is thanks to my new beta, SekseeDragoness. She told me she wanted more but I didn't feel like editing so I told her she could read it early if she beta'd it. Anyway, yes, this chapter has been beta'd by her, all remaining mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Thank you guys so much for all the support ! I'm glad you guys enjoyed it, and all the encouragement has been amazing. I'm going to work on the third chapter now, actually. :3 Enough of my blabbing: Enjoy!

* * *

 

 

“Shit, this is a huge house,” Eren looked around with his big green eyes like a scared child.  
  
Armin laughed, but cut himself off because he felt bad. “Yeah, it’s a large house, you’ll probably get lost a couple times, but if you call for me I’ll come find you, at least.”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks warm a bit and he nervously scratched the back of his head, “I think I’m lost right now. We’re on the second floor, right?”  
  
“Third, actually,” Armin fought back the urge to chuckle, but he did smile. “Come on, let’s go downstairs and I’ll show you our room.”  
  
“Sure,” Eren threw his hands in the air and followed the blond down the stairs. As he walked, his green eyes slowly drifted down to Armin’s rear, and he watched as that small butt swayed from left to right, just slightly, as he walked. He felt his cheeks warm again and he forced himself to look away. They eventually made their way to their room and Eren looked around.  
  
It was a medium sized room. On one side was the bed, with its headboard against the wall. There were two desks on each of the far corners. There wasn’t much else, but there was a window that gave a nice view, and Eren attempted to whistle, but he didn’t know how so he just ended up blowing air as he stepped forward, looking out. “We can see the ocean from here, huh?”  
  
Armin nodded and walked over as well, “The sun sets on this side, and the sunsets actually really pretty against the ocean. All the trees go red, and everything.”  
  
Eren smiled softly and turned to look at the bed. It was big enough for at least four people to get comfortable. He walked over to it and pressed his knee against the end, “Soft.”  
  
“Yeup,” Armin grinned and jumped on the bed, bouncing a bit before he grinned, “It’s really soft, isn’t it?”  
  
Eren chuckled and decided to jump on it as well. He rolled over onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, “Yeah, really soft… I don’t mind sleeping here.”  
  
“We’re uh,” Armin paused, “We’re going to be sleeping next to each other, if that’s okay with you.”  
  
Eren blinked, “Sure. What’s with the look?”  
  
“Well, some people like sleeping alone, and that’s okay. There’s another room in case you don’t want to sleep next to me, or even if you want to stay up late or have a bit of privacy, for any reason.”  
  
“That’s the one we passed before, across the hall?”  
  
“Yeah, feel free to use it.”  
  
Eren mentally noted it, but he doubted that he’d need to use it. “Okay,” he offered a small smile then rolled over onto his stomach. “I should probably call Mikasa, let her know everything’s going well here.” He pulled out his phone, unlocked it, went to contacts, favourites, then tapped her name. He rolled over onto his back again and put his phone against his ear.

 

 

⁂

  
Mikasa’s slim finger slid across the touch-screen of her phone before she put it to her ear, “Eren?”  
  
 _“Hey Mikasa, I just called to say I met with Levi, and we signed the contract. Everything is fine here, thanks again for everything.”_  
  
A small smile formed on Mikasa’s lips as she raised her other hand, then swiped it down; the whip in her hand cracked as it struck a tied up woman.  
  
“Ow, fuck!”  
  
 _“M-Mika-Mikasa, what the hell was that? Are you okay? Do you need me to call for help? Call the police?”_  
  
“No, everything’s fine,” Mikasa admitted. “That’s wonderful news, Eren. Your stuff is all packed and ready to go.” She swung her arm again, sending the whip in an arc, until it once again cracked against bruised skin.  
  
“Fuck! Thank you, Ma’am! Fuck! Ow!”  
  
 _“Mikasa, what’s wrong? Mikasa!”_  
  
“Nothing’s wrong, Eren,” Mikasa said in her usual, monotone voice. “I’m just enjoying my solitude with Annie, that’s all. She’s tied up now, but if you want to talk to her I could put the phone against her ear.”  
  
 _“N-No thanks! I’m good! You two have fun!”_  
  
“We will,” Mikasa promised with a sagely nod.

 

 

⁂

  
“I’m throwing this phone in a river,” Eren declared as he tossed his phone on the bed and jumped away from it.  
  
Armin blinked several times, “What happened?”  
  
“Um,” Eren swallowed hard; in truth, he just wanted to forget about it as quick as possible, but Armin looked a little worried, so he sighed. “I called Mikasa, and she was… well, whipping her sub, and she was screaming really loud and…” He shuddered and covered his eyes with both hands, “I want the mental image to go away.”  
  
Armin covered his mouth to stifle a laugh and tried to focus, “Well that sounds like Mikasa, at least… How do you know her?”  
  
While it was a change of subject, Eren wished they changed the subject to something completely unrelated. Still, he took it. “We grew up together, our parents knew each other before we were born, ended up in the same grade.”  
  
“Oh,” Armin nodded, “I was wondering if you were her sub at one point, but I didn’t think you could take it, no offense.”  
  
Eren tilted his head, “What makes you think I couldn’t take it?”  
  
Armin’s cheeks warmed, “Well, um, well… I’m uh, sure, you, um, heard… how loud, Annie, was… screaming.”  
  
Eren was about to shudder, but a question crossed his mind: “Have you subbed for Mikasa?”  
  
Armin’s cheeks suddenly _burned_ , “A couple times, yes… I’m gay, but there wasn’t any penetration or anything… She’s, um, she’s known in the community for being able to dish out an incredible amount of pain, while still not harming her partner. Occasional bruising, but no scarring and it’s usually just a bit of soreness. She’s also big into aftercare. Anyway, yeah, I asked Levi if I could, try being her sub once, so he and Mikasa traded subs for a week…” He swallowed hard, “She broke me.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened. He moved closer to the bed and his concerned eyes looked over the blond, “She broke you?”  
  
“It was amazing.”  
  
The mental image of Armin being tied up and whipped, and enjoying it, made Eren’s throat tighten and he forced himself to look away from the blond. “So, um… Is Levi bi, then?”  
  
“No, he’s gay… mostly, but Mikasa had a male sub back then, Annie’s the only person who can handle what Mikasa can do for more than a month, and they’ve been together for two years now, I think. On and off. A-Anyway, to change the subject… Are you working, or going to school, or something?”  
  
Eren wondered if there was a breeze in the room, or if that was just the air of relief blowing by. “No, neither, really. Why?”  
  
“Oh, good,” Armin grinned, “It’s sort of a big house, and it’s a lot of work to clean alone. Levi’s also somewhat of a clean-freak… Having an extra ‘housewife’ around will help for sure.”  
  
“Housewife?” Eren blinked, “Well…” Actually now that he thought about it, it did sort of made sense but, but…  
  
Armin chuckled, “That’s what Levi calls me, as a joke. I cook and clean, but he says I’m better than a housewife because I get on my knees.”  
  
Eren smiled, “He sounds like he has a twisted sense of humour.”  
  
“Just take everything he says with a grain of salt,” Armin suggested, “Take him too seriously and you’ll just work yourself up for nothing.”  
  
“Well,” Eren shrugged, “It sort of fits the bill, I guess… Speaking of, what time does he get home, usually?”  
  
“Oh, well,” Armin patted his pockets, looking for his phone, before pulling it out. “It varies from day to day, but he usually lets me know.” He checked his messages and frowned, “I’ll ask him.” His fingers blurred against the keyboard on the screen and then looked up, “Oh, did you get my number?”  
  
Eren pulled out his phone and nodded, “Yeah, I added you and Levi, and the home phone. I’ll message you guys so you can get my contact info.”  
  
“Capital letters and punctuation,” Armin said in a warning tone, “Levi will hurt you if you text like a savage.”  
  
Eren blinked, “Mikasa says the same thing.”  
  
“Those two scare me.”  
  
“Me too,” Eren admitted before he sent the text.  
  
A couple seconds later, Armin’s phone buzzed and beeped, and he checked it. “Eren Jaeger.”  
  
“Jaeger, the ‘J’ is pronounced like a ‘Y’.”  
  
“That’s what I said.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
Armin chuckled and quickly added Eren to his contacts. “Feel free to message me whenever, I have unlimited texting. ”  
  
“Same,” Eren nodded, “And calling.”  
  
“My last name’s Arlert. ‘Ay’ ‘Ar’ ‘El’... Actually I’ll just text it to you. I’ll give you Levi’s last name too.”  
  
“Thanks,” Eren chuckled and soon his phone beeped.  
  
“Autocorrect likes to turn my last name to ‘Alert’ a lot, it’s annoying,” he sighed, but before he could say something else, his phone beeped and buzzed once again. “Levi says, he’ll be home around seven, but he’s going to try to get out of the meeting early so maybe six-thirty. Hmm, we still have some time to kill before I have to make dinner.”  
  
“Okay,” Eren nodded, looking down at his phone as it buzzed. He suddenly laughed as Levi sent him a picture of jalapenos in response to his name. “He’s really got a weird sense of humour…”  
  
Armin was a bit curious as to what Levi sent Eren, but he didn’t pry. “Yeah.”

 

 

⁂

  
He had already been impressed by the large backyard, which was full of flowers and had some lovely trees. There were no fence or limits to Levi’s backyard, so it looked like it just extended to the bright forest behind him forever. Although, Armin had informed him that it wasn’t much of a walk before the path was cut off by a mountain. As Eren looked up, he noticed there was indeed a mountain peeking above the tall trees, but he couldn’t make out too much detail. His eyes, however, turned back down.  
  
“So this is the pool,” Eren once again wished he could whistle.  
  
It looked like the ones in the movies. Perfectly rectangular, clear blue water, everything somebody could ask for. The perimeter was covered in white tiles, which were heated. His green eyes looked at the pool again and he could tell there was a shallow area and deep, as well as comfortable steps to get in and out, or maybe to sit on.  
  
“Mhm,” Armin chuckled, scratching his tummy for a moment before looking over to Eren. “It’s got an automatic cleaning system that’s like, state of the art, or whatever. So it’s always ready for a dip.”  
  
“Shit,” Eren whispered, “Must be nice to live rich. I’m jealous.”  
  
“Well,” Armin grinned, “You’re technically living rich for the next month.”  
  
“Oh, right,” Eren tilted his head as he stared at perfect blue, then looked over to the blond. “So can we use this pool, or is it only for Levi?”  
  
“We can swim whenever we want, but only after we’ve done our chores and duties and stuff,” Armin offered a smile, “I used to swim a lot more, but kind of became boring without company.”  
  
“I’ll keep you company,” Eren flashed a smile.  
  
Armin felt his cheeks warm a little and he bit his lip, “Then we should swim sometime. It’s heated, I used to take a dip before bed. But it’s not heated to the point where it can be used in winter, so we should use it while we can. Oh, but, you should make sure your phone’s on max volume. If we don’t catch calls or texts from Levi because we’re in the pool he’ll spank us and take away our pool privileges.” Armin looked away for a moment, “Not that I don’t like being spanked… but all I have to do is ask for that.”  
  
Eren grinned, “So you like being spanked?”  
  
“I like a lot of things…” Armin admitted in a shy tone, eyes looking down, but an obvious shy smile on his lips. “I’d tell you all of them, but I think you’re a little too… vanilla for them.”  
  
“What? I’m not vanilla… I like all kinds of kinky stuff…”  
  
“Nothing on my level, though,” Armin predicted. “Trust me.”  
  
Eren frowned, “How do you know my kinks if we just met?”  
  
“Well, for one… you wouldn’t agree to Levi’s contract if you were like me…” Armin blushed, “I don’t know… But you’re right, I did just meet you, I shouldn’t assume things. I’m sorry, Eren.”  
  
He blinked, “It’s okay.” He saw the guilt in the blond’s blue eyes and he offered him a smile to show Armin it really was okay. Oh damn, just seeing Armin even a little upset made his heart deflate. He walked over, closing the distance, then slipped an arm around his waist. “Don’t worry about it.”  
  
Armin gave a small smile and nodded, looking away for a moment.  
  
Eren could only wonder how Levi could dominate something so adorable. Although… he couldn’t deny he was a little interested in finding out, though. He snickered to himself, then looked at the pool. “Does Levi ever host pool parties?”  
  
Armin laughed and shrugged. “Sometimes… He does host some parties for work, because he has to… but his general consensus is that he hates people and finds them annoying.”  
  
Eren chuckled, thinking about it. “But he likes you.”  
  
“And you,” Armin added.  
  
“Me?” Eren blinked, “How do you know?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Armin wiggled a bit, “Maybe he’s been texting me.”  
  
“What? Really?” Eren broke away and grabbed both of Armin’s hands, barely noticing how much smaller they were, “What did he say?”  
  
Armin bit his lip, looking away as he considered it…  
  
“Please? What do you have to lose?”  
  
“Well, he’d punish me,” Armin pointed out, “But… I guess I could say they’ve been positive remarks.”  
  
Eren sighed out of relief and stepped away, “Good. I’m worried… He’s not like other Doms. I don’t know, I’ve just met him, but I feel like what I’ve done for everyone else won’t work on him, you know?”  
  
Armin nodded, “I think you’ll figure it out, though.”  
  
Eren nodded as well, “I hope so… Anyway, what else is there to do?”  
  
“I guess we can stop by the lounge or the den again. Do you game?”  
  
“Yeah,” he nodded, “I saw he had a collection.”  
  
Armin grinned, “Then follow me.”  
  
Somewhere between five and ten minutes later (they got distracted by some flowers, which Armin admitted he didn't plant himself, someone else did), they found themselves in the den.  
  
“Wow,” Eren blinked as he inspected the shelf, “I know he had a whole collection of games, but damn… he’s got like, three whole collections here! He must spend a lot of time here, right?”  
  
“Not really… Actually, I probably game more than he does,” Armin admitted, “But yeah, he’s got every game console, and he’s somewhat of a compulsive video game buyer… I’m not sure why, but there’s a lot of things I don’t really get about him. You’re free to play whatever you want… It’s kind of how I kill time when I’m done with my chores and he’s not home yet.”  
  
Eren inspected the game cases on the bookshelf and chuckled, “He’s really rich, isn’t he?”  
  
“More money than he ever needs. He could retire right now, but he’s too attached to his company.”  
  
“He owns a company?”  
  
“Rivaille, if you’ve heard of it?” Armin tilted his head.  
  
Eren just shook his head.  
  
“It’s a clothing store,” Armin smiled, “I didn’t think you would know about it. It’s actually pretty expensive, but really nice. It’s also why he’s a bit of an elitist when it comes to clothes… He might make comments about your wardrobe if he doesn’t like something. That’s not him being a Dom, that’s just him being a clothing junkie.”  
  
“So, he’s like a fashionista… or whatever they’re called?”  
  
“Ah, well, um, not quite…” Armin chuckled, scratching his cheek, “He’s just attached to his job, I guess. I don’t think he really cares what we wear, but if he comes back from work he’s in that clothing-fashion mindset. He doesn’t design anything, and he’s not that picky, he just owns the company and mostly works with sales, but from what I understand… if a designer can get their line of clothes into Rivaille, they’ll get a lot of money. At least that’s how Marco explained it to me, I don’t know much about it.”  
  
“Marco?” Eren blinked, “I heard that name before.”  
  
“Well, it’s a common name…”  
  
“No, I mean,” Eren frowned, “I heard it today.”  
  
Armin blinked and tilted his head, “There are still a lot of Marcos.”  
  
Eren decided to give up and shrug, “You’re right. I don’t know why, I just felt like something should have clicked, but it didn’t.”  
  
Armin just offered a small smile, finding the dork in front of him kind of cute, actually…

 

 

⁂

  
The three of them ate, mostly in silence. Levi had a scowl from hell on his face and neither of his bottoms were suicidal enough to try to have a conversation. Even so, the silence was deafening and Eren eventually couldn’t take it anymore.  
  
“The foods great,” Eren offered a small smile to Armin.  
  
“Th-Thanks,” Armin nodded, feeling his cheeks warm.  
  
“It is,” Levi spoke for the first time since he came home. He gave a little sigh, and the scowl from hell relaxed a little. “So, Eren, how are you finding the home? Will it be suitable for you?”  
  
Eren finished swallowing and rubbed the napkin against his lips, “More than, Sir. It’s a lovely home.”  
  
“Thank you,” Levi muttered. “I trust Armin showed you around just fine?”  
  
Eren tried to find a diplomatic answer; he didn’t want to say yes because he was still going to get lost, but he didn’t want to say no to get Armin in trouble. Steel eyes looked up at him and he cleared his throat. “Armin’s been really patient with me… I’m not used to houses this big.” Inwardly, Eren was convinced that was the smartest thing he has ever said. He mentally screamed _‘Nailed it!’_ when Levi gave a soft smile.  
  
“Thank you, Armin.”  
  
Armin nodded politely to Levi, “Of course, Sir, it’s my job.”  
  
“Good boy,” Levi muttered as he forked more food into his mouth.

 

 

⁂

  
“Eren, help Armin with the dishes, then come join me.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Eren made eye contact with Levi and was, once again, utterly convinced he was being eye-fucked, hard, probably against a wall if eye-fucking could be done against a wall.  
  
Levi turned and left.  
  
Eren breathed a little sigh of relief when he found himself alone with Armin. He noticed the blond was grabbing the plates, so he grabbed the cups and followed Armin to the attached kitchen. “I feel so nervous around him.”  
  
Armin smiled softly, “A little bit of nervousness is good,” he said as he spun the knob for the faucet, “Keeps you on your toes.”  
  
“I know, but,” Eren chewed on his lower lip for a moment. “I have no idea how I’m going to… you know, service him, in bed, if he keeps looking at me like _that_.”  
  
Armin raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t look too surprised. He took the cups from Eren and rinsed them. “Like what?”  
  
“Like… Like he’s eye-fucking me. That’s the feeling I get when he looks at me, sometimes. I don’t know, I need to stop imagining it. He can’t be eye-fucking me.”  
  
“He is.”  
  
Eren paused, “Huh?”  
  
“If he’s giving you _that_ look, he’s eye-fucking you,” Armin nodded, “Trust me. That’s a good thing, means he’s physically attracted to you.”  
  
Eren just swallowed hard. “But, how am I supposed to have sex with him if he’s looking at me like that?”  
  
“You don’t like it?”  
  
“I do!” Eren wiggled a bit, “It’s just… I feel like my knees are going weak, and I don’t know… I feel like I have trouble just, existing when he looks at me like that… What if we’re, going at it, and it gets more intense.” He suddenly realised Armin has had sex with Levi before, “Wait, does it get more intense when he’s, you know?”  
  
Armin chuckled, pausing for a moment as he rinsed a plate. “Um… It’s sort of hard to explain. His eyes… fuck, he’s got gorgeous eyes,” he paused again for a moment, then seemed to snap out of his little daze, “I mean, um, uh… Well, his eyes do, you know, get more intense in bed, and when he’s using you, but um… How do I say it? It’s sort of, not as paralysing… He doesn’t bother eye-fucking you when he’s actually fucking you, sort of.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard, and his swallow wasn’t the only thing that was hard.  
  
Armin looked down and his cheeks flushed. He playfully smacked Eren’s stomach with the back of his hand, “Calm down and go see Levi, I can take care of the dishes from here.”  
  
“Wh-Which cup was mine?”

 

 

⁂

  
Sooner than Levi expected, Eren came back from the kitchen, with a cup of ice water. Levi didn’t see it as anything out of the ordinary. He was sitting on the couch and he pointed to the seat next to him.  
  
Eren obeyed and took his seat. He was about to place his glass on the coffee table, but remembered Armin used a coaster in the other room. He looked under and, to his luck, there were drink coasters. He grabbed one and placed it under his drink. He nervously looked over to Levi, and his gut churned when he saw a disappointed look on his face.  
  
“I was looking forward to chastising you on your first day,” Levi _almost_ pouted, but he eventually sighed, and went back to frowning.  
  
“I’m sorry, Sir,” Eren blinked, “Should I remove the coaster for you to chastise me?”  
  
Levi snorted and looked away, “You’re cute, Eren. No, that will not be necessary. I heard you and Armin talking in the kitchen, what were you talking about?” Levi expected an answer, but upon seeing Eren’s cheeks reach solar levels of heat, he realised he was probably not going to get one.  
  
“I uh, was,” Eren grabbed his cup of ice water and chugged all that was left of it, before putting it back. “I was, um...” According to the contract, he wasn’t allowed to withhold information… Suddenly struck with an idea, he smiled, “I was confiding my fears with him, Sir.”  
  
“On your first day?” Levi made sure that he used a teasing tone of voice for how dense Eren was.  
  
Eren chuckled, actually getting the joke this time.  
  
Levi could have given himself a round of applause for making the rock understand him. “Would you be willing to share your issue with me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I do want you to be as most comfortable as possible.”  
  
Eren paused, wondering if he should. “Well, I sort of… I mentioned how I feel a little, not uncomfortable, but a little… intimidated, by you.”  
  
“Really?” Levi raised an eyebrow, “I’m intimidating?”  
  
“A little, yes.”  
  
Armin entered the room at that time, deciding to sit on the couch opposite of those two, “You are a little scary, Sir.”  
  
Levi paused, as if it was the first time he’d been told. “Eren, what is it about me that intimidates you?”  
  
“Well, sort of… Um, like around you, there’s just this whole… Uh…”  
  
“Aura,” Armin supplied, “You have a lot of presence, Sir. It takes some time to get used to.”  
  
Levi’s steel eyes moved from Armin to his other sub and he tilted his head, “Is that true, Eren?”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” he nodded, “Presence is the word I would use, Sir.”  
  
“Sir,” Levi repeated, “I like the way that falls off your lips. Say it again.”  
  
“Sir,” Eren dipped his head in respect as he said it.  
  
Levi moved one hand under Eren’s chin, scratching it playfully, “Do you fear me, Eren?”  
  
“A l-little, Sir.”  
  
“Good,” Levi’s eyes narrowed, “I like it when my bottoms fear me. But,” he ran his thumb over Eren’s jawline, “Don’t fear me too much. I want you to be comfortable with me, too.”  
  
Eren nodded hesitantly. He didn’t have to be told to know it: He was being eye-fucked.  
  
Levi’s steel eyes were locked onto Eren’s green ones and he suddenly leaned in.  
  
Eren fought the urge to recoil; not because he didn’t want to kiss Levi (Oh-Fuck-Yes-He-Did), but because he knew he was blushing and it was almost a little overwhelming. He stayed still and closed his eyes as their lips met. His cheeks burned and he could feel his hands shaking, knees tingling, but he kept himself calm, breathing from his nose.  
  
The kiss was surprisingly gentle.  
  
Levi kept his eyes closed, stroking Eren’s lips with his own. Before long, he moved back.  
  
Eren’s eyes opened and he almost whined, begging Levi to come back.  
  
But Levi moved back and eyed Eren’s desperate expression. Priceless. His eyes moved to Armin, “Get me something to drink.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Armin stood up, cheeks a little pink from watching that kiss. “What would you like?”  
  
“Nothing caffeinated, it’s late, and nothing alcoholic,” Levi shrugged. “Actually just get yourself something to drink, and I’ll have that. Eren will too.”  
  
Eren usually never liked it when Doms chose what he was going to drink—food was okay, but drinks just seemed pointless—But the way Levi did it was… possessive, but not just possessive, it was the right kind of possessive. He couldn’t describe it, but it made a tingle run from his wet lips all the way down to his crotch.  
  
Armin just nodded, “I’ll make tea, then, if that’s okay?”  
  
Levi nodded, “Eren, do you usually drink tea with milk or sugar?”  
  
Eren blinked, “I uh… I don’t usually drink tea, Sir.”  
  
Levi shrugged, “Use your judgement, Armin.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
And with that, Armin left, and Eren realised he was all alone with Levi. He swallowed hard, wishing he had more water, but there was none left, and the ice cubes didn’t even melt yet. Damn ice cubes. They were the enemy. Or at least that’s the decision Eren had decided when he suddenly felt an arm around his waist.  
  
During Eren’s moment of ice cube hate, Levi had snuck up next to him.  
  
Or at least Eren would say he snuck up.  
  
In truth he just moved next to him.  
  
Eren suddenly inhaled sharply and looked up to Levi. He remembered he was taller than the man, but somehow on the couch he was looking up. He realised he was making himself as small as possible and he realised it was too late to do anything about it. “Y-Ye-es, S-Sir?”  
  
Levi found it amusing and chuckled through his nose. He leaned down and gently placed a peck of a kiss on Eren’s lips before moving away. “I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy you.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened and he was silently begging Armin to come back with tea as soon as possible. He had never wanted tea so much in his life. Tea was supposed to be an old lady’s drink. That would mean he was an old lady—though, if being an old lady meant he wouldn’t be so emasculated by Levi, maybe it wasn’t bad idea… But the more he thought about it, the more he realised being emasculated by Levi a hundred times would be worth just one of those kisses.  
  
“What are you thinking about?”  
  
“Nothing!” Eren used his outside voice by accident.  
  
Levi blinked, “Eren?”  
  
“Sorry, Sir… Nothing, Sir.”  
  
“Eren, tell me what you were thinking.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard, recognising an order when he heard one. “I-I w-was thinking, that if I was an old lady, you wouldn’t kiss me, so I didn’t want to be an old lady, Sir.”  
  
Levi blinked again, “I regret asking.”  
  
“I didn’t know how much milk you wanted,” Armin said as he carried three mugs to the table, “But hopefully you’ll like this, Eren.”  
  
Eren took his breath of relief while he could, but with Levi’s gaze he realised he should be doing something. Looking at the mugs of tea, he moved and grabbed three drink coasters and placed them on the table.  
  
“Thank you,” Armin said with a smile.  
  
“Good boy,” Levi moved back a bit, but scratched the underside of Eren’s chin.  
  
Eren found his cheeks warming up and he swallowed hard. He didn’t know why the gesture made his insides turn to happy mush, but it did. It kind of reminded him of what affectionate owners did to dogs, and after all… Levi was his owner.  
  
Levi eventually stopped and grabbed a mug.  
  
Eren noted each one was a different shade of white. Levi’s was the closest to black, or brown, which he assumed the tea was, his was somewhere in between, in a beige-ish colour, and the one Armin had sipped from was an off-white colour. He grabbed the mug by the handle and brought it close. He smelled it… and actually found the aroma was kind of nice. It had a touch of something citrusy in there, but not too much. He slowly wondered how citrus and milk didn’t destroy each other, but he saw no curds so he figured it was okay. He blew on it a couple times, before he took a sip.  
  
Steel eyes watched with an eyebrow raised. The way Eren was examining his tea before drinking it was kind of adorable, in a dork-like moron way. Levi silently wondered if Eren had been the village idiot in his past life.  
  
“This is pretty good,” Eren eventually agreed and placed the cup down on the coaster again.  
  
Armin smiled and sipped his own drink. His blue eyes shifted to the side, looking at Levi.  
  
Levi caught the glance and a small smile formed on his lips, before he looked off to the side.

 

 

⁂

  
“I’m a fucking idiot.”  
  
Armin blinked as he scratched the back of his neck, “Huh?”  
  
Eren had plopped onto their bed, on his back, and stared up to the ceiling. “I feel like I made myself look like an idiot. I’m an idiot, aren’t I?”  
  
“You’re not an idiot,” Armin sat on the side of the bed and leaned over. He pressed his lips against Eren’s cheek and placed a soft kiss, “I think Levi’s really interested in you, actually.”  
  
Momentarily stunned by the kiss – damn those lips were soft – he blinked, “L-Levi’s, interested in me?”  
  
“Eren, he was eye-fucking you all night,” Armin chuckled.  
  
“He really was!” Eren cried out in his outside voice, then suddenly realised that was a good thing. “He was.”  
  
“Mhm,” Armin began unbuttoning his shirt as he walked over to the other side. “I usually sleep on this side, is that okay?”  
  
“S-Sure,” Eren looked over to him, “You’re not um, getting naked, are you?”  
  
Armin looked over his shoulder and shook his head. While he was usually quiet, seeing Levi make Eren blush all night had gotten the better of him, “Do you want me to?”  
  
Once again, Eren blushed and looked away, “N-No.”  
  
“You don’t want me to get naked?”  
  
“N-No, I d-do!” Eren suddenly started using his outside voice again, “I just, I just!”  
  
“I’m kidding,” Armin immediately felt guilty, “I just sleep in a shirt and boxers, is that okay?”  
  
“Y-Yeah,” he sighed out of relief, “It’s just, you know, Levi asked me not to have sex with anyone for a couple days.”  
  
Armin nodded, “Yeah, it’s for the better. Too many times a Dom-sub relationship ends up being based on sex… Which, you know, isn’t a bad thing, but since you’re going to be _living_ here, it’s important we can get along without fucking each other’s brains out to get rid of our frustration.”  
  
“I want Levi to fuck my brains out.”  
  
“I know,” Armin said and watched as Eren’s head snapped towards him.  
  
“I said that out loud, didn’t I?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Um… surprise?”  
  
Armin snorted and took off his blue shirt, which actually ended up being an over shirt, because he had a loose white shirt underneath. He slipped off his pants, leaving him in a loose dark blue pair of boxers. He flicked off the lights and slipped under the covers.  
  
Eren decided to strip his clothes; he only slept in his underwear, which ended up being a brown pair of boxers, a couple shades lighter than his hair, and slipped under the bed. After five seconds, he had to remind himself that Levi asked him not to have sex with anyone yet. In the darkness, he figured he could at least look, though. He rolled over, seeing Armin’s back. The sheets seemed to hug his form and he swallowed hard.  
  
He looked down and saw his erection staring right back at him. He swallowed hard and sat up, bringing his hips back a bit to hide his manhood. All the teasing from Levi and Armin, and all those short moments… It had gotten to him.  
  
“Eren?”  
  
He looked over to Armin, who had sat up next to him. He couldn’t make out any details in the dark, but he couldn’t help but notice he already had bedhead from only lying down for a couple of seconds.  
  
“Eren?”  
  
“Sorry,” he realised he was thinking about something stupid and looked out the window. “I um, sort of… have a stiffy.”  
  
Armin chuckled, “I’m guessing you don’t want me to take care of it?”  
  
“Oh, uh… would you?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
Eren suddenly backed away and swallowed hard, “Levi asked me not to…”  
  
“That’s fine,” Armin said in a gentle voice, “You do what you want. I think even Levi would understand, we’ve both really been pushing your limits today… I’m sorry. I’d be willing to help out, but if you don’t want me to, that’s okay too. You can go to the bathroom, or another bedroom to take care of yourself… Or you could do it right here… I wouldn’t, mind… a show.”  
  
Eren’s cheeks burned red and he swallowed hard. “I uh, think I’m gonna go to the bathroom… Fuck, you’re really cute you know that?”  
  
“Huh?” Armin paused, “You think so?”  
  
“Yeah… Uh, Levi said sex, but he didn’t say anything about… kissing, so… before I go…”  
  
Armin seemed to understand and he moved over. He was on all fours when he lifted his head and pushed their lips together for a brief moment, before he gave Eren’s lips a playful scrape of teeth that was paired with a little purr.  
  
Cock twitching, Eren’s throat tightened and he moved away, “You two are so cruel!”  
  
Armin burst out laughing, “Sorry!”  
  
Jumping out of bed, he still felt the shivers from that scrape. Eren moved to the door to retreat from the laughing blond, but as soon as he opened it, “Levi, Sir!”  
  
Levi was standing on the other side and he seemed equally as surprised. “I was going to check on you, but looks like you’re already in… bed…” With the light of the hallway his steel eyes could make out Eren’s shirtless body, and his eyes shamelessly drifted down, eventually falling to the tent in loose, dark brown boxers. Levi moved his hand and pushed down on the tip of Eren’s dick, forcing it down, before letting go and watching it spring right back up, “Well hello there.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened; he was utterly mortified.  
  
Levi blinked twice upon seeing Eren’s face, “What?”  
  
“Nothing, Sir!” outside voice again, “I need to relieve myself, Sir!”  
  
Levi was unfazed as Eren bolted right passed him. He heard snickering from inside and he leaned in, “What was that?”  
  
Armin was laughing so hard his chest hurt, but he forced himself to catch his breath. “I think,” he took another breath, “We’re teasing him too much, Sir.”  
  
“I’m not stopping. It’s entertaining.”  
  
Armin grinned, “But, can you at least wait until he’s dropped the chastity, Sir? Please, Sir?”  
  
“Fine,” Levi rolled his eyes, wishing he was as immune to Armin’s charm as much as he pretended he was. “I suppose that’s fair. He hasn’t even been here for twelve hours. He’s got my respect, at least.”  
  
Armin snickered and soon the snicker became a chuckle, and as soon as he thought back to what just happened he was rolling on the bed with laughter again.

 

 

⁂

  
Eren barely lasted six minutes with his hand alone. Every kiss, look, and touch had fuelled him and soon he looked down to see his hand covered in his cum. He played with himself a little more, slowly, then sighed. He reached for the tissue box which had conveniently been placed next to the bed in the extra bedroom. He closed his eyes for a moment, before cleaning up. He threw the used tissues in the trashcan and sighed. He walked over to the bathroom, turning on the faucet. He washed his hands absent-mindedly.  
  
He had decided to come here mostly to stare at himself in the mirror.  
  
He looked at his green eyes and then sighed.  
  
He was having fun, and he was more than happy to serve Levi. Levi was his fourth permanent Dom, but he had others for casual meet ups. Levi was fair, funny, and fucking sexy. He chuckled, turning off the water and turning around to dry his hands.  
  
He needed to stop acting like an idiot.  
  
He turned off the lights and walked back to the bedroom. When he entered, Armin was still and silent, so he assumed the blond was asleep. He closed the door carefully behind him and slipped under the sheets.  
  
Armin moved, slowly.  
  
“Sorry,” Eren whispered, “Did I wake you?”  
  
Armin shook his head, and rolled over to face him, “Wasn’t asleep. Um, hey…”  
  
“What’s up?”  
  
“Sorry,” Armin offered a smile, “About the teasing… I hope I didn’t take it too far.”  
  
“No, it’s okay,” Eren smiled back, “You two are only getting to me because you’re so good at it.”  
  
Armin gave a sleepy chuckled and moved closer. He suddenly pushed his head on Eren’s chest and closed his eyes, “Night.”  
  
“Night,” Eren repeated automatically. He slowly slipped his arms around the blond and tugged the covers over them.  
  
Maybe tomorrow would be better… after all, he was sure one day of chastity was his limit at this point.


	3. The First Week (3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit, third chapter in like four days...? This one is also longer than the other two. I hope you don't mind. But I did want to say one thing before you read: Thank you all so, so, so much for all the lovely comments and all the support... I'm almost overwhelmed by how much you guys have been cheering me on and fueling my desire to write. 
> 
> Please enjoy~!
> 
> * * *

Despite the rather humiliating end to the previous day, Eren woke up feeling refreshed. His eyelids were heavy and he had a gentle but lazy smile on his lips. Armin really wasn’t kidding when he said the bed was soft. His last bed, which was in Mikasa’s guest room, wasn’t anything special, and it was rather tough. But here, Eren stretched out, arms reaching for the blond that had kept him warm all night, but pouted when he realised he was alone. Green eyes eventually opened and he slowly rolled over, onto his back before sitting up.  
  
He blinked a bit as he saw the ocean, bright blue, and the array of green and brown from the trees.  
  
It took him a moment to realise he was looking through the window before he chuckled. He rubbed his forehead, trying to shake the sleepy grogginess away. With a sigh, he grabbed the baby blue bed sheets and pulled them off. He looked over to the side, seeing two suitcases. His stuff had already arrived. He rubbed his face once more and looked for his phone. Noticing it on the bedside table, he grabbed it and clicked the button at the top.  
  
A text message, from Levi Rivaille.  
  
He felt his stomach squeeze as he unlocked his phone.  
  
 _Feel free to sleep in today, but come down whenever you wake up. We dropped your stuff off in your room, but I’m guessing you could tell. You’re actually kind of cute when you’re asleep and, you know, not talking._  
  
Eren chuckled, feeling his cheeks warm. All sorts of butterflies danced around in his tummy from being called cute, and he had to remind himself he was a twenty-one year old man and not a schoolgirl. That didn’t do much, though. He threw his legs over the side and stretched a bit before looking at the suitcases.  
  
There were two of them, a big one and a small one.  
  
He opened the big one and pulled out a pair of dark green boxers and a light blue shirt. He threw them on the bed and figured he could use the same pair of jeans he did yesterday. He walked to the bathroom and noticed a couple towels on the rack. Figuring he could use any of them, he slipped out of his boxers and let them pool at his feet. He closed the door behind him, made sure the fan was on, and then turned to the shower. He played with the knobs a little. Soon enough, warm water was coming from shower head, so he stepped in.  
  
He yawned a little, glancing to the corner of the shower to see a couple bottles of soap and shampoo. Only the subs used this bathroom, which meant they were Armin’s. He didn’t think Armin would mind, at least not for the first day. He turned the knob, making the water warmer and dunked his head under the stream, using his fingertips to knead between the thick strands of dark brown hair. He hummed a little, throwing his head back, causing his hair to be thrown back as well with the movement.  
  
It occurred to him that he wasn’t really in a hurry.  
  
Sharing one shower with Mikasa and Annie always meant he had to move his ass in the mornings. He took his time, deciding to use the soap with the ‘Cucumber Fusion’ smell, and the shampoo with the ‘Herbal Dance’ label. He didn’t know what either of them meant, but he opened the top and smelled them, deciding he liked it. Mostly because the bottles had a green picture on it and his favourite colour was green. He washed off soon enough and then stepped out.  
  
He felt a shiver from the cold, but ignored it, grabbing a towel, and drying himself off.  
  
He walked back to his room, dropping the towel on the bed before he got dressed. The light blue shirt was loose, and he felt a slight chill after his hot shower so he grabbed a vest, brown and made of a thin material. He tugged it on and then picked out a belt for his jeans. He quickly made the bed; he wasn’t sure if Levi was the Dom who made a big deal out of the small things, but he wasn’t going to find out by pissing him off.  
  
He decided to go barefoot, because he hated socks (unlike Mikasa who thought they were better than her own feet), and walked down the stairs. He checked the time on his phone—ten in the morning—and heard the sound of something crackling. As he made his way to the kitchen, he smelled food and grinned.  
  
Armin was making something at the stove, while Levi was reading a book, sitting at the head of the table.  
  
“Smells good,” Eren grinned.  
  
Armin looked to the side and smiled, “Morning.”  
  
Eren kept walking, heading over to Levi and leaning down to kiss his cheek. “Morning, Sir.”  
  
Levi blinked and stared at him.  
  
There was a silence.  
  
Eren made eye contact with his Dom.  
  
Levi said nothing for a minute or two before looking back at his book, “Get me another cup of coffee.”  
  
“Y-Yes, Sir! Sorry, Sir…”  
  
Levi fought back the urge to smile.  
  
Eren grabbed the white mug on the table by the handle and turned. He headed into the attached kitchen and lowered his voice to a whisper, “I’m so stupid.”  
  
Armin chuckled, not taking his eyes off the bacon he was cooking. “I don’t know what’s cuter, Eren, the kiss you gave him or the way your eyes look when you’re afraid of disappointing him.”  
  
“H-Huh?”  
  
“Nothing,” Armin coughed.  
  
Eren frowned, but grabbed the coffee pot, “How does he like his coffee?”  
  
“A bit of milk, no sugar. Oh, and he wants whole milk, that three point… two five something percent one.”  
  
Eren nodded and put the coffee pot down, deciding it was probably safer to put the milk in first. He turned to the fridge and opened it… “Why do you guys have like four different types of milk?”  
  
“Because he’s rich and we drink a lot of it,” Armin said simply. “It’s the purple milk.”  
  
“Purple milk,” Eren chuckled as he pulled out the purple carton of milk.  
  
“Yeah, it’s the purple milk,” Armin pouted, “That’s what I call it.”  
  
“Cute,” Eren walked back over to the mug and he opened the top of the container, “So how much milk?”  
  
“A bit.”  
  
“How much is a bit?” Eren pursed his lips, “I don’t want to disappoint him…”  
  
Armin flipped over the bacon then glanced over, “You pour, I’ll say when.”  
  
“Okay,” Eren began pouring.  
  
“When. Oh, that’s a touch too much, but he won’t mind.”  
  
Eren blinked, “You sure?”  
  
“He’s not too picky about his coffee, plus you can always add more later to balance it out.”  
  
“Okay,” Eren nodded and put the coffee back. He noticed Armin take the milk carton and he muttered thanks before moving back to the table. “Here you go, Sir.”  
  
“Good boy,” Levi said simply. He didn’t look away from his book as he pointed to the chair next to him. “Sit.”  
  
Eren moved and did so.  
  
“I usually refrain from compliments, Eren,” Levi said as he sipped his drink, “But you’re not bad.”  
  
“Thank you, Sir!” He grinned brightly.  
  
“You’re going to be easy to domesticate,” Levi flipped the page nonchalantly, “Well, to be fair, you’re somewhat pre-domesticated. Lean forward.”  
  
Eren stretched his neck towards Levi.  
  
Levi’s put down his coffee mug and moved under Eren’s chin, scratching it lightly.  
  
Eren felt a little flutter in his chest and smiled, “You enjoy doing that, Sir?”  
  
“Yes. It reminds my subs that they’re pets, tamed animals for me.”  
  
Eren smiled, “I’d be a tamed animal for you.”  
  
Levi paused, steel eyes shifting towards Eren.  
  
“I just said that out loud!” He backed away, hearing Armin’s laughter from the kitchen.  
  
Levi graced Eren with a small smile before going back to his book. “Get yourself a drink, and one for Armin as well.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” he got up and headed into the kitchen again. “I’m an idiot,” he declared again.  
  
Armin was putting the bacon on three plates as he spoke, “You know he can hear you right?”  
  
“It’s true,” Levi called from the table.  
  
Eren winced and wanted to hide, “What do you want to drink?”  
  
“Orange juice sounds nice.”  
  
Eren nodded and looked up, “Where are the cups? Oh,” he blinked as he saw them through the glass cupboards, framed by light furnished wood. He opened the cupboard door above him and grabbed two glasses, “These are fine?” He smiled when Armin gave him a nod and placed the cups down. He walked over to the fridge, pulling out the juice, and poured two cups, before putting the carton back in the fridge. His green eyes looked over to the side, noticing that the plates had pancakes, bacon, strawberries, and one piece of toast each. “Wow, you’re going all out.”  
  
Armin smiled shyly and nodded, “I… I like cooking, actually. For a while it’s only been Levi and I, so I’m excited to make food for three. Could you help me bring one of these plates?”  
  
“Sure, let me just put these cups down,” Eren nodded and headed over to the table. He quickly put the glasses down then went back to the kitchen, picking up one of the plates as Armin picked up the other two. They were identical, so he placed the one in his hand in front of Levi.  
  
Levi closed his book and glanced over to Armin, “Well done, Kitten.”  
  
Armin’s cheeks instantly turned red as he took a seat.  
  
Eren noticed the reaction, wondering what kind of pet name ‘Kitten’ was. It actually sounded kind of weird compared to the pet names he’d heard, but maybe that’s why Levi said it—to get that kind of reaction out of Armin, remind him who’s in control. The thought sent a tingle down to Eren’s groin and he quickly looked down. He poked the bacon and looked up, “Is this turkey?”  
  
“Yes,” Levi began eating.  
  
“Oh, okay,” he brought a slice to his mouth and chewed on it. He swallowed and nodded, “Pretty good. I know Annie loves it, but I’ve never had it. She’s territorial on her bacon.”  
  
“Sadly if you work at my company, you have to squeeze your ass in small jeans,” Levi sighed, “That’s where the market is, so that’s where the company goes.”  
  
Eren cut a piece of his pancake, and looked up, “Annie works for you, Sir?” He forked the piece of fluffy goodness in his mouth.  
  
“Yes, she’s actual the manager of our biggest store. I rely on her quite a bit.”  
  
Armin smiled, “A lot of people in the D.s. community work for Levi, surprisingly.”  
  
“Oh, like your driver that picked me up, he was a sub, or so he said,” Eren pointed out.  
  
“He’s not actually my driver,” Levi’s lips curved into a smile, “He’s a designer, but I sell his stuff, rack in great profits for him, and we’ve been friends for a while, so if I tell him to do something for me, he does. He was also my sub once, so he feels dominated by me. It’s a marketing advantage from time to time.”  
  
Armin gave a little frown, but didn’t dare speak his mind.  
  
Eren chuckled and continued eating.  
  
“Eren,” Levi looked at him, “Today I want you to talk to Armin and decide on your chores. I used to give each sub their own tasks, but I find you guys tend to trade and work it out amongst yourselves. I could care less, really, as long as it’s all done by the time I get home. I trust you two can handle that, Armin?”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” the blond nodded once.  
  
“Good, I have a meeting this afternoon, and another one tomorrow… That’s what happens when I say I want to take time off for a week, they pile up the meetings before I leave. Assfucks.” He snarled quietly, “We don’t usually have breakfast together, except weekends. But when we do, I want it at nine-thirty, Eren.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Eren nodded. “I’ll have my alarms set.”  
  
Levi nodded approvingly, then glanced over to the blond, “I take it you will help him adjust?”  
  
“That’s my duty, Sir.”  
  
“Lovely,” he muttered in a dry tone.

⁂

  
  
“Was he in a good mood or a bad mood?” Eren asked once Levi had gone upstairs. He moved the dishes under the warm running water, “I couldn’t tell.”  
  
“Mostly a good mood,” Armin explained as he wiped down the counter. “He was a bit bitter about going to a meeting, since those are dull, but he was happy with breakfast.”  
  
“Okay,” Eren nodded, thankful for that much at least. He placed a plate on a drying rack and then grabbed the third one. “So we have to split up the tasks, now?”  
  
“Yeah,” Armin nodded. “Let me just finish cleaning the counter and I can go through it. It’s actually not that big of a deal. It’s a big house, but if we take care of it every day it won’t be a problem. There.”  
  
Eren placed the third plate on the dry rack and washed his hands, rinsing off the little white bubbles of soap on his knuckles. He turned the knob and closed the faucet; he grabbed a hand towel and dried off. “Done here too.” He turned around and glanced over to Armin, “So what are the tasks? Anything special or just, sort of, standard household chores?”  
  
“Standard chores, just more because it’s a big house.” Armin sighed, “When we’ve got the air con and heating running all day, dust tends to come from the vents so, kind of annoying. It’s not much, but Levi really is a clean freak. Like a serious clean freak. But if we work together, it won’t be an issue, I’m sure.” He walked over to the counter and grabbed the paper pad and pen; he glanced at the page that was there and noticed it was the home number, Levi’s number, and his number. “You don’t need this anymore, right? I can tear it?”  
  
“Go for it.”  
  
Armin tore it and put it to the side. “Okay so, I’ll just write this down in case you forget. I tend to wake up around six… which is pretty unnatural and you don’t have to do that, but I’ll be up so I’ll take care of the newspaper, which Levi doesn’t really read but he hates it when it’s on his porch. Apparently he tripped over it once, but the sub who saw it never told me the whole story.”  
  
Eren chuckled, remembering that his Dom was, after all, human.  
  
“But that means you’ll have to make the bed every morning. I’m serious, he’ll find out if you skip it even once.” He drew a ‘t’ graph, putting ‘Armin’ on the top left and ‘Eren’ on the top right. He jotted down the chores he already mentioned, “I tend to do the cooking, so I’ll take care of all the kitchen stuff—wiping down appliances, doing the dishes, counters, etcetera. Could you do the laundry? We do it once a week, Fridays usually. You know how to separate clothes and all that?”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren nodded, smiling. “I shrunk one of my mom’s pants when I was fifteen… I still have nightmares about her reaction.”  
  
Armin chuckled, “If you need help just ask,” he wrote ‘Laundry – Friday’ under Eren’s name. “If you’re doing that, then I’ll change the bedsheets every Thursday. It’s only fair. Oh, every day, the front steps and the backyard need to be swept. There’s a broom thingy outside, it’s like two hundred dollars or something so ridiculous, but it makes it a piece of cake. You can do that… if that’s okay?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
“Okay, I’ll take care of mopping and vacuuming, I alternate doing them every Sunday, so one Sunday it’s mopping, the next it’s vacuuming. I don’t mind doing it, but you should know what chores I’m doing in case I can’t do them for whatever reason, so I’m gonna write them down. Besides that, I’ll help you collect all the trash, but can you make sure the garbage is out on the driveway by four in the afternoon, on Thursday? That’s when the garbage truck comes.”  
  
Eren made a mental note and nodded, but then frowned. “I thought garbage trucks came in the mornings.”  
  
“They usually do,” Armin agreed, “But these rich people can’t be bothered to wake up early for something like that.”  
  
Eren chuckled and shook his head and looked up, “I still can’t get over the fact I’m going to live in this house for a month… On top of that, there’s you and Levi here, my luck might be too good.”  
  
“You earn your place,” Armin reminded with a teasing smile.  
  
“Hehe,” Eren knew exactly what that meant, “So, what other chores are there?”  
  
“Well, besides that, twice a day we need to dust the house. I use that time just to check every room, make sure there’s no garbage or dirty cups or anything anywhere. Wipe down counters, the whole works. If we do it twice a day, it’s pretty fast, and since there’s two of us it just means we do it once each. I usually do it when I wake up and get around to it, which is around seven in the morning, so around six in the evening, usually just before dinner is when I do the other. I used to do it before bed, but sometimes Levi orders me to his bedroom, for… you know, obvious bedroom reasons,” his cheeks turned a light pink, “And uh, yeah it’s not sexy to say ‘May I service you after I dust your dirty house’.”  
  
Eren chuckled; it was weird how Armin could say what he wanted to do to other people with a straight face, but whenever it was what Levi was doing to him, there was always those flush on his cheeks. Eren couldn’t help but wonder if he’d be the same way… when… Levi… made use of his body… for ‘bedroom reasons’, as Armin put it. He felt his own cheeks heat up and he figured it probably was a yes. He gave a little nod, “So I’ll do it every day at six, then?”  
  
“Yeah,” Armin looked down at the piece of paper and hummed, tapping his hands on the counter, “Oh, I also go for groceries on Wednesdays. You’re free to come with me if you want, I could use some help carrying bags, but I usually just ask Annie or someone else. I don’t go every Wednesday, depends on how fast we go through what I bought last week, but I’ll let you know.”  
  
“Sure,” Eren grinned, “You’ve got this all figured out. Makes me feel a lot less nervous about all of this. I don’t know how you did it alone, though.”  
  
Armin chuckled, “I’ve been with Levi for a couple years, so I know what he wants.”  
  
Eren tilted his head, green eyes peering into blue. “How old are you?”  
  
“Huh?” Armin blinked at the directness of the question, before smiling, “Nineteen. I’ve been living here since I was sixteen, but I wasn’t actually involved with Levi until I was seventeen… it’s, a long, complicated story. But age of consent’s sixteen here, so it was legal and all.”  
  
“So,” Eren tilted his head, “You got into D.s. two years ago too?”  
  
“Yeah,” Armin smiled.  
  
“Well, you’ve been with Levi since then… so you probably have like twenty four months of experience, I’m probably like six months,” he scratched the back of his head.  
  
“Well, you’re still a good pet,” Armin suddenly leaned up and smooched Eren’s nose.  
  
Eren’s green eyes widened and he blinked a couple times.

⁂

  
  
The rest of the day seemed to pass uneventfully; he was still trying to get himself situated, reviewing the mental map of his house and comparing it to the actual thing. He found himself lost a couple times, but in the end everything seemed to work itself out.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
As Armin told him, he was wiping down the counters at six, just before dinner, when _that_ voice almost made him jump. He tossed the paper towel in his hand into the garbage and turned around, “Yes, Sir?”  
  
Levi’s steel eyes gazed into Eren’s green ones with a sense of nonchalance. “Did you make the bed this morning?”  
  
“I did.”  
  
“Do it again.”  
  
Eren blinked. Do it again? “Was it not good enough? Did I do something wrong, Sir?”  
  
Levi watched as Eren’s brows furrowed together, noting the sincere concern. He sighed, rolling his eyes. “Pillows go over the bedsheets, Eren, and pillows are to be fluffed. Do you understand? Fluffed.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Eren bowed instantly, keeping his head down.  
  
“Fix it. Go.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Eren nodded and quickly moved to the stairs. He moved past Armin, who seemed a little confused to see him in a blur, and eventually made it to their room. He grabbed the pillows, placing them on one of the glass desks and quickly smoothed out the bedsheets. He then fluffed each pillow before putting them back on the large bed.  
  
“Good,” Levi said as he leaned on the doorway. “You might be incompetent, but at least you can learn. I don’t want it to happen again. And since I don’t want it to happen again, _Eren_ , it _won't_ happen again. Did I make myself clear?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.” Eren lowered his head.  
  
“Good,” he said again, stepping into the room. He slowly cupped Eren’s cheek, smirking. “Well trained, obedient, not very thorough, but a listener. I can train listeners. You make me want to have my way with you…”  
  
A jolt of electricity moved through his spine, but he kept himself with a lowered head, making them the same height. He swore he heard the tiniest purr in Levi’s voice and he swallowed hard, making eye contact.  
  
“Don’t look at me,” Levi hissed, “No eye contact when I’m scolding you. Understand, Mutt?”  
  
His eyes dropped to the floor. A dangerous thought suddenly crossed Eren’s mind: If this kept up, he was totally going to get a boner.  
  
“Obedient,” Levi stroked Eren’s cheek with his thumb and smiled. “Good boy…” He moved his hand down, scratching under his chin.  
  
Eren couldn’t help but smile as he tried to relax and not get a boner.  
  
“Keep up the good performance and I’m willing to reward you.”  
  
“I would be honoured, Sir.”  
  
“Of course you will,” Levi dropped his hand, “By the way, your vest is ugly.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened, remembering Armin’s comment yesterday, “I’ll change it if you want.”  
  
“No,” Levi raised a hand, “It’s hideous, in a sort of ugly Christmas sweater way… but somehow it manages looks cute on you. I like it, but that doesn’t change the fact it’s ugly.” He turned around, “See if Armin needs any help with dinner. After dinner…” He looked over his shoulder, “Keep yourself clothed, but lay in my bed for me.”  
  
Eren tried to respond, but his jaw didn’t work and he ended up giving a little whimper.  
  
Levi looked down to Eren’s waist, snorted, and left.  
  
He looked down to see the obvious boner in his pants and he frowned, “Get down, you…” Eren took the moment to calm himself down, trying to think of anything besides Levi’s smooth voice, and what it would feel like whispering orders in his ears… and what it would be like to service the man, to be dominated, to exist solely as that man’s toy… “Stop!” He yelled at himself, smacking his cheeks. He couldn’t help it though. Just being around Levi made tingles race all over his body  
  
With a soft sigh, Eren eventually made himself think of food, since Armin was making dinner. Growing up as a teenager with an overriding libido, he had easily found out the sense of hunger overtook his bodily desire for sex. With boner semi-killed, he tried to ponder over the vastness of the universe—anything really, and went down the stairs before making his way into the kitchen. “Where’s Levi?”  
  
Armin looked to the side, “Think he’s still upstairs, why?”  
  
“I’m so turned on right now,” Eren clasped both hands over his eyes. “He also asked me to lay on his bed after dinner—what does that mean?”  
  
Armin chuckled, finding embarrassed Eren adorable. “Well, we’re all adults here, I think you can figure it out.”  
  
“Don’t tease,” Eren pouted, “I’m freaking out!”  
  
“Well don’t yell so loud or Levi will end up coming downstairs.” Armin wagged his finger in the air as he stirred something in a pot, “So why are you down here? Want me to do something about that thing in your pants?”  
  
“N-No,” Eren turned away, crossing his arms. “Levi asked me to help with dinner.”  
  
“Oh,” Armin blinked, “There’s some pecans on the cutting board there, could you chop them up finely—Wait, you’re not allergic to anything are you?”  
  
“No, I eat everything.”  
  
“Okay, Levi would have told me, but I just wanted to make sure.”  
  
Eren offered a smile as he walked over to the cutting board. There were only a dozen or so pecans, a little less, and he grabbed the knife, inspecting it to make sure it was clean. “So just chop ‘em up, in small pieces?”  
  
“Smaller the better,” Armin nodded. He was mixing some liquid in a small pot with a brush. It was thick, and had a yellowish tint, and he whisked it around and ‘round.  
  
“So um… any tips?”  
  
“Just keep chopping.”  
  
“N-No, I mean,” Eren sighed, “When I’m… with Levi, tonight…”  
  
“Oh! Just do whatever he tells you,” Armin smiled softly, “You’re his sub after all. Follow orders, do your best, let him call the shots. If he gives you free reign… which is pretty rare, just do whatever you really want to do. I’m serious. If you’re not making the most of it, he’s going to think you’re wasting it. I mean… I don’t want to sound pretentious or elitist, or anything like that, but the thing is, if a submissive isn’t utterly desiring to please their master, they shouldn’t be a sub for that master. It could mean a number of things; maybe the master isn’t fair, maybe the sub isn’t feeling it, maybe they’re not right for each other… but those are all reasons that lead to terminating the contract.”  
  
Eren stopped chopping as he looked at the cutting board. “But, what if I just, get intimidated… or scared? I mean, I know the contract, he isn’t going to hurt me much, and he doesn’t want to actually put me in any harm either. Even if he goes rough… which, I kind of… like it… rough… I’ve uh, you know, got a high pain tolerance,” Eren cleared his throat, nervously going back to mincing the pecans, “But it’s just… I don’t know. It’s his presence. How do I deal with that? What if it gets too much?”  
  
“Tell him,” Armin paused what he was doing, glancing over to Eren with a small smile. “Just do what you would normally do, ask for permission to speak freely, and if he grants it explain. You know, I’ve always thought one of the most important things about being a Dom is being able to read people, sense vibes, tell if something’s wrong. I think that makes the biggest difference between a good Dom and a decent one.”  
  
“And Levi’s a good Dom?”  
  
“A great Dom, don’t worry so much. You know, Levi’s well known in the community, and he gives advice to both Doms and subs alike. Even Mikasa asks him for advice, and… well you’re her friend, you know she’s sort of… closed off, like Levi in some ways.”  
  
Eren thought about it then nodded. “Yeah, Mikasa… Well, she was the one who suggested Levi for me.” He finished chopping the pecans and started cutting the slightly bigger pieces in half, “To be honest, she had a tendency to mother me when we were growing up… partially my fault, because I always tried to pick fights I couldn’t win. But in a way, my parents said she protected me. We’re not kids anymore, but she still looks out for me. She found out one of my Doms were too rough once and she almost stormed out to beat the shit out of him. I guess that’s why when she suggested a Dom, I figured he’d be like a tender-Dom or whatever… which I can’t really get off on… But I mean, I guess what I want to say… she wouldn’t pick a bad or decent Dom for me.”  
  
Armin chuckled, “You and her are pretty close, huh?”  
  
“We’re like siblings,” Eren half-joked. He put the knife down and looked at the blond, “Is this good?”  
  
Armin’s eyes dipped to the chopped pecans and he nodded, “Yeah, think you can chop up some parsley too? It’s the green one there.”  
  
“This one?”  
  
“Yep. Chop ‘em in a bit bigger pieces, they’re mostly for decoration really.”  
  
“Sure. Um,” he grabbed the knife again and paused, “Thanks.”  
  
“You’re welcome, Eren.”  
  
“No, I mean, really… thanks. You have no idea how much this is helping me, being able to talk to you about all this. I really, really want to be a good sub for Levi. I don’t know if it’s his eye-fucking or his voice or his presence or what, but I just feel this tingle in my bones when I see him. It’s weird… it’s like having a schoolgirl crush, except in a warped and really hot way. I guess I’m just… curious. I’m curious what’s beneath all those,” he almost groaned as the image of Shrek came back to his mind, “Beneath all those… layers,” his tone went from excited to dead as he said the last word. “God damn onions…”  
  
Armin tilted his head, “What?”  
  
“Sorry, nothing.”  
  
“But! You had some real momentum there,” Armin almost pouted, lower lip wibbling, “I was interested.”  
  
“I guess I just want to know who he is,” Eren said as he chopped the parsley into green little colourful pieces. “Sure, he’s rich, he’s a Dom… He’s sort of a jerk, has a twisted sense of humour, but you know… despite all the jerk-things he’s been doing, he’s been really nice to me. But…”  
  
“In his own way?”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren nodded, “In his own way.”

⁂

  
  
Dinner moved along smoothly. Armin ended up lightly brushing the mixture, which Eren found out was a light mix of Dijon, honey, and butter, along salmon fillets and ended up topping them with the crushed pecans and parsley before baking them. Eren was a little uncertain how it would end up (Dijon? Honey? Butter? Pecans?), especially since he wasn’t a fish person. Sushi was okay, but he wasn’t a fan of cooked fish. To his surprise, though, he made a mental note to never question Armin’s cooking again.  
  
He found the lightly brushed mixture was mostly just honey which gave a lovely sweetness that wasn’t too strong, a bit of Dijon for a kick, and the butter mostly kept it juicy while only adding a hint of flavour. Baked at a lower heat, the fish was both flakey on the surface, but moist in the centre. The filet was boneless, too, which made it a rather easy-to-enjoy meal.  
  
But now that was over.  
  
Eren was no longer in the kitchen, no longer at the table either..  
  
He swallowed hard.  
  
No—He was in Levi’s bedroom.  
  
It was actually rather modest, as he looked around. It was probably the same size as their own room, a little bigger. There was only one bed, king-sized, which he was sitting on, in the center of the room, against the wall. There was a desk to the side with Levi’s laptop and papers, which he didn’t dare touch. To his surprise, there was a rather large bookshelf. Eren eventually couldn’t take it anymore and got up. He stepped forward, towards the bookshelf and began reading the labels on the spines of the books.  
  
There really was a collection, but it was organised.  
  
Eren silently wondered if Levi was a compulsive book buyer, the same way he was a compulsive video game buyer. But as he read the titles he realised some were textbooks, mostly on psychology, and mostly on psychoanalysis psychology. He didn’t know much about that, but that one course he took in high school basically told him that Freud thought everything meant dicks, and everything that didn’t mean dicks meant vaginas. He remembered actually writing that down in his essay at the end of the year and getting an ‘A-’ on it.  
  
“So, is everything dicks to Levi?”  
  
“What?”  
  
Eren literally jumped as he did a one-eighty turn, tripping over his feet and toppling onto his back, legs flying high in the air.  
  
“Graceful,” Levi muttered tactlessly.  
  
“Levi, Sir!” Eren jumped to his feet and saluted.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow.  
  
Eren had no idea why he was saluting, so he put his arm down.  
  
“I have spent the past two days continuously wondering whether I should be questioning your intelligence or sanity,” despite his harsh tone, there was the tiniest playful little smirk on his lips as he walked over to his desk, steel eyes moving to the papers. “Oh, you didn’t touch anything. Good boy.”  
  
“Of course not, Sir.”  
  
“You _are_ free to go through my things,” Levi shrugged, “Just leave them how you found them. The only exception is my study. I manage most of my work-related shit there, and I’m not taking any chances of papers being misplaced, got it?”  
  
“Yes, Sir!”  
  
Levi eventually turned to Eren, steel eyes licking up the male in front of him. “Take off that ugly sweater.”  
  
Eren instantly pulled it off and kept it in his hands, not sure where he should put it.  
  
“Throw it on the floor. I’m a clean freak but even I understand where clothes go during sex.”  
  
Sex. The word sent a little jolt of excitement through him and Eren swallowed hard to keep his cool. “But, um, Sir…” he threw the vest to the side, leaving him in the light blue shirt and dark navy jeans. “I thought I was under chastity…”  
  
“You were, and you’ve avoided fucking either of us for long enough.” Levi walked over, running his fingertips over Eren’s cheek in a possessive way, “But let’s face it, I want to fuck you, Eren.”  
  
“Oh God please,” Eren closed his eyes and whispered.  
  
Levi relished in the twisted pleasure that all teases did, “Not tonight.”  
  
Eren’s green eyes opened and widened, in an adorable puppy-eyes begging way he looked at his Dom.  
  
“My job is, of course, to make you a better sub. So consider this to be your first lesson, and test.”  
  
Test? Lesson? Eren nodded, even though he didn’t quite understand.  
  
Levi moved to the side, taking a seat at the foot of the bed. He pointed in front of him and watched as Eren moved. “Remove your shirt, slowly.”  
  
Eren nodded, feeling his hands shake a little as he grabbed the hem of his shirt, letting the fabric glide over his chest at its own pace as he tugged it off, tossing it aside as he did with his vest. He swallowed hard, cheeks reddening. He looked down at his feet and hugged his arm.  
  
“Eye contact.”  
  
Eren took in a deep breath and forced himself to look up, “Yes, Sir.”  
  
“Pants.”  
  
Eren looked down for a moment as undid the button, but his hands were shaky as he tugged down the zipper. With some effort, he managed to push his jeans down and wiggled his knees until they pooled at his feet. He kicked it to the side and looked back up, ignoring the tent in his boxers from his obvious excitement. He knew his face was red; he could feel the heat it was giving off. He half wondered why Armin used the oven for dinner, because he was sure his blush was hot enough.  
  
Levi crossed his legs and his arms, leaning back only slightly, raising his chin as his eyes examined every ounce of skin he could. “Why are you so nervous?”  
  
“I-I’m not nervous, Sir!”  
  
“I’m not an idiot,” Levi’s eyes narrowed for half a second, “You’re blushing like a schoolgirl who just got her cherry popped, just tell me why you’re so nervous, you moron.”  
  
Eren opened his mouth to disagree, but eventually realised his Dom was right. “I’m just… I find it, hard to be comfortable around you, Sir.”  
  
“Is this a problem you’ve had with other Doms?”  
  
“To an extent, yes…” Eren looked away, hands fumbling together. “I’m sorry, Sir. I want to be your sub, I want to please you, I want to do everything a sub wants… It’s not that I don’t, Sir. Please don’t think I’m unhappy!”  
  
“Weak.”  
  
Eren blinked, “Huh?”  
  
“Weak,” Levi rolled his eyes, “You’re a weak sub.”  
  
He just froze.  
  
After a silence, Levi made a ‘come here’ motion with one finger and watched as Eren obeyed. He looked up at his sub and made the motion again.  
  
Eren swallowed hard and understood, lowering his lips against the other man’s.  
  
Levi slowly, carefully kissed his sub, stroking Eren’s lips with his own before pulling away. “I’m not going to give you some textbook run-down on this shit, so I’ll keep it short. Strength, power, whatever the fuck you want to call it, whatever it is you’re lacking that’s making you weak, is different for Doms and subs. For Doms it’s the ability to keep your sub in line, and the ability to control a situation and make demands. The more efficient and successful the Dom is in that regard, the stronger he is. A Dom that can’t keep control is a weak Dom.”  
  
Eren listened intently, instantly making the note that Levi was a very strong Dom.  
  
“Being a weak Dom isn’t a bad thing,” Levi added, “I know several Doms that are weak, and that is in line with what their subs want. But I am a strong Dom, and my preference is strong subs. Like I said, strength in term of being a sub is different.” He looked down to Eren’s boner and tapped the top of it with his hand, watching as Eren’s cheeks went red. “Do you have any idea what makes a sub strong, Eren?”  
  
“Um, pleasing their master? Being more willing?”  
  
“No.”  
  
Eren deflated a bit, silently wishing his dick did the same but it refused.  
  
“A strong sub is one that can stand naked, and let anyone who is looking look. A strong sub is one who always submits, but never gives in to pain or discomfort. I’m not saying you can’t feel embarrassed or nervous, look at Armin: His cheeks go red just like yours, but if I asked him to strip he would strip. If I asked him to get on his knees and suck my dick in front of forty people, he would do it. Of course he’d be embarrassed and nervous, that’s who he is. But he’d never hesitate, he’d never hide his body, no matter how much he may want to, because he is a sub and his Dom asked him to do something.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened as he listened.  
  
“Don’t worry,” Levi cracked a smile, “I’m not going to ask you to strip or suck my dick in front of forty people. I don’t like people enough for that. But I want you to think about what I said, Pup. It’s not something you can flick on and off. Armin was like you when I began training him. In time, I’ll train you to release your inhibitions and let yourself be the tool you are.”  
  
Eren’s cock twitched.  
  
Levi silently chuckled out of his nose, amused. “After all, what is a submissive, Eren?”  
  
“Someone who willingly submits to become a tool for their Dom’s pleasure.”  
  
“Good,” Levi ran a finger over the clothed outline of Eren’s cock. “You’re going to need training, Eren. That is my duty to you. You serve me, in turn I train you. You make yourself a tool for my pleasure, and I better you to better me.”  
  
Eren closed his eyes, curling his toes as the words made him shiver.  
  
“Strip.”  
  
Eren opened his eyes and tucked his thumbs down the waistband at the sides. He took a deep breath and pushed down, watching his cock bounce up as his boxers slid down his legs. He swallowed hard, doing his best to be a ‘strong’ sub. He quietly wondered if he would have believed the words Levi said if he didn’t understand just how much power it took for him to just stand naked before the man. He’d been naked for Doms many times… but he’d never been, displaying himself… not in this way.  
  
The power to stand naked.  
  
Eren found his knees shake and his arms lock at his side and he breathed.  
  
“Good,” Levi cupped Eren’s balls, stretching his thumb to run over the hairless base of his sub’s cock. “Like I said, you’re going to need training, you’re not what I want, yet, but I reward my subs on their effort to please me. You’ve been good, accepting what I’m saying.”  
  
Eren did his best to listen; with his privates being cupped by the older man and that smooth, dry voice ringing in his ears, it was too easy to just zone out and revel in the experience. But he stayed focused, because, after all, his job was to please Levi.  
  
“So, I will reward you.” His hand moved up, grabbing Eren’s shaft near the top, giving it a squeeze.  
  
Eren’s knees came together as he closed his eyes, trying to stay quiet.  
  
Levi watched Eren’s expression with interest. He made Eren’s cock point up to the ceiling, and he moved his hand down, pulling back the hood and exposing the purple-pink head. “Don’t hide yourself.”  
  
Eren’s green eyes snapped open, realising he was being a weak sub. He figured since Levi said weak Dom’s were okay, weak subs were okay too—it was just that a weak sub wasn’t what Levi wanted. He wanted to be what Levi wanted. He wanted Levi to want him, as he wanted Levi. He swallowed hard as his Dom began stroking him, moving his hand up and down, creating a steady rhythm.  
  
A noise left his throat, soft but needy.  
  
Eren made another noise, feeling the warm hand around his sensitive member, focused on him, pleasuring him.  
  
Levi moved his hand up and down, up and down, keeping eye contact.  
  
Eren wondered if it was because of the chastity or if it was because of something his Dom was doing, but he already wanted to melt under the man’s hand. “Not fair…”  
  
The corner of Levi’s mouth curved upwards, “What isn’t fair?”  
  
“It’s just…” Eren did his best not to hide his body, “I feel like my body’s already at your mercy… and all you’re doing is giving me a handjob. I’m not a virgin, I swear.”  
  
“Handjobs are underrated,” Levi’s steel eyes looked up to Eren’s green ones. “I don’t think any act can be as intimate. Even when full on sex is slow and gentle, nothing is quite like having my fingers around your dick, is it? Just me, pleasuring you with my hand.”  
  
Eren suddenly agreed; but, at this point, he was pretty sure he’d agree if Levi said pancakes were equally as intimate. Although the act was simple, he found himself being drawn in by it. Maybe Levi was right: Maybe, because it was simple… just Levi’s hand around his cock… that it felt so great, and so intimate. There was no passion or urges overriding thought, no orders to follow, nothing but Levi’s hand.  
  
Levi watched Eren’s green eyes come alive and he smirked. He began to stroke faster, moving the foreskin over the head and back again and again; all the while, his steel eyes never left Eren’s face.  
  
“Ah,” Eren whispered as he looked down into Levi’s eyes. Those eyes made him weak before, when they were ‘eye-fucking’ him, but now… seeing them as they were in that moment… Eren couldn’t help feel the opposite of all he’d ever felt. He used to want to run, hide, blush, but now he wanted his Dom to look at him that way—wanting him. “Sir…” he breathed, eyes closing as he let out another soft sound.  
  
Levi suddenly gave another squeeze.  
  
“Ah!” Eren’s shoulders moved up as pleasure tingled his spine. “Sir!”  
  
Although Eren had his eyes closed, Levi didn’t mind. Before, the act meant Eren was trying to hide himself, now it was out of openly soaking in the pleasure. His hand moved faster, and he felt the hot length twitch in his hand, in response. He smirked and continued.  
  
Eren’s toes curled and his breathing became audible as he raised his chin, moving his head back a bit as the breaths became deeper. “Sir…”  
  
“Yes, Eren?”  
  
The brunet looked back down again, eyelids peeling open to reveal hungry green eyes. “P-Please, Sir… more… Sir.”  
  
Levi kept the same pace for a moment, watching as Eren’s green eyes looked confused, wondering if his request would be granted. After seeing the almost desperate expression made Levi want to give in right away, but he had to keep the rhythm. His hand moved up and down, up and down, rolling the skin over the head which became redder with each stroke.  
  
“Please?” Eren felt his knees wiggle, “Please, Sir? Please, Levi, Sir?”  
  
After a small smirk, he rolled his eyes, pretending not to care, but his hand moved quicker.  
  
“Ugh,” Eren kept a growl in the back of his throat, not letting it move past gritted teeth.  
  
“Say thank you, you Mutt.”  
  
“Thank you, Sir!” Eren practically yelled, spine bending as he leaned forward in half-bow.  
  
“Good,” Levi’s lips curved into a dangerous smile. “Never forget that, Pup.”  
  
Eren was about to speak when another squeeze on his cock turned his words into a helpless whimper. “Y-Yes, Sir!” His breathing became heavy as he closed his eyes, letting out little whines and gasps between struggled breaths, “Sir, I’m… I’m getting close.”  
  
“Would you like to cum, Pup?”  
  
“Yes! Yes, Sir!”  
  
“Say please, Eren.”  
  
“Please! yes, _please_ , Sir!”  
  
“One more time.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened and he pouted, “Please Sir! I can’t take it anymore, Sir!”  
  
“But you’ll hold on to control if I ask,” Levi lowered his voice, “Wouldn’t you?”  
  
Fear visibly shook the brunet as his breathing froze, as if gripped and stunned by a squeeze. He swallowed his saliva and closed his eyes, “I’m only human, Sir!”  
  
Levi laughed; he actually laughed, before raising an eyebrow, hand still moving quickly over Eren’s hard length. “You please me, Eren.”  
  
Green eyes opened again, cheeks burning red, a shiver raced down his spine, and Eren gasped. Those were the words any sub needed to hear. He opened his mouth, letting out a noise as his knees came together, “Sir!”  
  
“You can cum when you want,” Levi said simply, smirking as his hand stroked his sub.  
  
Eren swallowed hard, nodding to say he heard because he was sure his throat wasn’t going to comply anymore. He closed his eyes, hands turning into fists, body tightening as he focused on the pleasure, and only on the pleasure. The way Levi’s hands moved over his cock was almost possessive and he found his hips moving forward, begging for more. “Sir…”  
  
“Do it.”  
  
“Sir.”  
  
“Do it. Now.”  
  
“Sir!” Eren curled his toes and his body seized up, shuddering as he released, throwing his head back and silently screaming as he spilled himself. He grunted, breathing becoming sporadic, rapid, and untamed. He let out a loud moan as the afterwaves rippled through the fibres of his being and his knees wiggled in fear of giving out.  
  
“Good Pup.”  
  
Eren shivered at the pet name, feeling his cheeks warm as he opened his eyes. He blinked, noticing he came all over Levi’s white shirt and there was even a spot of sticky white on the man’s cheek, “S-Sir!”  
  
“I’ll take care of it,” he said nonchalantly, acting as if it wasn’t there. “Take your clothes and join Armin.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened, “I’m not taking care of you, Sir?”  
  
“No,” Levi paused, “Not yet.”  
  
Eren was both disappointed from the ‘No’, but the ‘Not yet’ filled his mind with endless possibilities.  
  
“Any reason you’re still here?”  
  
Eren straightened his back and grabbed his clothes, absentmindedly holding them over his crotch. Before turning to the door, he paused. “May I ask a question, Sir?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Was I…” Eren looked away, “To your liking, Levi, Sir?”  
  
Levi paused for a moment before nodding, “I love the way you look when you’re desperate and helpless for pleasure. You were.”  
  
Eren smiled wide and gave a light bow before he left.

⁂

  
  
Armin flipped the page of his book, enjoying the little moment of solitude he had. He would easily admit that he enjoyed spending time with Eren, and sharing the room was far easier than the last couple of subs. But Armin was one of those people that needed some “Me” time to unwind, so he lay with his stomach on the bed and flipped the page of his novel once again, lost in the desert world of the book.  
  
“H-Hey.”  
  
Armin blinked and looked to the door, “Hey.”  
  
Eren slipped on boxers before he entered so he wasn’t naked as he dropped onto his side of the bed. “What’re you reading?”  
  
“Oh, just a fantasy series, it’s pretty good,” Armin slipped his bookmark between pages and closed the book. He rolled over to place it on the bedside table, then looked to Eren, “So?”  
  
“So?” Eren pretended not to know as a huge smile formed on his lips.  
  
“Soo?” Armin rolled towards him, “What happened?”  
  
A nervous chuckle left his lips. “We talked a bit, and um, he… rewarded me, with a handjob. It was fucking great… I didn’t know a handjob could feel _that_ good.”  
  
“Yeah, Levi’s… Levi’s good. Real good.”  
  
“Hell yeah.”  
  
Armin smiled and looked over Eren’s body, “You know… if you think about how good he is with his hands, he’s great at fingering… and he’s awesome with his mouth… and he’s just… I don’t know, Eren, I’m pretty sure he’s a reincarnated sex god or something.”  
  
Eren knew it was a joke but after what just happened he wondered if there was any truth to it. “I can’t wait until he and I… you know, do more. But, um… he didn’t let me get him off, is that normal?”  
  
“Yeah,” Armin nodded, rolling over to his back. “Not always, but generally… when you get him off, you spend the night in his bed.”  
  
“So,” Eren blinked, “He didn’t want me in his bed?”  
  
A light laugh came from the blond’s lips, “No… I think he was just trying to help you adjust to your new room. You know… I can only hypothesise… Not even I know what’s going on in his head half the time… but, that’s sort of the fun too.”  
  
Eren rolled over to his back too and smiled, “Well I can say that sure was fun… and now I just really, really, really want to return the favour.”  
  
“You’ll get your chance.”  
  
“I can’t wait.”


	4. The First Week (4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to _notsofriendlyghosts_ whose comment inspired the last scene.  >:3
> 
> * * *

Blue eyes opened slowly, closing as the sunlight peered in. He wiggled, pushing his head forward against something warm. No, not just warm, very warm, warm like a furnace. After a moment, he realised what it was that was giving off so much heat. Eren. A smile formed on his lips as blue eyes once again opened. His forehead was pushed against Eren’s back, just between the shoulder blades; he was cuddled up against the brunet. His lazy eyes looked at the sun kissed skin and he bit his lip playfully before rolling over onto his back. He lifted himself up, slowly rubbing his eyes and took a deep breath. He sighed. His shoulder ached, and one of his feet was numb; he didn’t sleep well. Still, he swung his legs over the side.  
  
Feet grazing along slightly chilled furnished hardwood floors, Armin groaned before he stood up.  
  
He stretched, pushing out his arms, going on his toes. He yawned silently, then looked down.  
  
He walked over to the drawer, pulling out a pair of dark blue sweatpants and white socks. He’d use the same light blue T-shirt that he slept in, since he’d have to take it off anyway. Slipping the clothes on, he rubbed his neck, wincing at the slight ache. He grabbed his phone, stuffing it in his pocket with his headphones. He glanced over to Eren, just for a moment, making sure he was still asleep, before he tippy-toed over to the door. He opened it, slowly, hand turning the handle fully before he actually opened the door to make sure there was no noise. He left the door slightly ajar, knowing it was no big deal.  
  
Armin stepped out into the hallway.  
  
He moved to the stairs, silently hopping down each step before he made it to the first floor. He moved to the front entrance, looking for his running shoes before slipping his feet in. He leaned down, tying his laces with the bunny and the hoop, before going out.  
  
He took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and smiled. He glanced over to the grass, noting a light layer of dew. It must have rained when they slept, but it was clear skies and bright sun. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He had to untangle the headphones, with lots of tugging and fussing, before they came free. He popped the ‘R’ one in his right ear, and the ‘L’ in Left. He looked at his phone, checking the time: 6:32am.  
  
He blinked a bit, realising he woke up later than usual.  
  
“Well, I’ll just go halfway today, then.”  
  
He hit the music app, scrolling down his playlists until he hit ‘Upbeat’ near the bottom. He hit the first song, made sure shuffle was on, then stuffed his phone back in his pocket. Stretching his legs, Armin took a deep breath before nodding to himself.  
  
He started running.  
  
He kept a steady pace; it wasn’t quite a run, but it was faster than a jog. His shoes hit the ground, step, step, step. It was a continuous motion, so he focused on the song playing in his ears. It was loud, something about single women being fabulous, something he secretly didn’t want anyone to know he listened to. But he liked it. Loud, nice beat, rhythmic, perfect for a run. He kept running, turning a left at the end of the road as he usually did. He glanced over to the houses he was passing, unsure how to feel as he passed the Reiss household. He noticed there was only one car, wondering if the parents were off on another business trip.  
  
Armin could have actually analysed it, but it was too early even for him and he was moving away from it with every step. He was used to the big lavish houses, each one designed by somebody who was paid too much anyway.  
  
As time passed, his breathing became audible. Under his bangs, he felt beads of sweat form and he remembered he forgot his headband. It just wasn’t his day. He smiled, though, finding it funny. He kept running. Turning another left, he mentally counted each song that had played, knowing how many minutes each one was, he made an evaluation of how much time had passed. Since he started over fifteen minutes later than usual, he knew he had to cut his run by a third. Instead of making the next turn, he slowly came to a stop.  
  
His breathing was heavy, but he wasn’t quite at his limit. He tugged his shirt twice, feeling cool air rush over his heated chest. He turned around, and began running again.  
  
The run back seemed like it took less time, but when he checked his phone he confirmed he was right on schedule.  
  
Walking up the steps to Levi’s, he reached down to pick up the newspaper. He opened the front door, carefully kicked off his shoes, aligning them neatly against the other pairs, and closed the door behind him. He walked to the kitchen, placing the newspaper on the island counter before slipping off his shirt. He turned around and made his way to the stairs. Going up, he walked into their bedroom, making sure to be silent for Eren, then walked to the attached bathroom.  
  
He flicked on the lights and fan, and began to strip.  
  
He stepped into the shower, turned on the water, and played with the knobs until he found a temperature he liked. Which so happened to be the same temperature as “Satan’s ass” (or at least that’s what Levi told him). The scalding water washed away his sweat and Armin slowly breathed in the steam. He gave a warm sigh, content, and opened his eyes. He grabbed a bottle, squirting some of the pinkish-white soap onto his hand before he began washing himself with it.  
  
He hummed softly, going into an automatic mode as he cleaned himself.  
  
His mind began to wander.  
  
Eren.  
  
Things were going smoothly, so far. Armin knew it didn’t usually start off as easily as it had, but that didn’t mean the rest of the month would be equally as easy. But… He closed his blue eyes as he rubbed the shampoo into his hair, humming again.  
  
The last sub Levi had signed a contract with tried to make it a competition between himself and Armin, for Levi’s affection… which really was the opposite of what their Dom wanted. The two before that were jealous of him, jealous that he was the most prized—He wasn’t. Armin knew he wasn’t, but he also understood how it may have seemed that way from their point of view. He had been Levi’s for almost two years, and lived with him an entire year prior. Armin knew exactly what Levi wanted and needed; not to mention, they had a highly personalised contract that was quite complicated.  
  
The truth was, Armin’s job was different than the other subs.  
  
As such, he was corrected differently, punished differently, and rewarded very differently.  
  
Armin dunked his head under the running water, shaking his hair. He ran his fingers through the blond tresses, making sure all the shampoo was being washed away. His mind went back to Eren.  
  
Eren.  
  
Subs usually lasted about a month with Levi. Actually, a month with Levi was usually pretty good. Half of them had their contracts cut short halfway, by Levi, when he decided he didn’t want to waste time on them. The subs were allowed to stay in the household after that, and they almost always blamed him, as if he had something to do with it.  
  
Armin knew there was no way Eren could stay, but at least the brunet wouldn’t blame him.  
  
Some subs managed to get two months, but only two in three years managed to get three months. One of them, was of course, himself, and the other ended up decided it wasn’t for him after four months. Armin frowned, wondering when Eren would leave. He wondered if Eren could really make it passed a month, and he moved his head back, opening his eyes again.  
  
He breathed in the steam, feeling relaxed.  
  
“I kind of want him to stay,” Armin realised with a chuckle.  
  
Although, the more he thought about it, why wouldn’t he? Eren was more than happy to please Levi, more than happy to do his share of the chores, and most of all Eren was more than happy to work with Armin to make sure everything was perfect for Levi. With a sigh, the blond scratched his cheek and thought it over. Even if Eren ended up nullifying the contract, he would probably still be in the D/s community, especially since he’s close friends with Mikasa.  
  
Knowing he was going nowhere with the train of thought, Armin reached for the knobs and turned off the water. He shook his head like a dog, water splashing everywhere, and he probably saved himself five minutes of trying to towel dry his hair. He stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and quickly dried himself off.  
  
He stepped into their bedroom, eyeing the sleeping Eren as he placed his towel on the desk. He didn’t mind nudity, in fact being with Levi made him aware that he could be proud of his naked body… but, still… He looked down, knowing if Eren woke up it would be the first time the brunet saw him naked.  
  
Would Eren like him?  
  
Armin felt his cheeks flush a little and he moved over to his clothing drawer. He grabbed a pair of black tight boxers, the ones that made his ass look amazing, and then decided to go with a white T-shirt, soft to the touch. He slipped them on, wondering what pants he should wear. Deciding that since he was wearing his ‘great ass’ undies, he should probably go for his ‘great ass’ pants.  
  
Dark navy skinny jeans hugged his ass, making it look completely and utterly spankable. He checked himself out in the mirror then chuckled. He walked over to the door, glancing once more to Eren.  
  
A small smile formed on his lips.  
  
He walked over, leaned down, and kissed the sleeping brunet’s forehead.  
  
Eren didn’t even react.  
  
Chuckling, Armin opened the door and headed out.  
  
Once again, he walked down the stairs but this time he smelled coffee. Knowing Eren was still asleep, he blinked and entered the kitchen.  
  
“Morning,” Levi muttered, not looking up from his book. He was sitting at the head of the table, which was a morning ritual for him.  
  
“Morning,” Armin blinked, “Is it past nine already?”  
  
“No, I woke up early.”  
  
“Oh, a meeting?”  
  
“I’m scheduled to meet with a designer today, but not for a while,” Levi grumbled. “I just woke up early, couldn’t go back to sleep. What about you, went for your run?”  
  
“Yes,” he nodded politely, stepping into the kitchen and opening the fridge. If Levi didn’t sleep well last night, and if last night was the time Eren was… Mulling it over, he looked over his shoulder and decided just to ask: “How was last night with Eren? Did it go well?”  
  
“Very,” he actually looked away from his book to glance to the blond, “More than I’m willing to let him know.”  
  
Armin smiled softly, “Good to hear, Master.”  
  
“Master,” Levi repeated. Slowly, one of the corners of his lips curved upwards. “I missed hearing you call me that.”  
  
Armin felt his cheeks warm as he grabbed the purple carton of milk. He glanced to the pot of coffee and began preparing Levi a cup. “If that’s what you prefer, I’ll do anything for you.”  
  
“No, not yet,” Levi flipped the page of his book, “For now just keep calling me ‘Sir’, at least when Eren is around.”  
  
Placing a steaming mug on the table, Armin nodded. “Yes, Master.”  
  


⁂

After a warm shower, Eren rubbed his groggy face and headed down the stairs. Wearing a casual, short-sleeve, buttoned-up black shirt (with the top two buttons left open because that’s what all the cute boys did) and blue skinny jeans, he was on his way to the kitchen when he saw Levi at the other end of the hallway. He instantly straightened his back, blushing a bit as he smiled. “Morning, Sir.”  
  
“Eren,” Levi nodded, closing the distance between them. “I’m leaving for work.”  
  
“Oh, um… well…” Eren felt his throat tighten, green eyes drifting to Levi’s cheek. He remembered his Dom’s reaction yesterday, but decided ‘fuck it’ and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.  
  
Levi just paused.  
  
Eren awkwardly stood still.  
  
The silence was broken from Armin’s laughter in the kitchen.  
  
“Sh-Shut up, Armin!” Eren shouted, looking down.  
  
“Sorry!”  
  
“Eren,” Levi tapped the bottom of his chin, instantly making the other form eye contact with him. “You smell different.”  
  
“Huh? Oh,” Eren scratched the back of his head, “Since my stuff got delivered, I used my own soap and shampoo stuff. I was using Armin’s yesterday.”  
  
“Hm,” Levi could smell something like dry pine, a foresty scent. He looked into those green eyes, realising it was quite fitting. “I like it. It’s kind of sexy, actually.”  
  
“R-Really?”  
  
“Yes. And you actually dressed nice today,” there was a slight purr in his voice, “I’ll try to come back soon,” Levi suddenly gave a sly smile before cupping Eren’s crotch.  
  
For the first time, Eren actually felt taller than Levi, but only because his body shot up so high he half feared crashing against the ceiling, “S-Sir!”  
  
Levi chuckled, patting Eren’s new boner twice before walking past his sub.  
  
Eren put the back of his hands against his cheeks, sighing as he was sure he could cook an egg off of them. He stepped into the kitchen, pouting. As soon as he made eye contact with Armin, he saw the blond’s mouth move. “Don’t say anything.”  
  
Armin paused, mouth open, before he closed it, looking away as he gigglesnorted.  
  
Eren pouted, then looked to the table. He noticed an array of cut fruits on a platter, “Oh wow.”  
  
“Levi got up early, so I wanted to make breakfast that wouldn’t get cold by the time you got down.” Armin grabbed a plate and offered it to Eren.  
  
Eren grabbed the plate and leaned to the side, kissing Armin’s cheek. “Thanks.”  
  
“You’re welcome,” he chuckled, “How did you sleep?”  
  
“Great!” He admitted as he began putting the cut watermelon, cantaloupes, strawberries, pineapples and everything else on his plate. “You?”  
  
“Not bad,” Armin nodded; he paused for a moment, then suddenly leaned in, taking in the scent of Eren’s body wash. “Oh, that does smell nice.”  
  
Eren just chuckled, “You like it?”  
  
“Maybe,” Armin purred.  
  
“Well… you know, I am off chastity…”  
  
Armin grinned, knowing exactly where that was going. “Eat breakfast first… You’ll need energy.”  
  
Eren grinned and finished filling up his plate before taking a seat. “Today’s Thursday right?”  
  
“Mhm,” Armin forked a grape and popped it in his mouth.  
  
“So… I have to sweep outside, take out the garbage at four, dust at six, and…?”  
  
Armin silently wondered if he should add something along the lines of ‘bend me over the table at three’, but he kept a straight face and nodded after swallowing. “That’s it. Oh, I’m going to get groceries at noon with a friend. Wanna come?”  
  
“Sure,” Eren suddenly paused, “Do you have a car?”  
  
“No, but she does, she’ll pick us up. We usually go together. You should meet some of Levi’s friends anyway since they’re all in the community.”  
  
“Then sure,” he nodded.  
  
“Okay,” Armin grinned.  
  


⁂

“Get in, _bitch_ , we’re going shopping!”  
  
Armin chuckled as he walked down the steps, smiling at the two hoots of the car horn.  
  
Eren followed after, with a raised eyebrow.  
  
In a dark blue convertible, which currently had the top down, was a small blonde girl. She was wearing a stylish blue tank top and white short-shorts, outfit completed by a simple silver pendant around her neck and several bracelets on her right hand. She had a huge smile on her small face, but her expression dropped when she saw Eren behind Armin. “Oh, hi! S-Sorry!”  
  
“Hi,” Eren blinked, “Why are you sorry?”  
  
Armin just chuckled again as he opened the passenger door, “She doesn’t swear in front of people she doesn’t know. Eren, this is Krista; Krista, Eren.”  
  
Watching Armin get in, Eren entered the back seat offering a smile to the driver. “Nice to meet you.”  
  
Krista looked up to the rear-view mirror and then to Armin. She tried to bring her voice to a whisper, but that didn’t do much as she spoke: “Levi’s new sub, huh? Marco wasn’t kidding… he’s _cute!_ ”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks warm.  
  
“He’s cute, huh?” Armin grinned, “Don’t let your Dom hear you say that!”  
  
“Shush,” Krista pouted, “She’s not _that_ much of a jealous type.”  
  
“Yes she is.”  
  
“Okay… well, maybe a _little_ …”  
  
Eren chuckled, looking around. “So, you’re in the D.s. community too?”  
  
Krista’s eyes moved to the rear-view mirror and she took in the sight of Eren’s green eyes. “Yep!”  
  
Armin turned his head back to Eren, “Yeah, she’s our newest addition.” Looking back to Krista, “Two months now?”  
  
“Little less,” Krista shifted the gear to drive and did a quick shoulder check before pushing on the gas.  
  
“So,” Eren scratched the back of his head, surprised that someone so… innocent looking was into D/s, but then he looked at Armin. “How did you get into the community?”  
  
Krista just responded with a nervous laugh as she stopped at a stop sign, before moving again. “It is a bit of an embarrassing story… Right, Armin?”  
  
Armin laughed and looked away.  
  
“Well,” Krista’s face was red.  
  
Armin’s face also turned red. He was thankful for the lowered hood of the car so the breeze was somewhat cold against his heated cheeks.  
  
Eren had an undying urge to know, but he offered a smile, “It’s okay if you don’t want to say it.”  
  
“What about you?” Krista was quick to change the topic.  
  
“Well…” Eren looked away, “I walked in on my roommate’s sub all tied up and gagged, and I screamed.”  
  
Armin blinked, first time he’d heard it. “Annie?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Krista blinked, “Oh, you were roommates with Mikasa? Or was that before?”  
  
“Yeah, with Mikasa.”  
  
“Oh my,” Krista whispered, imagination going wild. “Mikasa uses a lot of bondage, doesn’t she?”  
  
“Yep,” Eren nodded.  
  
“That’s sort of what happened to me,” Krista admitted, flicking the right turn signal before leaning forward to check for cars. “I walked in on Armin here with Jean, bent over like a _good_ boy.”  
  
Armin’s face went red and he gently slapped her arm, “Krista!”  
  
“Don’t hit the driver,” Krista pouted before making the turn.  
  
“Jean?” Eren tilted his head; as far as he was concerned, everyone he met with that name (which was really only one person) was a complete dickwad. “I thought you’ve always been Levi’s sub?”  
  
Krista’s blue eyes shifted to Armin; although she didn’t voice her question, she mouthed ‘Sub?’ with a confused expression on her face.  
  
“Well,” Armin chose not to answer Krista, “One of the things some Doms do is the act of giving away… They give their subs away to play and experiment with another Dom for a while. It’s just for fun and usually it’s not very long.”  
  
Eren thought about it, then looked to the side. “He won’t do that with me, will he?”  
  
“Oh, no, it has to be in your contract. Don’t worry, it’s not really common, especially since there’s all sorts of risks, like sexually transmitted infections, and all that stuff. And of course, being dominated by someone you don’t know can be pretty dangerous… so there’s a lot of stuff you have to talk about first. It helped since that Dom, Jean, actually used to be Levi’s sub at one point. Levi wanted to help Jean get comfortable as a Dom, while giving me another partner.”  
  
“That’s an issue with some relationships,” Krista added as if she read it from a textbook, “You’re supposed to adjust your contracts as you go, right? Or at least in our community. Well, how are you going to know if you want something else if one Dom is all you know?”  
  
Eren thought about it, realising it made sense, “But, still, I’d feel really weird about it. I mean… was it weird?”  
  
“Not really, Jean and I talked about it for weeks, and it only lasted a couple days. Since he was with Levi before, the same safe words were used, not that we had to use them, but it made us both more comfortable. All in all it was pretty good. The only top I’ve really been with was Levi, so it was… kind of nice, to see what it was like to be under someone else’s domination. Have you had other Doms?”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren nodded, “Three, and some casuals.”  
  
“Oh, see,” Krista chuckled, “You have something to compare Levi to. You know that shake in your bones isn’t because he’s your Sir, but because he’s Levi.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren suddenly understood, “So I guess you just wanted to see what it was like with someone else. I guess now that I think about it, it makes sense. And this Dom guy, he didn’t hurt you or anything, did he?”  
  
Armin just chuckled, “With how protective Levi is? He was kind of scared to do anything too rough with me. But, yeah, after being under Jean, and having something to compare it to, I realised that yeah Doms generally excite me, but… Levi…” He blushed, hard. “I still see Jean every once in a while, only for a small time. I’ve also told you, I’ve been under Mikasa before too. After having them, I realised how different it could be, but then I realised I still like what I have now best.”  
  
“Lucky,” Krista pouted.  
  
Eren glanced at the rear-view mirror. He wasn’t into girls, but something about Krista’s pout was just so damn adorable.  
  
“You’re lucky,” Krista repeated, “To have been under Mikasa.”  
  
“Wait,” Eren tilted his head, “You want to be under Mikasa? Isn’t she like the queen of pain or something ridiculous like that?”  
  
“Oh yeah,” Armin whispered, closing his eyes, “I couldn’t sleep on my back for a week by the time she was done with me.”  
  
Krista’s pout intensified, “It’s, well, it’s like… a rite of passage in the community! Almost every sub, and even most of the Doms have been under Mikasa at least once. They just go to her for a whipping. But it’s like, I’ve only been with one person, my Dom now, and the only person she would trust is Mikasa—but there is now way Ymir would give me to Mikasa, she’s too protective and barely spanks me!”  
  
Eren wondered if the thought of a great queen of pain, or king or whatever, and wondered if it would be arousing for him if it wasn’t Mikasa. Because she was practically a sister to him, and the idea just seemed weird as could be to him.  
  
“Oh,” Krista looked over to Armin, before focusing on the road. “Annie texted me, saying strawberries are on special at Fresh this morning. You know how much Ymir and Levi love strawberries.”  
  
Eren looked up, “Levi likes strawberries?”  
  
“Yeah,” Armin looked over his shoulder. “Do you want to help me make strawberry pie tomorrow?”  
  
Eren blinked, “Sure? I’ve never made a pie.”  
  
“They’re super easy,” Krista smiled, “Well if you buy the pie crust thing. You literally just smoosh the fruits, pour them into the crust and bake. I’m sure Armin needs a strong arm to crush all those strawberries.”  
  
Armin whapped the Krista’s shoulder.  
  
“What?” Krista pouted, keeping her eyes forward. She lowered her voice a bit, so only Armin could hear her, “Only thing better than a cute guy is a cute guy who helps in the kitchen…”  
  
“Um,” Eren looked left and right, “I can hear you.”  
  
Krista meeped.  
  


⁂

The top floor of a thirty-eight story building didn’t actually have as much of an impressive view as Levi was hoping. In fact, the taller buildings and skyscrapers seemed to surround the building, almost in a claustrophobic way. At least the couch was comfy. It was red leather, ugly thing, but it was soft. His eyes moved to the woman who asked if they wanted anything to drink. He didn’t bother replying, just looking away, annoyed. Marco, of course, asked for a glass of water, which he found adorable. Probably because Marco didn’t realise she was offering alcoholic drinks.  
  
But catching the glimpses of clothing, maybe he’d need alcohol to get through this.  
  
“Mister Rivaille.”  
  
Levi stood up slowly before offering his hand, “Pleasure to see you again.”  
  
“Likewise,” he smiled then looked over to Marco.  
  
Marco put his glass on the coffee table before offering his own hand, slightly cold from the drink.  
  
“This is Marco,” Levi watched the flash of jealousy on the man’s face. “I hope you don’t mind me bringing him along. I work best with a second opinion, after all.”  
  
“Of course not,” the man smiled.  
  
Levi could have called the lie, but he wanted to get it over as fast as possible. “Are your models ready?”  
  
“Yes,” he nodded.  
  
“Then we are ready when they are.” Levi took a seat again, flashing his eyes to Marco until he did the same. His steel eyes moved to the man, silently making it clear the conversation was over.  
  
The man nodded and turned, leaving.  
  
Marco sipped his drink and leaned back, trying to get comfortable. “It feels weird, to be on the other side of this.”  
  
“It’s good for you to know what it’s like,” Levi muttered. His head shifted to the side when the first model walked out.  
  
She was a tall woman (giraffe, as far as Levi was concerned, but he knew not to let his bitterness and jealousy for tall people to get in the way of it), short blonde hair, skinny. She was cute, actually, but she wore a pink shirt and a black skirt with green flowers. She smiled and did a little twirl before walking away.  
  
Sakura pink, pitch black, and baby puke green… Levi silently regretted not taking that drink when he had been offered. The next one came. The models were all professionals, knowing exactly what to do. He hated it when the models tried to do a little ‘something extra’, as if Levi had any interest in them. They had their jobs, that was it. His eyes locked on every new outfit, looking for tightness, discomfort, seeing where it was loose, how much skin would flash.  
  
There was one he liked, but not completely. The outfit itself could have it’s mouth around his dick and he still wouldn’t notice it, but there was a scarf. It was thin, thin enough for the hot seasons, maybe for a cloudy day, but it was too little of a detail for him to be bothered about.  
  
He wanted it to be over.  
  
The current model walked out; the next one walked in. Male, early-twenties. Medium build. Blue eyes, brown hair. He was wearing a loose white shirt, and green jeans.  
  
Levi looked to the jeans. They were actually nice. But they were a bright green, and (while Levi knew some people could easily pull it off) that wasn’t what he would put in his store. Majority of the jeans were either a shade of blue or black. He of course had some other colours, khaki, dark burgundy, but he found that they were always hit-or-miss. From a financial point of view, they were too much of a risk. He only chose them if he knew they would sell.  
  
The next few models came out, all wearing green jeans.  
  
Levi tilted his head, wondering what kind of obsession that was. A part of him was somewhat insulted; he made it easy for designers to know what he liked for a reason, so he wouldn’t have to put up with this bullshit. Bright coloured jeans were a bigger no than an old man dressed up as Santa Claus asking him for a public blowjob. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the bright jeans, they just didn’t fit in with the rest of his store, so he couldn’t give them a chance (unless trends changed, of course).  
  
Green.  
  
Levi crossed his legs, thinking of Eren’s eyes, and the forest-like body wash his new sub was wearing.  
  
Another model walked in. More green jeans.  
  
Levi looked over to Marco, nudging his shoulder. “One to ten, how are you liking this lineup?” He noticed the model pause, most likely wondering if she should stop to let them talk. “Keep going,” he told her, “You’re doing great.”  
  
She smiled, blushing a little, before continuing with her twirl.  
  
Levi looked back at Marco.  
  
Marco sipped his drink, “Um… seven?”  
  
Levi kept looking at Marco.  
  
“Well, maybe six…”  
  
Levi kept looking at Marco.  
  
“Fine, five…”  
  
Levi kept looking at Marco.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Marco sighed.  
  
“I brought you along because I need an honest opinion from a professional, not because I didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings.”  
  
“Well, from one to ten…” Marco hesitated, feeling the angry glare of the designer, “Honestly, I’d say zero. The rips in the jeans are a fading fad, and it’s just… they’re in awkward places. The pants are too tight around the hips, loose around the ankles… It’s just, I kind of hate it.”  
  
Levi noticed the designer open his mouth, but he sighed, silencing the room. “I hate it too. I don’t want to see anymore, I really don’t. It’s a little painful.”  
  
“Wh-What?” the man shouted, “Why? Is it the models?”  
  
“It’s not the models, they’re perfect: It’s the disgusting clothing you put on these professionals that bothers me. Sure, the outfits look good in this studio, but how the hell is anyone supposed to go outside, in public, looking like that? If you want to book another showing with me for your next lineup, contact my secretary; he will be happy to deal with you, because I don’t have time for it. I won’t be taking any more of your designs at this time.”  
  
“I… see.”  
  
“Thank you for your time,” Levi stood up quickly and turned to the door. He didn’t have to look behind him to know Marco was following closely. They quickly left the room and entered the elevator. Levi hit the button for the first floor then repeatedly mashed the ‘Door Close’ button. Knowing how many fingers must have touched those buttons, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his fingertip.  
  
“I feel bad.”  
  
Levi glanced over to Marco, “Why? His designs were horrid. He needed to know.”  
  
“No, well, not because of that…” Marco scratched the back of his head, freckled cheeks turning pink, “It’s just… Well I saw all those green jeans and I kind of wanted to steal the idea a little? I kind of want to design something a bit more… blue-green, darker colour though. Like normal dark blue jeans, but with a touch of green. So it’s like, sea green, or dark spring green. Something not really that noticeable, but there’s only so many outfits you can make with blue jeans, dark blue jeans, and black jeans…”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow, “If you want to do it, then go for it. It’s been done before, you’re not really taking his idea. I’m sure you know how Rivaille feels about coloured jeans, though. Rivaille doesn’t do anything bright, but I don’t think that’s what you’re going for.”  
  
“Oh, I know. Like I said, something darker.” Marco nodded, “Everything I design is for Rivaille now. It’s just, it won’t be easy to pull off.”  
  
“Of course not,” Levi nodded, “But you could do it. An amateur designer, maybe; an idiot like that, not a chance. You? You can do it.”  
  
Marco smiled wide and crossed his arms, “You know… inside, you’re just a big softy.”  
  
“Shut the fuck up Marco.”  
  
Marco just chuckled, watching as the door opened. “Are you heading home now?”  
  
“Most likely, why?”  
  
“Well, I’m meeting Jean for a late lunch,” he stepped out with Levi and glanced to the shorter man, “Want to join us?”  
  
Levi paused. “Only if I’m not intruding.”  
  
“Don’t be silly, Sir. I wouldn’t ask you if we were going on a date or something, it’s just lunch.”  
  
Levi smiled at the word ‘Sir’. It was even funnier when Levi was sure Marco didn’t even notice the word slip out.  
  
“Jean and I were just talking about you and Armin last night. You know, it’s been a while since he’s seen either of you.”  
  
“I guess I could manage a lunch.”  
  


⁂

Eren was sitting in den, watching the muted T.V. Armin’s head was on his lap and the blond was curled on the sofa. Eren chuckled, petting the sleeping blond’s hair. He was a bit surprised by how soft it was and played with the strands of hair absent-mindedly. He wasn’t really watching what was on the screen. He couldn’t really follow the plot without the sound, so he closed his eyes, smiling.  
  
“Eren?”  
  
He opened his eyes and looked behind him to the door, “I’m in here, Sir.”  
  
Levi noticed the quietness in what was usually a loud voice and stepped into the room, “Something wrong?”  
  
Eren just pointed to his lap.  
  
Levi gave a soft chuckle, shaking his head. “So it begins.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Armin used to take naps pretty often. He didn’t after he was the only sub, in case I called or needed something. He hasn’t done it for a few months. Probably since he didn’t feel comfortable around the other subs.”  
  
Eren blinked, looking down. “So, Armin feels comfortable around me?”  
  
“I’m guessing. You feel comfortable around him, don’t you?”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren smiled, but paused. “But that’s because I rely on him, a lot.”  
  
“And he relies on you.” Levi began to unzip his coat.  
  
“Let me take your jacket, Sir,” Eren tried to move.  
  
“No, it’s fine,” Levi said quickly, eyes moving to Armin. “He’s cute when he sleeps, isn’t he?”  
  
“Very,” Eren grinned, relaxing a bit.  
  
“I feel comfortable around you,” Levi looked off to the side as he pulled off his coat. “But you feel nervous around me.”  
  
“Not nervous,” Eren looked away, feeling his cheeks warm, “I think, just… maybe… excited?”  
  
“I see,” Levi sounded amused. “Armin has a bit of an… irregular sleeping pattern. Take care of him when I’m at work, got it?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.” Eren nodded, “Of course… I want to be a member of this household, after all.”  
  
“Good Pup.”  
  
“Pup,” Eren repeated. “You started calling me that lately. Do I remind you of a puppy, Sir?”  
  
Levi could hear the slight disappointment in his voice and he silently chuckled. “No. Not a dog. You’re… more of a wolf. You remind me of a wolf pup. Cute, stupid, dangerous, endearing. You don’t mind the pet name, do you?”  
  
Eren blinked, feeling better about being a wolf pup than a puppy. “You can call me whatever you want, Sir.”  
  
“No,” Levi frowned, “A pet name is… an affectionate gesture—I want you to enjoy hearing it, as much as I do when I’m saying. Understand?”  
  
Eren smiled softly, nodding. “I like it.”  
  
“Good. When Armin wakes up, tell him to postpone dinner until seven thirty. I had a late lunch.”  
  
“I’ll let him know,” he nodded. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Sir?”  
  
“Nothing for now.”  
  
“What about… tonight?”  
  
Levi paused, tilting his head. “Eager, aren’t you?”  
  
Cheeks flushed, “Can you blame me?”  
  
Levi just smiled, “We’ll see.”  
  


⁂

Eren realised Armin had the cutest bedhead, ever.  
  
After waking up, Armin was embarrassed and tried to flatten his hair, which had adjusted to the shape of Eren’s lap.  
  
Eren followed Armin into the kitchen, watching him prepare dinner.  
  
With electronic beeps, Armin set the oven to preheat. He glanced over his shoulder, “Do you want to help? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”  
  
“Sure,” Eren smiled, “What can I do?”  
  
“Chop some parsley and basil, the green ones we bought today with Krista.”  
  
Eren turned on the tap, washing his hands quickly. “Parsley was what I was chopping yesterday, right?”  
  
“Yep,” Armin nodded with a small smile. “Not much of a cook, are you?”  
  
“I can do popcorn…”  
  
Armin giggled, shaking his head. “So, what did you think of Krista?”  
  
“She was…” Eren chuckled, “She was loud whenever she talked to you, but turned quiet whenever I tried to talk to her.”  
  
Armin laughed, grabbing the parsley and basil, then handing it over to the brunet.  
  
Eren turned off the tap and shook his hands to make the water drops fly off before he grabbed the greens. “Knives are…” He opened a drawer, “Here.” He smiled and grabbed one, “And cutting boards…?”  
  
“Oh,” Armin moved to the side, opening a smaller cupboard before pulling one out. “This one’s a bit small, so make sure the stuff doesn’t fall.”  
  
“Sure,” Eren nodded, grabbing it. He placed it on the counter, then the parsley on it. “How small should I make it?”  
  
“Um,” Armin thought about it, “Uneven. Some big, some small. Same with the basil.”  
  
“Okay,” Eren nodded.  
  
“But yeah,” Armin grabbed a spray oil and began coating a baking dish, “Krista takes a while to warm up to people. She can seem pretty quiet, but she’s one of those people who can get pretty weird if you know them for a while. I think you and her will get along.”  
  
“Yeah, she seemed really nice,” Eren began chopping, “Like, really nice. She offered to practically do everything.”  
  
“That’s how she is,” another chuckle.  
  
Eren paused, glancing over. “The way you and her talked about her Dom sounded kind of scary, though.”  
  
“Ymir? Well… How do I put this? Ymir’s a little, overprotective of her. If you get on her bad side, she won’t do anything, but if you even so much as breathe on Krista’s sweater the wrong way you’ll lose your man bits.”  
  
Eren gulped.  
  
“Done?”  
  
“Yeah, here.”  
  
Armin took the cutting board and began sprinkling about three fourths of it on the bottom baking dish. “Can you get me the chicken breasts? They’re over there,” he motioned to the counter with a nudge of his head.  
  
Eren turned around, seeing the uncooked chicken breast cut in halves. He grabbed the tray they came in and offered it.  
  
Armin placed the cutting board to the side, then took it from Eren. He placed the chicken breast halves evenly apart along the dish.  
  
Eren figured Armin wouldn’t want the little tray-thing they came in, so he took it from the blond when there was no more chicken.  
  
Armin grabbed what was left of the parsley and basil and began sprinkling it on top of the chicken. “Can you cut some tomato slice-things?”  
  
“Tomato slice… things?” Eren tilted his head.  
  
Armin chuckled, “Like, make tomato slices…”  
  
“You want me to slice a tomato?”  
  
“Well, not all of the tomato… and slicing a tomato sounds weird.”  
  
“But that’s how you get tomato slices…”  
  
“But it just,” Armin frowned, “It sounds weird.”  
  
Eren was sure Armin’s frown looked more like a pout and he chuckled. He leaned forward, kissing the blond’s cheek. “Alright, alright. I’ll cut tomato slice things.” He opened the fridge, somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of just, stuff, that was there. He looked down, to the veggie drawer and pulled it out. Finding some red tomatoes, he ripped one off the green stem and closed the drawer, then the fridge door. “How many slices do you want?”  
  
“Six, make them big,” Armin said as he added a bit of salt to each chicken. He hummed, he grabbed cloves of garlic, cutting off the tip then slicing them into slivers. When he was done with that, he put the pieces of garlic evenly over the halves of chicken breast.  
  
“Done,” Eren called out, “Is this good?”  
  
“Yep,” Armin smiled. He grabbed the thin slices and placed them over the chicken. “There, basil, parsley, bit of garlic, and one slice of tomato. Should be good.”  
  
“Wow, I have no idea how you do it… All I know is if something taste boring you put salt and pepper.”  
  
Armin visibly shuddered. “No.”  
  
Eren blinked, “What? You don’t like salt and pepper?”  
  
“I do…” Armin frowned, opening the spice rack to pull out sesame seeds. “It’s just… I hate how salt and pepper is the default for everything. I mean, salt is necessary, but why pepper on _everything_. Why not paprika? That’s also from peppers. Or thyme? Or cumin, or oregano, rosemary? Turmeric? Coriander? Mace?”  
  
“Um,” Eren pursed his lips, “Isn’t mace that stuff you spray aggressive guys with and like burn their eyes…?”  
  
Armin just paused.  
  
Eren realised this was something Armin was quite passionate about, so he cleared his throat. “Well, I’m pretty sure most people don’t know what half those things you just said are… Pepper’s kinda nice though…”  
  
“It is,” Armin pouted, “But it’s not good on everything.”  
  
“I’ll take your word for it,” Eren kissed his cheek again.  
  


⁂

As everyone expected, dinner was delicious. Baked, the chicken was juicy while having a soft exterior. The tomato grilled overtop the half and was begging to be eaten. While most chicken breasts were either grilled or browned before baked, as a white baked chicken breast looked rather dull and not as appetising, the array of parsley, basil, and the tomato gave it the colours it needed. It was served with a dish of crisp baked vegetables that had a dash of balsamic vinegar on top, giving it a bitter but flavourful taste, contrasting to the savory and moist main course.  
  
“Nicely done, Armin,” Levi nodded.  
  
“Eren helped,” Armin smiled.  
  
Levi glanced over to Eren.  
  
“Well,” Eren chuckled, “I’m just good at following orders. Armin did all the thinking.”  
  
“Good at following orders,” Levi repeated with a small smile as he brought a piece of chicken to his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, he sipped his glass of water and placed it down. “I wonder if you can follow my orders after dinner.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  


⁂

Two hours after dinner, Eren got a text to come to the living room.  
  
First thing he did was ask Armin which one was the living room. It was the one just past the kitchen table, where Armin had served them tea on the first day. He entered and saw Levi sitting on the couch, legs crossed, staring at him. “You called, Sir?”  
  
“Yes,” Levi looked down to Eren’s blue skinny jeans, then to the black buttoned up shirt, with top two buttons popped. He smiled softly, “I’m still surprised you managed to dress in something sexy today, especially since you looked like such a dork yesterday.”  
  
Eren looked down and frowned, “I can’t tell the difference…”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Eren, do something sexy.”  
  
“Something, sexy?” Eren blinked, “Like what, Sir?”  
  
“What can you do that’s sexy?”  
  
Levi was half expecting the usual answers, ‘Striptease’, ‘Follow orders’, etcetera.  
  
He wasn’t _completely_ wrong.  
  
“I can give lap… dances.”  
  
Levi blinked. It was an answer he heard before, but he was a little surprised to hear it come from Eren. He leaned back on the couch. “Well, get to it.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard then moved forward. Slowly, he moved onto the couch and straddled Levi’s knees; he put his hands on his Dom’s shoulders. He took a deep breath before looking up. His green eyes met steel and slowly, he shifted his hips back, moving the pressure of his body with him.  
  
“You start slow?”  
  
“Is that a problem, Sir?”  
  
“Not at all,” Levi flashed a tiny smile, “Most subs just get right to the grinding.”  
  
“Heh,” Eren looked down, “Sorry, I just–”  
  
“Sh.”  
  
The curt noise made Eren pause, and he looked back up.  
  
“Dance for me the way you would.”  
  
“O-Okay…”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow, realising how frail Eren’s confidence was at this point. He reached under his sub’s chin, scratching slightly.  
  
Swallowing hard, he felt his cheeks warm. “I usually, you know, do it to music or something.”  
  
“Slow or fast?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Levi paused, offering a small smile as he grabbed his phone. “A slow song, or a fast song?”  
  
“S-Slow.”  
  
Levi went through his music until he found something he liked and tapped the touchscreen.  
  
The music started playing through the speakers of the room. It started with a deep bass of blues, then a quiet rift of slow jazz. The lyrics began, a female voice, hollow tone, having a hint of static as old song did. The beats were leisurely, keeping to a low tempo, almost sluggish, mixing with the light drawl of the woman’s voice.  
  
Levi paused, surprised as the muscles in Eren’s legs relaxed.  
  
Taking a breath, Eren leaned in.  
  
Another surprise, as Levi felt lips on his. He closed his eyes, humouring Eren for the short kiss before it ended. He opened his eyes, frowning as he wondered what it was for, but then he realised. Eren’s eyes were still closed, mouths close to one another. He felt Eren’s warm breath tingle his wet lips and a shiver ran down his spine.  
  
Shit.  
  
He was good.  
  
Eren slowly moved, rotating his hips in a slow circle, grinding himself all over Levi’s lap. He kept himself calm. A part of him wanted to run and hide, because this was Levi; except, he was a sub, and his job was to please his Dom. This was one chance he had, and he wasn’t going to waste it. While his hips moved, his upper body stayed perfectly still, keeping their lips irrisistably close.  
  
Levi felt his breath hitch for a slight second and he smirked.  
  
Eren opened his eyes, visibly flinching as he made eye contact. He swallowed hard and grinded his hips forward, pushing his crotch against Levi’s stomach, chest against chest.  
  
Levi welcomed the contact, but with the proximity he could smell the scent on Eren’s skin; it somehow made him think of a fresh, cool breeze that moved through the forest, carrying the air of dry pine, bark of oak trees, vibrant leaves the same colour as Eren’s eyes. Levi only realised then that he had moved his face into Eren’s neck. He gave a low chuckle, dark and smooth, right below Eren’s ear.  
  
With a shaky breath, Eren felt his body shiver as Levi’s voice tickled his ear. His trembling hands grabbed Levi’s hips then moved up, feeling up his sides.  
  
Levi’s steel eyes dilated from arousal and he took in a deep breath through his nose, taking in Eren’s scent once again.  
  
Eren’s hands slipped between their bodies the way the soft music did, and he slowly pushed them apart, teasingly moving his hips over Levi’s lap.  
  
Levi moved his head back, sitting with his back straight, tall, as his steel eyes watched his sub.  
  
Eren shifted his hip, applying his weight to one leg than the other, moving the pressure back and forth. His hands ran up Levi’s chest, slowly making their way up to the shoulders. His body was moving as one, fingertips keeping time with his hips.  
  
Levi’s lips curved into a sexy smile as he leaned back.  
  
There were two ways to give a lap dance. There was the typical way, more commonly known as a ‘male way’, where the dancing would just focus on the erection. But there was a second way, usually for female recipients, that was actually more of a dance. Levi didn’t have a problem being given the ‘female dance’; in fact, he found himself enjoying it more. It was an actual dance. It wasn’t just dirty grinding: It was classy, worked with the music, and he could see Eren’s body _move_.  
  
The black buttoned up shirt Eren was wearing wasn’t tight; but, with the way he moved his hips and shoulders, it hugged his sides nicely. The body shifted left, shifted right, moving over Levi’s lap slowly, sensually.  
  
Levi thought back to last night, remembering how Eren looked when he stood naked. He silently took a deep breath as Eren’s hand moved over his chest. A thought crossed Levi’s mind: He was going to remember to keep his cool. He wasn’t a weak Dom. He was strong. He wasn’t going to ‘lose it’, but he couldn’t deny how turned on he was getting.  
  
Eren felt Levi’s arousal through their pants, but didn’t do anything differently at first. His body continued to move, mimicking the jazz, before he pushed himself forward, once again going chest to chest with Levi. He grinded his hips against his Dom’s manhood for half a second before shifting his weight away.  
  
Levi grabbed Eren’s sides and he could smell that damn scent again. An urge to taste Eren’s skin shivered down his spine, but he kept his cool. “Where did you learn to dance like this?”  
  
“Um,” Eren looked away, a faint pink appearing on his cheeks. “Google, Youtube, you know… internet.”  
  
Levi actually laughed, running his hand over Eren’s ass before moving down his legs. He rested his hands on Eren’s outer thighs, squeezing them a little. “You’re good.”  
  
“I am?” Eren seemed a little surprised, continuing the movement.  
  
“Very,” Levi whispered before leaning forward.  
  
Eren closed his eyes, feeling his heart beat fast as their lips met. He moved his hands to Levi’s shoulders, steadying the upper half of his body for the kiss, while his lower half began to move a little slower.  
  
Levi licked at the seam between their lips, and soon he felt Eren open for him. His tongue moved forward, meeting his subs. He could taste the shyness, the nervousness. He smiled into the kiss. His hands moved back up Eren’s legs, once again grabbing his ass.  
  
Eren felt his thighs tremble, but he did his best to incorporate it into his dance. Levi’s mouth on his… Levi’s tongue against his… Levi’s hands on his ass. He broke the kiss, “Holy buckets,” he whispered in a needy voice before pushing their lips together again.  
  
Levi moved his mouth away, opening an eye and raising an eyebrow. “Did you just say ‘holy buckets’?”  
  
“I-I-don’t-know,” Eren said quickly before once again bringing their lips together.  
  
Levi snickered, pulling Eren closer. It seemed even when the brunet was being sexy, he was still an utterly nervous dork. He could feel Eren’s hardness against his stomach and he smiled. He slowly captured Eren’s lower lip between his teeth, biting just a little and suckling on it before letting go.  
  
Eren whimpered into the kiss; his movements were no longer in sync, losing the rhythm to each other and the music.  
  
Levi could feel the difference. It was almost like Eren’s body was breaking under his influence, breaking for him. He moved his mouth again, taking a breath. “That’s enough, Pup.”  
  
“Enough, Sir?” Eren’s eyes stayed closed as his lips brushed against Levi’s, feeling the tingles of warm breath. “What’s enough?”  
  
“I think that was a wonderful lap dance.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren smiled, green eyes opening, staring into grey ones. “So, we’ll move onto something else?”  
  
“No. It’s enough for tonight.”  
  
“What… what do you mean, Sir? You didn’t enjoy it?”  
  
“The opposite. I’m sure you can feel me hard under you.”  
  
Eren’s cheeks turned pink; indeed, he could feel that manhood pressing up against his ass. “And, I’m sure you can feel how excited I am too… so, why are we stopping?”  
  
“Because I ordered you.”  
  
He suddenly shrunk, bowing his head. “Yes, Sir… but I’m just, curious as to your reason.”  
  
“It was nice,” Levi scratched under Eren’s chin. “I think that was one of the best lap dances I’ve ever had. You got me more than just a little hot, Pup. But,” he put his finger on Eren’s lips, pushing back slightly, “I need to know that even if you’re turned on, you will be _able_ to stop when I tell you to. This won’t be the last time I’m going to do this… next time, I might push you to your limits.”  
  
Eren looked like he was going to cry.  
  
“I need to know I can control you, Eren,” Levi said in a serious tone before moving his finger away. “Your body is mine, and it is for me when I want it. I need to control it.”  
  
“Yes Sir,” Eren nodded, feeling his cheeks flush. He made eye contact with his Dom, but instantly regretted it as his cock twitched. He wanted Levi to be in complete control of him. He swallowed hard, “You’re so cruel.”  
  
Levi laughed.  
  
“Fuck, you’re so mean,” Eren leaned to the side and crashed face-first into the seat next to Levi  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. Eren’s position was strange, to say the least, but his lap was still being straddled; and, with Eren’s ass in the air, he couldn’t help but give it a hard smack.  
  
Eren yelped.


	5. The First Week (5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Hold Up!** So, before you read the chapter... I have gotten fanfic fanart! I literally started gushing and it made me so happy, oh my god. [Zip (Artist)](http://zipra.tumblr.com/) says it's just a _sketch_ but I think it's drop-dead gorgeous: [Click Here](http://puu.sh/6mF7v.png)! it's from Chapter 3, where Levi tells Eren his sweater is ugly. XD It's perfect! If you have a tumblr, check out her stuff! She's worth a follow, especially if you look at her [SNK Tag](http://zipra.tumblr.com/tagged/snk)!
> 
> * * *

Eren wiped the rag along the glass table, making sure not to leave any ‘cleaning marks’ as Armin called them. It was Friday, which meant something was supposed to happen. Actually, Eren had no idea what Levi or Armin did during the week but he just assumed that Friday meant the same thing in the house as it did to the rest of the continent. Although… Levi had called halfway through the day, saying he would be late, and Armin had an adorable pout since then.  
  
His phone went off.  
  
Eren blinked and let go of the rag, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. It was a call from Levi Rivaille. He instantly hit accept and put it to his ear, “Sir!”  
  
 _“Don’t sound so happy. Where are you?”_  
  
“Um,” he looked around, “Well I’m in the bedroom, like our bedroom. Why?”  
  
 _“Are you busy?”_  
  
“I always have time for you, Sir.”  
  
 _“Tsk. I mean, are you done with your chores—you moron.”_  
  
“Oh,” Eren blinked, “Y-Yeah, just a bit more cleaning to do, but probably five minutes or something.”  
  
 _“Good. Lie on the bed, on your back.”_  
  
“Um, okay.” Eren did as he was told, lying his back on the soft bed and put the phone against his ear again. “What else do you want me to do?”  
  
 _“Good, Pup. Run your hand down your sides, feel yourself.”_  
  
Raising an eyebrow, he did as he was told. “Sir, what am I doing, exactly?”  
  
There was a sigh, so full of disappointment it threatened to overflow. _“You’re as dense as a rock. Phone sex, Eren. Phone sex.”_  
  
“Ph-Phone sex?” Eren repeated, green eyes widening as he looked around the room. “Oh! Uh, okay! Sure!”  
  
 _“I have to meet the damn shopping center manager in thirty minutes, discuss policies for our store. It’s boring. And I constantly daydream about tying up Armin or whipping you with a riding crop. I can’t focus, so you’re going to help me out, and we’re going to make this quick. Got it, Pup?”_  
  
“Yes, Sir!” Eren’s cheeks burned. The thought of being whipped by Levi… His Dom was a good Dom, wasn’t he? Would he know how to apply pressure right, make the sting last but not hurt? He shuddered at the thought, but shook his head, trying to focus on the present. “I w-want to please you, S-Sir… but um, I’ve uh, you know, uh… I’ve never, like, done phone sex before… It’s not too hard is it?”  
  
 _“No,”_ the voice was gentle, _“Just make yourself comfortable. Relax, alright? I’ll walk you through it. It’s not hard.”_  
  
Eren smiled softly when he realised his Dom was reassuring him. He had his fair share of partners, none of whom would have been as gentle, as caring as Levi… which sounded weird in his head, because Levi was a teasing jerk dickwad, but he was sort of caring in his own way.  
  
 _“Just listen to my voice for now.”_  
  
“I… like your voice, Sir.”  
  
 _“You do?”_  
  
“It’s sexy.”  
  
There was a pause, _“It is?”_  
  
“Wait,” Eren blinked, “You’re telling me no one’s told you? It’s so… smooth, it’s smooth, like… um, it’s smooth like…” He was a hundred percent sure ‘a baby’s bottom’ was not an appropriate comparison, but it was the only one coming to his mind. “It’s smooth, like…”  
  
 _“Like ‘holy buckets’?”_  
  
Eren gawked, “H-Hey!”  
  
Levi laughed, loud.  
  
“I… um,” Eren felt his cheeks burn, so he closed his eyes. “Geez, this sounds so lame… But, I like your laugh too.”  
  
 _“You… do?”_  
  
“Yeah, it’s… nice. It’s really nice.”  
  
Levi awkwardly muttered a _thank you_ but mumbled off about something.  
  
Eren was just happy the compliment wasn’t pushed away. “So, um, Sir… what do I do, exactly?”  
  
 _“You need to get turned on, so, tell me… If I was lying next to you, now, what would you do?”_  
  
His mind raced with ideas, but he settled for one: “I’d strip, Sir.”  
  
 _“Do it.”_  
  
“O-Okay, one sec,” Eren dropped his phone and pulled off his dark green vest. He threw it aside, then tugged his white undershirt off. His hands fumbled nervously over his belt but he eventually managed to wrangle it free. His pants were kicked off, then his undies and socks. With that, he was nude. He grabbed his phone again, putting it to his ear. He swallowed hard. “Okay.”  
  
 _“Good, I like your body.”_  
  
“R-Really?”  
  
 _“I keep thinking about it. I want to run my tongue over it, claim it.”_  
  
Eren took a deep breath, trying to be quiet. “Wh-Where would you, want to run your tongue, over, Sir?”  
  
 _“I don’t know. I’d probably start on one end and go to the other.”_  
  
Eren paused.  
  
Levi’s tongue… moving over him, all over him…  
  
“Holy buckets.” Eren suddenly realised what he said and clasped a hand over his mouth.  
  
Levi laughed again.  
  
“Sorry!”  
  
 _“You’re entertaining, Eren. What would you do to me, if I let you?”_  
  
“I would… I would,” Eren felt his body warm, “I would… strip you.”  
  
 _“You would?”_  
  
“I’ve… never seen you naked, but… I want to.”  
  
 _“And if you saw me naked, what would you do?”_  
  
“I would, um,” Eren looked left and right, not sure. He’d always just expected that he’d be following orders. While he’d love free reign over both of them, he was completely unprepared for the question. “I would, um… maybe, just, kiss your body?” He knew he sounded like a dork, “Just… in a sort of, worship-way?”  
  
There was an amused chuckle on the other end, _“You would worship me?”_  
  
“Fuck yeah,” Eren closed his eyes, feeling his length twitch. “I’m your sub, and I want you to make use of me, Sir. I want to… get on my knees, for you. I want to do just, anything, for you, Sir. You’ve pleased me, but I haven’t been able to return the favour.”  
  
 _“So, let’s say I was to have my way with you,”_ Levi’s voice was smoother than usual, having a lusty flavour to his words, _“Fantasise about it. Tell me how it would happen”_  
  
Eren breathed in deep and then exhaled. “Shit,” he kept his eyes closed. “Am I allowed to touch myself, Sir?”  
  
 _“That’s your fantasy?”_  
  
“N-No! I mean, um! Now!”  
  
 _“It was a joke, Eren. Yes, you can touch yourself—slowly.”_  
  
He reached down, grabbing his shaft. He moved his hand down, exposing the head to the cool air. He gave a little noise, then swallowed hard. “If it were up to me… I’d have my hands tied behind my back.”  
  
 _“You like being bound, Pup?”_  
  
“Y-Yeah, a little…” Eren admitted with a nervous smile, “I just… I like being restrained, limited. I’d want you to… grab my chin…”  
  
 _“Roughly, or gently?”_  
  
“Gently, unless you want to grab it roughly,” Eren felt his cheeks warm. “I’d be on my knees, and you would sort of… guide my head, so I could… s-suck you o-off, Sir.”  
  
Levi made a noise that had Eren wondering if the man was touching himself too.  
  
“I’d… I would take it all in my mouth, for you, Sir. Or… I would try… But, I would, do my best for you Sir.”  
  
 _“Then what?”_  
  
“You would… pretty much, just, fuck my f-face.” Eren’s cheeks burned and he half wanted to throw a pillow over his face, but one hand was holding the phone, and the other was on his dick. Still stroking himself, he sped up a bit, letting out another shaky noise onto the phone. “Then, when you’re satisfied, you would turn me over, and I’d have my ass in the air… and you’d, have your way with me.”  
  
 _“I like this fantasy,”_ Levi almost purred on the other end. _“Tell me, Eren. What kind of things do you like? What excites you?”_  
  
Green eyes looked up to the ceiling and he took another breath. “Blindfolds…”  
  
 _“Blindfolds? You like having your sight removed?”_  
  
“It… makes me feel, like I can’t… well, I can’t, see danger coming,” he looked down at his cock, stroking himself faster, “And it makes me feel like, I’m completely in someone else’s hand… Even more when I’m bound and blindfolded at the same time.”  
  
 _“I’ll have that arranged, I think.”_  
  
“Please,” it came out more desperate than he expected.  
  
 _“If you’re a good sub, I’ll reward you… Tell me more.”_  
  
“Well,” Eren knew he was talking to someone he’d arranged a sexual contract with, but he couldn’t help but feel nervous. What if Levi thought one of his kinks were weird? He brought up his knees, still stroking himself. “I kinda said it before… but, I like um… cock worship. I just, I want to worship a guy… make it feel like, my whole purpose, is to please that guy…”  
  
 _“I’d love to have you worship me—reduced to nothing but an object for my pleasure.”_  
  
“Oh shit,” Eren felt a twist down low and almost came right then.  
  
 _“Did you?”_  
  
“N-No Sir, not yet, I just… I love it when you talk dirty, Sir. You’re good at it.”  
  
There was a heavy breath from Levi’s side, a moan. _“You’re getting me worked up with your imagination.”_  
  
“Levi, Sir,” Eren whispered as he continued to stroke himself. “Wh-What… about you? What would you fantasise… about me?”  
  
 _“Wouldn’t you like to know?”_  
  
Eren felt his body flash with heat and he swallowed hard. “I would, Sir… Please tell me…”  
  
 _“I’d want you on your back. Arms handcuffed to the headboard… You wouldn’t be blindfolded, because I want you to see me—all of me. I want to look in your eyes, see your expression as I dominate you.”_  
  
“Oh,” Eren closed his eyes, imagining it. His breathing was heavy, audible, and his knees wiggled, toes curling. His hand, gripped around his cock, moving up and down, up and down, stroking himself, “Sir…”  
  
 _“I’d fuck you slowly, take my time.”_  
  
“Oh, shit, Levi, Sir,” Eren felt tingles in his shoulders as he moved his head back, “I’m… I’m gonna cum…”  
  
 _“Do it.”_  
  
“Ah,” Eren whimpered; his knees wiggling in the air.  
  
 _“Cum.”_  
  
Swallowing hard, Eren let out another noise, louder this time. He moved his legs apart, lifting his hips slightly as he stroked himself, “Sir. Sir!”  
  
 _“Eren,”_ Levi grunted heavily, _“Keep going Eren.”_  
  
Eren’s eyes widened, realising Levi was about to peak as well—Just the thought that his words, his voice, played a hand in it… He let out another noise, shaky, desperate. “Shit,” he whimpered, “Levi, Sir, Levi!” He arched his back, toes curling. He felt his whole body shake and he cried out, hitting bliss with a shudder and another loud noise.  
  
 _“Fuck, fuck!”_ Levi’s voice raised and there was a grunt in an attempt to silence a moan.  
  
“Ah,” Eren’s body went limp against the soft bed sheets. He closed his eyes, feeling the warm, sticky white fluid on his stomach.  
  
For a moment, they both fell into silence, listening to each other’s heavy breathing. _“Eren,”_ Levi chuckled, _“I’ll try to come home soon.”_  
  
“Okay,” he grinned. “Um, Sir… would you do that for me?”  
  
 _“Which part?”_  
  
“Um, well, the uh, you know… reducing me, to nothing but an object for your pleasure…” There was a slight pause, and Eren felt the tentative pulsing of his heart in his ears.  
  
Then Levi’s smooth voice began talking, _“Perhaps for a moment I could reduce you to that, but you’re too important to always be treated that way.”_  
  
Eren nearly melted, smiling like the dork he was. “Thank you, Sir,” he said with a yawn.  
  
 _“Don’t fall asleep, brat. You still have five minutes of cleaning left.”_  
  
Eren chuckled and nodded, “I’ll finish my chores. See you soon.”  
  
 _“Yeah, bye.”_  
  
“Bye,” he smiled. He heard Levi hang up and he pulled his phone away from his ear. He watched the call end and his phone asking him for his password, but he just dropped his phone to the side. As much as he wanted to just lay there and soak up all the ‘feel good’ feelings, he knew he still had a duty to Levi. He looked around for a Kleenex box and cleaned himself off. He slipped his boxers back on and just decided he couldn’t be fucked to put every other article of clothing, though he did organise it in a nice pile so Levi’s clean freak senses wouldn’t tingle.  
  
With a yawn, he grabbed the rag and smiled, wiping down the table.

  
  


⁂

  
  


After the… experience with Levi, the thrilling new experience, Eren got dressed and went back to cleaning. He flicked his phone on silent so there wouldn’t be any more distractions (he’d been texting Mikasa throughout the day, which is probably why he was a little behind). When he checked his phone about fifteen minutes later, with all his cleaning done, he ended up seeing many… many unread text messages.  
  
Meeping, he tried not to sound like he was running as he started running down the stairs, indeed sounding like he was running when he popped into the kitchen. “Armin?”  
  
The blond was pouting but he stopped what he was doing to look to the side. “Hey.”  
  
“Ah, sorry, I put my phone on silent by accident,” Eren scratched the back of his head. “You sent me like twenty messages, what’s up?”  
  
Armin offered a small smile and chuckled through his nose. “You said you would make strawberry pie with me today…”  
  
“Oh shit,” Eren blinked, remembering strawberries were Levi’s favourite. “I did, didn’t I? Well we could do it now…”  
  
“I’ve already made the crust, it’s baking, but you can help me with the filling if you want,” he ran his hands under the running water and tilted his head, hair shifted slightly with the movement.  
  
“Sure…” Eren’s green eyes glanced over to the oven. “Wait, so… if the pie is baking, how are we making the filling?”  
  
Armin laughed, gentle and free, before shaking his head. He turned off the water and walked up to Eren, going up on his tippy-toes to smooch the corner of his lips before moving away.  
  
Eren paused, blinking, momentarily stunned as his green eyes looked off to the side. His cheeks warmed and he scratched the back of his head.  
  
“Strawberry pie isn’t like apple pie. You bake the crust and then make the filling in a pot, then pour the filling in. Well, you could bake it all at the same time, but I just prefer this recipe since the crust can end up getting soggy if you’re not careful.” He opened the cupboard below the sink and pulled out a small pot. He placed it on the stove then walked to the fridge. Opening the door, he looked around before his blue eyes caught sight of red. He grabbed the plastic container of local strawberries and handed it to Eren.  
  
Eren looked at the container and took it. “So um, what do I do with this?”  
  
“Just wash ‘em for now.”  
  
“How many?”  
  
“All of them. We’re going to use the whole box.”  
  
“Cool,” Eren walked over to the sink, popped the lid on the container and turned on the water. He looked over his shoulder, smelling the warm pie crust from the oven. He smiled a little and washed his hand. “So, you’re really like the housewife, huh?”  
  
Armin rolled his eyes, but grinned while doing so, “Shut up.”  
  
He snickered in response before he began washing the strawberries. “So is making the filling thing hard?”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
“You’ll walk me through it?”  
  
“I’ll hold your hand,” Armin teased as he pulled out a potato masher. “So remove the stems and just put two and a half cups of strawberries in the pot, then start mashing them with this thing okay?”  
  
Eren blinked, looking over at the blond. “The hell is that?”  
  
Armin opened his mouth, but then shut it, deciding to just snicker instead.  
  
Doing as he was told, Eren cut the green tops off the strawberries and then grabbed a cup, using it to measure the amount and put them in the pot. He grabbed the potato masher from Armin and then looked at it, “So how mashed do you want them mashed?”  
  
“Very mashed.”  
  
“Okay,” Eren nodded.  
  
Meanwhile, Armin sliced the remaining strawberries into quarter pieces.  
  
“You’re humming.”  
  
Armin paused, glancing over his shoulder. “Huh?”  
  
“You hum when you work in the kitchen,” Eren offered a smile, “It’s cute.”  
  
He brought up a finger, red from the juices of the sweet fruit. He slipped it into his mouth and sucked, tasting strawberry, then popped it out. “I hum?”  
  
Eren pretended he didn’t just imagine Armin giving head. Instead, he just nodded. “Yeah.”  
  
Armin blinked then looked back to his strawberries, “What song do I hum?”  
  
“I don’t know – never heard it before, sounded like a nursery rhyme or something. Sorry, can’t help you.”  
  
Armin chuckled and began cutting the remaining ones, “Good to know, I guess. Almost done mashing them?”  
  
Eren looked at the pot and nodded, “Pretty much.”  
  
“Switch places with me, just cut these ones into fourths. Don’t cut them in halves or thirds, or Levi will be able to tell the difference.”  
  
Eren laughed, then realised the blond was serious. His expression became solemn and he nodded before moving away from the pot to slice the remaining strawberries. He grabbed one, then popped it in his mouth. “Mmm,” he nodded before chewing and swallowing. “These are really nice.”  
  
“Yeah, local ones, fresh and all that stuff,” Armin absentmindedly danced a little on his feet and turned up the stove to high. He grabbed a prepped measuring cup of sugar and added a dash of salt. He began to stir the mixture. When it smoothed out, he opened a rack from the side and grabbed the vanilla extract between his index and middle finger, while grabbing the almond extract between his middle and ring finger. With one hand, he popped their tops and dashed them in one at a time. He never measured, always secretly hoping he added a bit more than the recipe asked for. He added about a teaspoon of vanilla, and half that of almond extract.  
  
“Done,” Eren called out.  
  
“Great,” Armin closed the lids and put them back in the rack. “Can you just keep stirring this, please?”  
  
“Sure,” Eren smiled and moved over to the stove.  
  
Armin was about to say something when a beep cut him off. He looked over his shoulder to glance to the stove and nodded. He grabbed a small cup which had a yellow-whitish mixture inside.  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“Egg wash,” Armin placed it on the counter before grabbing black oven mitts.  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow, “You’re going to wash something… with egg?”  
  
Armin gigglesnorted, instantly covering his face with an oversized oven mitt. He opened the oven and pulled out the pie crust before kicking up the oven door. He placed the pie crust on the counter and looked over to Eren. “An egg wash is um, well it’s usually egg yolk and cream, depending on your recipe. I used an egg yolk, heavy cream, with a touch of salt and a drop of olive oil. It’s the thing that gives the pie crust that nice brown colour and that shine.”  
  
Eren didn’t know anything about pies being shiny, so it made him chuckle. “So it’s just for looks?”  
  
“Mostly,” Armin removed the aluminium foil over the crust then took off his oven mitts. “It also helps seal cracks and, ah, here,” Armin chuckled, “There’s a couple cracks on this side.”  
  
Eren stopped stirring the mixture and looked over.  
  
The crust looked a little pale, but otherwise it looked picture perfect, with the uneven crumps around the edges. Near the bottom, the baked pie had broken slightly. “Oh, so the egg washer thing makes it smooth again?”  
  
“Mhm,” he grabbed a cooking brush, dipped it in the mixture, then began glazing the pie crust. “Keep stirring.”  
  
“Oh, right.”  
  
Armin chuckled, “Oh, and see the little measuring cup with some white powder in it? Can you add that?”  
  
“Sure,” Eren looked and saw it. “Is this flour?”  
  
“Nope, cornstarch.”  
  
“Um… does it taste like corn? Like strawberry and corn pie?”  
  
Armin laughed, shaking his head. “No, it’s what people use to make sauces and things thicker. If you add that to the mixture you’re stirring, it’ll become nice and thick. You know, thick enough to keep the strawberries together, but some will still fall apart so it’s like imperfect, but that’s what we want.”  
  
“Okay…” Eren just agreed and added the quarter cup. He stirred it in, then looked over his shoulder. “So why did we add it now?”  
  
“High heat can actually break apart the cornstarch if it’s cooking for a while. It’s not really a problem, but I add it at the end just in case.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren nodded, continuing to stir it. “I’m learning a lot from you.”  
  
“Let’s see how much of it sticks.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Nothing!” Armin finished the light glazing of the pie crust and took in the smell; it was like being in a bakery. He gave a content sigh and then grabbed the oven mitts again. He put them on, then put the pie back in the oven and closed the door. “There, one more minute and that’s done. You’re probably done too. Just pour the mixture into a bowl and throw in the rest of the strawberries, and that’s the filling.”  
  
“That wasn’t too hard,” Eren spoke as he followed the instructions, glancing to Armin every so often to see if he was doing anything wrong. “It was kinda easy.”  
  
“Yeah, sometimes I just make the pie filling alone, make it a bit thicker and just eat it with a spoon… don’t tell Levi.”  
  
Eren suddenly looked down at the mixture and wondered how it would taste.  
  
“No.”  
  
“Aww,” Eren pouted then looked to Armin.  
  
The oven beeped again.  
  
Armin turned it off and opened the door. With gloved hands, he reached in and pulled out the golden pie crust. “Open the fridge.” He walked over, silently snickering as Eren followed his order and put in the pie crust. “Okay, now put in the strawberry stuff and I’ll call you down when it’s cool and we can put them together.”  
  
“Okay,” Eren grinned.

  
  


⁂

  
  


Eren was severly disappointed when he found out the pie filling would take _two hours_ to cool. Levi had come home _and_ they had dinner and it was still cooling off. But the moment of truth came and Eren wiggled like an impatient puppy in his chair as he watched Armin add thick whipped cream (which he whipped himself) onto the pie. Using a spoon, Armin dipped it into the rich red glaze of the strawberry filling and then touched at the center of the whipped cream, moving in a circular motion outwards, giving the cream a red spiral pattern which slowly faded pink and eventually white as it went. Armin brought the spoon, tip covered in whipped cream, up to his mouth and suckled on it softly.  
  
As far as Eren was concerned, the pie looked completely and utterly fuckable. It was perfect. Commercial perfect, Eren decided, then changed his mind and settled for photoshop perfect because it honestly was. “So…” He tried to hide his impatience (‘tried’ being the key word), “ _Now_ can we eat it?”  
  
Levi sat at the other end of the long glass table, and he silently imagined Eren with wolf ears and a tail wagging back and forth behind him. He laughed through his nose, an undeniable smile forming on his lips as he looked away. “Make us some tea, Armin, would you?”  
  
“Of course, Sir.”

  
  


⁂

  
  


And then the pie was gone.  
  
No leftovers survived.  
  
In fact, a knife was thrown across the room in the middle of arguing over who got the last slice.  
  
The pie was so good Eren didn’t even make a suggestive joke with licking off whipped cream, which said a lot because he had the mental maturity of a thirteen year old when it came to white stuff that goes in the mouth. Although, he did catch glimpses of Levi and Armin licking the cream off their lips. Very good sights. After eating, with tea (which Eren almost spat out because it was the same colour but it tasted different? Although he found out he liked the different flavour too), he went to the living room and lay down on the couch, closing his eyes. He put his hands over his filled tummy and intertwined his fingers.  
  
“You look like you fucking died.”  
  
Eren laughed and opened his green eyes, looking over to his Dom. “I’m just happy.”  
  
“I’m glad,” Levi nodded before turning his back and going back into the kitchen.  
  
Eren blinked. Did Levi walk over just to tell him he looked dead? Or maybe Levi worried that he had actually died from the goodness of his pie. Also possible, Eren nodded then closed his eyes again.  
  
A minute or two passed.  
  
He suddenly felt the couch shift, and he blinked. He felt a weight on his chest, warmth along the side of his body. “Huh?”  
  
Armin rested his chin lightly on Eren’s chest, “Is this okay?”  
  
“Sure,” he smiled, “Just caught me by surprise… You know,” he wrapped one arm around the blond, “You don’t have to ask about that stuff.”  
  
Armin nuzzled Eren’s chest, “Cuddling?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren squeezed him closer.  
  
Armin just smiled, enjoying the warmth and proximity. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He closed his blue eyes and wrapped an arm around Eren’s waist.  
  
Time passed and Eren found his fingers eventually playing with Armin’s hair, moving through the soft blond strands. He closed his eyes again and he silently wondered if he was going to fall asleep. Probably, he realised with a little yawn. His arm moved down, so his hand was on Armin’s shoulder, pulling him even closer.  
  
“Adorable.”  
  
 _That_ voice got both of them to open their eyes.  
  
Levi was sitting on the couch opposite of them, one leg over the other, arms comfortably crossed over his chair, head raised and slightly back. “Kitten and Puppy, quite fitting.”  
  
Armin’s cheeks went red and he tried to disappear into Eren.  
  
Eren just chuckled, petting Armin’s hair. “Sorry Sir, we cuddled without you. You’re more than welcome to join.”  
  
“I don’t cuddle,” Levi hissed with a wag of his finger.  
  
Armin chuckled, but kept his forehead pressed on Eren’s chest; luckily, his hair covered his face.  
  
“Well,” Eren’s mind raced, trying to think of something to say. “You can always watch, if you’re into that.”  
  
Levi paused and then chuckled, shaking his head. “I do like to watch, but not quite like that…”  
  
When their Dom gave a snicker, Armin’s fingers curled, tugging onto the brunet’s shirt.  
  
Eren blinked, looking down.  
  
Levi actually looked amused as he rubbed his chin. “Eren, do you enjoy watching?”  
  
“In what way, Sir?”  
  
“We’re all adults here, I know you know what I mean, Pup.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard, then nodded. “I guess, yeah.”  
  
Levi tilted his head to the side, “You’ve never watched a couple before?”  
  
Eren’s cheeks reddened and he looked away, “No Sir.” He awaited some kind of answer but received none, just silence. He felt the hair on his arms rise and Armin seemed quite locked onto him.  
  
Levi suddenly stood. “I’m heading to bed. Goodnight you two.”  
  
“Night,” Eren blinked.  
  
“Goodnight,” Armin looked up.  
  
After Levi left, Eren paused. He looked back to Armin; all the words in his mind went blank. It was the first time he really looked into Armin’s eyes. Blue, he knew they were blue. Anybody could tell with one glance, but Eren realised he couldn’t decide what shade they were.  
  
Armin’s eyes were almost a bit too vibrant to be baby blue, but too pale to be cobalt. There was something glossy, yet deep about the colour. Somewhere between the brims of cornflowers and a glacier. He blinked.  
  
Eren blinked in return, realising he’d been staring. He looked away and coughed, “So um, what the hell was that? With Levi?”  
  
“Oh…” Armin gave a nervous smile, “I think… you just gave him a terrible idea.”  
  
“I… I did something wrong?”  
  
“N-No, I kind of _like_ terrible ideas…” His nervous smile turned to a sexy grin and his cheeks warmed. “I could make a deduction to what his idea could be… but if that’s what it is, I’m not going to say anything.”  
  
“Wait, why not?” Eren pouted. When all he got was a chuckle as an answer, he frowned. “I said it the first day I was here, and I’ll say it again: You two are so cruel!”  
  
Armin just leaned forward, pushing their lips together.  
  
Eren pulled the blond closer. It occurred to him that this was the first real kiss with Armin. Sure, they smooched and kissed, but they had never _kissed_ kissed. He made a soft noise and let himself melt. Feeling Armin’s lips over his own, finally.  
  
Armin pulled away.  
  
Eren blinked, letting out a whine.  
  
Armin just grinned, putting his finger on Eren’s nose. “You’re too easy to tease, you know?”  
  
Eren’s eyes went wide and shook slightly, like a sad puppy.  
  
Armin just snickered and kissed his cheeks before slipping away.

  
  


⁂

  
  


When Eren ‘woke up’ the next morning, he wasn’t quite awake. Somewhere between dreaming and being conscious enough to want to go back to sleep, he distinctly remembered murmuring. Two voices. He assumed Levi and Armin, but when he opened his eyes, they were both gone. The side of the bed Armin was lying in wasn’t warm, so he sat up and wondered how much time had passed. He tilted his head, wondering if maybe it was all just a dream or something.  
  
Although that would mean he was dreaming about Levi and Armin…  
  
Which, he realised, was probably extremely likely.  
  
He got out of bed, headed to the shower, beginning his morning ritual. He played with the knobs, finding a nice and warm temperature and then dunked his head under. He looked down at his manhood, wondering if he should go for a quick jerk or not, but decided against it. As much as Levi and Armin had individually been working him up, he knew he should get dressed and greet Levi for breakfast before he went to work.  
  
It registered in his mind it was a Saturday, so Levi wouldn’t be at work… and then it registered in his mind that he had the full day with Levi. He went on his tippy-toes and grinned wide. He was sure his manhood would get some attention… hopefully, later on.  
  
He grabbed his forest scented body wash, but glanced over to a white bottle. He popped the top and smelled it, realising it was Armin’s soap. He read the label and smiled.  
  
‘Strawberry Splash’.  
  
Eren chuckled before putting it back. As he began washing himself (with his own soap and shampoo), he made sure that every ounce of skin was washed. What Levi had said, during the phone sex, about running his tongue all over Eren’s body… it left a little impression on him.  
  
He washed the foamy white bubbles off and then stopped the water. He stepped out, grabbing his towel and dried himself quickly. Stepping into their room, he opened the door and put his head out. Silence. He frowned, usually he heard something, just little utters or sounds he couldn’t quite make out, but sounds he knew were there.  
  
Throwing the towel on the bed, he went through his suitcase. He grabbed a fresh pair of undies, bright blue with yellow thunderbolts on them, and then decided to go for black cargo shorts. They were nice around his ass and went down past his knees. A little long to be shorts, but not quite pants. He grabbed a grey T-shirt but stopped before putting it on. He remembered the fashion comments he got so far and wondered if it was a good idea. he was wearing black shorts, so would a grey shirt be a bad idea. Would that be too monochrome?  
  
“Wow,” Eren whispered, “That was pretty gay.” He laughed, finding the irony in his joke utterly hilarious. Tugging on the shirt, he looked at the mirror and tilted his shoulder to the side. “Watch out! I’m monochrome and horny for you, Sir!”  
  
He suddenly paused, stepping into the hallway, looking left and right to make sure nobody heard him.  
  
Eren gave a little sigh of relief and headed to the stairs. He made his way down, sniffing the air. It didn’t sound like anything was cooking, so maybe the two of them went out somewhere? He suddenly pouted when he realised they must have gone somewhere without him. He stepped into the kitchen and his suspicions were right – there was no food. He wondered if there was any of that delicious strawberry pie left over, but then he remembered a knife flying by his head when Levi told him the last piece was his.  
  
He paused, realising Levi did actually throw a knife at him last night. With surprising skill, too. He wondered if the man had ever been a circus performer, and the thought of Levi with pasty white makeup and a clown nose on suddenly had bellowing laughter spill from his mouth.  
  
“What’s so funny, Pup?”  
  
Eren yelped, almost freezing. “S-Sir!” He looked around, “Sir?”  
  
“We’re in the living room.”  
  
Eren grinned. Since he said ‘we’ that means that they were both there! And since they were both there, nobody went anywhere without him. He was smiling from ear to ear, but his expression stilled when he stepped into the room.  
  
Sitting on the couch, Levi was fully dressed in a white buttoned up shirt and a black pair of jeans. He had one arm stretched out on the top of the couch, while his other hand was petting a certain blond tuft of hair in his lap.  
  
Armin was completely naked. He was on the couch as well, on his knees, kneeling into Levi’s lap. His blue eyes looking at Eren.  
  
“Uh… good, morn… ing.”  
  
“Good morning,” Levi nodded, still petting Armin’s hair. “Have a seat,” he motioned across from him with a nudge of his head.  
  
Eren swallowed hard and did as he was told. He sat across from them, looking at them both. Levi looked damn fine in that shirt, but his green eyes were drawn to Armin… completely naked, in front of him. He’d seen neither of them naked, and he wondered what exactly was going on.  
  
A ruddy blush burned on Armin’s cheeks, but he said nothing.  
  
Levi just casually tilted his head. “So, how did you sleep last night?”  
  
“F-Fine, Sir…” Eren looked up at him, trying not to stare at either of them.  
  
“Let’s test your knowledge, Pup. You have three guesses to figure out what’s going on.”  
  
Eren took in a deep breath, looking to Armin for some kind of answer, but he ended up getting lost on the curves, the sensual looking skin… He wondered if they were as soft as the rest of him…  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Sir!” he used his outside voice and watched Levi almost flinch in response. “Sorry, I uh, I have no idea…”  
  
“We talked about watching last night,” Levi reminded. “So now, you’re going to sit right where you are. Armin’s informed me you and him have yet to actually touch each other, but even I can see you two want to fuck. So, this is the game we’re going to play. Don’t worry, you won’t be punished if you mess up.”  
  
“Oh, good,” Eren smiled.  
  
“But if you _do_ mess up… Armin will be punished.”  
  
“W-Wait, what?”  
  
“If you fuck up in this game, Armin will be punished as consequence.”  
  
Eren stared at his Dom, trying to force his mouth to work. “I-Is that… in our contract?”  
  
“No, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s in Armin’s contract,” Levi’s lips curved into a dangerous smile. “You will play this game, Pup. All you have to do is watch.”  
  
Eren looked at Armin with a worried expression, but all he saw was the blond give him a lusty gaze in return. He realised that, maybe, Armin was enjoying this as much as Levi. He nodded, deciding to go along with it. “All I do is watch?”  
  
“Yes. And that is _all_ you do, hear me? If you look away, even once, I’ll punish Armin. If you touch yourself, even through the fabric of your pants, you won’t see him for a couple of days.”  
  
Eren’s jaw twitched and he closed his mouth before he said anything stupid. Still, he tried to talk with his mouth closed and ended up giving something between a whine and a whimper.  
  
“You got the rules, Pup?”  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
“Good,” Levi stopped petting Armin’s head. He looked down at the blond, some form of silent communication.  
  
Armin took a deep breath before he raised his upper body. Swallowing hard, he adjusted himself so he was sitting in Levi’s lap, facing the man. He leaned forward and brought his mouth to Levi’s neck. His hands cautiously moved to Levi’s shoulders, resting there.  
  
Levi smirked, stretching his neck to give Armin all the access he needed. His own hands gripped Armin’s hips and slowly moved up his sides.  
  
Another strange noise left Eren’s mouth and he suddenly clasped his hands over his eyes, looking down.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes, “Tch.”  
  
“Eren!” Armin cried out.  
  
“S-Sorry!” Eren kept his hands over his face, “I can’t do this… I’m just, it’s just–!”  
  
“Well,” Levi’s smile disappeared, “That’s alright. Armin will be punished for it, not you.”  
  
“N-No,” Eren moved his hands away, “That was the practice round!”  
  
“Practice round…? I never said there was a practice round.”  
  
“There’s _always_ a practice round!”  
  
Levi snorted, rolling his eyes. “Fine. That was the practice round. But I’m only going to warn you once, the next time you look away there will be consequence. None for you, so don’t worry too much.”  
  
Armin took the cue and resumed what he was doing. He moved his tongue over Levi’s neck, closing his eyes as he tasted the salty skin.  
  
One of Levi’s hands roamed down Armin’s body, cupping his ass, giving it a light squeeze.  
  
Eren just meeped, green eyes wandering over Armin. He eyed the shoulder blades hungrily, following down his spine. He watched Levi push a finger inside Armin, hearing the blond make a small noise. With how easily Levi’s fingers slipped inside the entrance, Eren realised Armin must have already been prepared—just how long had they been waiting for him?  
  
Armin moved his hand into Levi’s crotch, undoing the belt quickly before tossing it aside. He pushed his mouth against his Dom, kissing him deeply.  
  
Levi pushed a second finger inside Armin, thrusting in and out before adding a third.  
  
“Ah,” he broke the kiss to whisper. He moved his hips back, forcing those fingers deeper inside him.  
  
Eren’s eyes widened. He forgot how to swallow and almost choked on his spit; coughing, he made sure not to take his green eyes off of them while he moved his head to cough into his elbow. While he was blushing hard and desperately wanted to retreat from the situation, he didn’t want Armin to be punished because of him… although, he also didn’t want to look away because he actually didn’t want to look away.  
  
Armin’s body, naked, in front of him.  
  
Levi, being possessive.  
  
Eren felt his body heat up and he could do nothing about the burning of his cheeks. He continued to watch as Armin’s fingers unbuttoned and unzipped Levi’s pants. He wanted to see what was revealed, but Armin’s naked body was in the way. He didn’t even know if he wanted to complain. With the motion of Armin’s arm and shoulder, he knew his hand must have been on Levi’s cock. His green eyes flicked up to Levi’s face and he hitched his next breath.  
  
Levi’s eyes closed, mouth slightly open as a smooth moan slipped out. Expression of bliss, he brought his head down and showed his teeth. He bit into Armin’s shoulder.  
  
Armin’s head flung back; his whole body tensed as he cried out, hand squeezing Levi’s cock.  
  
Levi kept thrusting his three fingers, but he slipped them out and suddenly spanked Armin’s ass. “On your knees.”  
  
“Yes, Master,” Armin blurted out before he could stop himself.  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
When Levi moved his legs apart, Armin seamlessly dropped between his knees. Cock still in hand, he slipped it into his mouth, sucking hard on the head.  
  
Levi’s hand gripped Armin’s hair, giving it a sharp tug.  
  
Armin bobbed his head, up and down, up and down.  
  
Levi pushed down on the blond’s head, pushing more of his cock into that mouth.  
  
Armin closed his eyes and relaxed his throat, letting the length slide inside him.  
  
Steel eyes looked up green, making contact.  
  
Eren wanted to look away. Eren _needed_ to look away. But his eyes were caught. His own cock was hard, twitching in his pants and his hands squeezed his knees, grip turning his knuckles white. He badly wanted to look away, touch himself, but the threats were still heavy in the air. He watched the tuft of blond hair nuzzle into the base of that lap and his toes curled.  
  
“Fuck,” Levi hissed, closing his eyes as he bit his lip.  
  
Armin moved his mouth back, then forward again—taking Levi’s entire cock into his mouth again.  
  
“Get up,” Levi looked down, “Ride me. Now.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Armin lifted himself up into the man’s lap. He grabbed the cock and pushed it against his ass, but he paused.  
  
“Turn around, so Eren can see you.”  
  
Armin felt his cheeks burn, but he nodded, complied. He readjusted himself, showing his frontal nudity to Eren, but kept his eyes to the floor.  
  
Levi put his lips next to Armin’s ear, “Look at him. In the eye.”  
  
Armin’s hand holding Levi’s cock began to shake. His blue eyes flicked up.  
  
Eren’s whole body was on fire. Catching a glimpse of Levi’s cock, which was larger than he expected, and now seeing Armin’s body… the smooth chest, the slim hips, subtle curves, nice legs, all completely hairless…  
  
Blue eyes met green, and Armin swallowed hard. He could feel Eren’s gaze wandering over him. Pleasurable chills crept over his shoulder, and then it clicked. Eren wanted him. Feeling his scorching blush burn even more, Armin lowered himself on Levi.  
  
Levi put his hands on Armin’s hips, keeping him steady.  
  
Eren began moving a hand up his thigh, towards his crotch.  
  
“D-Don’t,” Armin whimpered, “He’ll, punish me.”  
  
Eren bit his lip. He moved his hand back on his knees, locking it there.  
  
“Good, Pup,” Levi whispered, eyes closed, as Armin sank down on his lap. He was fully buried inside the blond. He moved his hands to Armin’s cock, grabbing it and giving it a squeeze. He heard the sweet noise the blond made before he started stroking it, moving the skin over the head and back down again.  
  
Eren’s eyes dilated with arousal and he tugged at the collar of his shirt to cool himself down. His own breathing became shaky as he watched.  
  
Armin instantly began moving his hips up, then down again. He moved in rhythm to Levi’s hand on him and he whimpered. He wanted to bring his knees together, hide himself, but he kept them firmly away, as his master wanted. He took a deep breath and began moving, making little noises as he did. The cock deep inside him filled him up, and he moved his body so it was gliding against that spot inside. “Hnn,” he bit his lower lip, “Ah.”  
  
Levi opened his steel eyes, continuing to stroke Armin. His eyes looked over the blond’s shoulders, staring at the sub sitting across from them.  
  
Eren almost came in his pants from the sight in front of him. He made the mistake of making eye contact with Levi, and a shudder ran down his spine. His fingers twitched and little tingles ran over his chest down to the needy, twitching tent in his pants. He desperately wanted to look away, but ended up making eye contact with Armin, and he felt like his chest was imploding with how sharply he stopped breathing.  
  
He didn’t know what he wanted.  
  
Did he want to be where Levi was? Did he want to fuck Armin, have the blond ride him? Hear those gentle, soft noises while he felt the tight heat around his cock?  
  
Or did he want to be where Armin was? Being fucked by Levi? Having something deep inside him, while those steel eyes made his body melt? Feel the man’s strong hands on his body as the cock slid in and out of him?  
  
Or did he want both?  
  
To be _between_ them.  
  
He couldn’t help but fantasise about it, having the two of them.  
  
Levi inside him, while he was inside Armin. Armin’s skin was soft, gentle, while Levi had a firm grip. He would hear the sweet noises from Armin’s lips, while the gruff grunts from Levi’s mouth. Having Armin at his mercy, while being pinned down by Levi…  
  
To have both worlds.  
  
Eren’s entire face turned bright red and his jaw jutted out for a moment before he closed his mouth, internally screaming.  
  
“Eren,” Levi’s husky voice drew his attention, “Do you like what you see?”  
  
Eren attempted to speak, but all that came out was, “I-like-really-do-it.”  
  
Levi chuckled in Armin’s ear, low and dark.  
  
Armin continued to ride his master, whimpering and arching his neck back.  
  
Levi gritted his teeth along Armin’s exposed neck, only lightly biting down when he got close to the blond’s jaw.  
  
Armin shuddered, his whole body quivered, shaking as he looked at his master. “I’m… I’m going to…”  
  
“Good,” Levi whispered, “Do it… and open your legs more, let Eren see you cum.”  
  
Armin closed his eyes and gave a shaky nod.  
  
Eren took a deep breath desperately, feeling sweat beads form on his forehead. He consciously tried to get his limbs to relax, but every second they seized up.  
  
Levi continued stroking the blond, quicker. “Call out his name.”  
  
Blue eyes snapped open at the command. Armin continued to move, and he swallowed hard. “Eh… Eren.”  
  
Eren froze.  
  
“Eren, ah, Eren, Eren!” Armin whimpered, feeling Levi move in and out of him, and the hand on his twitching cock. “Eren! Eren! I’m going to, ah, ah, ahh, Eren!” His whole body shook and he made sure to keep his knees apart as he came, white strands shooting over his chest. “Eren,” he whispered as his head moved back, onto Levi’s shoulder.  
  
Feeling Armin’s body squeeze around his cock, Levi arched his back, pushing his chest against Armin as he grunted, hitting the peak as well. With shaky breath, a sense of relief came, then exhaustion followed. “Good.”  
  
Armin was breathing heavily and he closed his eyes.  
  
“Eren,” Levi looked up, “Take,” he paused to breathe, “The rest, of the day, off. I will be, busy, with Armin.”  
  
“Y-Yes, S-Sir.”

  
  


⁂

  
  


Eren was back in the bedroom. Hot, sticky white had shot over his stomach as his legs turned into jelly. His whole body broke under his hand. He barely jerked off for a minute before he came. The images and heat so rampant in his mind, he swore he barely even knew how to function. He quickly cleaned off then flopped on the bed again. His body was still hot, sticky with sweat and he sat up. He pondered over a shower; he had one this morning, so he shouldn’t have another… but considering how much money Levi had, ten minutes of a cold shower probably wouldn’t matter too much.  
  
He stripped himself and headed to the bathroom.  
  
Once under chilled water, he washed off the sweat and got out of their quick enough.  
  
He thought about what happened, having to watch Levi and Armin… While it was, a rather intimate experience for the three of them, he couldn’t help but feel like Levi was… trying to bring him closer to Armin, in a way. He paused, not too sure how to feel about it.  
  
It meant a lot of things.  
  
For one, it meant Levi cared that he and Armin got along. Second, that meant Levi cared that he was a part of the household… which was kind of like the first thing, but Eren knew they were kind of different enough-ish. Third, it meant that… Levi cared. Full stop. Which was also kind of like the first one… but it meant something else.  
  
Deciding he couldn’t really work it out, he walked around the house for a while. Getting bored of the second floor, he decided to go to the third, because Armin and Levi were probably still on the first floor… and if he had to see them again the sweating would start again…  
  
With a nervous chuckle, he walked up the stairs and looked around; he dusted the whole place about three times now, so he… mostly… knew his way around.  
  
He decided to head into the library.  
  
Tall bookshelves lined the walls. It was much like Levi’s personal library in his bedroom, but there were even more books. He silently wondered if Levi had read them all… He doubted it, but then doubted his doubt. He crossed his arms, looking around for a bit before realising there really was no way he’d be able to focus on a book. He never really read books anyway, never had the attention span for them.  
  
He stepped out of the library and into the hallway.  
  
“... me… how…?”  
  
“... Eren… good…”  
  
Eren blinked, and he tilted his head to the side.  
  
“Do… to… him…?”  
  
He turned around and realised the noises were coming from Levi’s room. His chest tightened when he realised Armin and Levi were talking about him… Swallowing hard, he took a step closer to the double doors to the master bedroom, but he froze. No. He couldn’t. As much as he wanted to know, he couldn’t eavesdrop… could he?  
  
No.  
  
Eren forced himself to turn his back to the room. He quickly walked down the hallway, not trusting his good judgement to keep up. Even if Levi and Armin were talking about him, he couldn’t eavesdrop…  
  
Contracts were built on trust, and he couldn’t break that.  
  
Although… he couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about…


	6. The First Week (6)

Eren was happily getting used to waking up in the soft bed, but this morning was a little different than usual. While there was the usual gentle sunlight and warm blankets, this time he woke up against Armin, spooning, with one arm hooked around the blond’s waist, pulling him close. He smiled instantly, nuzzling into the blond hair.  
  
Armin chuckled, slipping a hand over Eren’s, “Morning.”  
  
“Mornin’,” he mumbled lazily.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
Armin suddenly ground his hips back.  
  
Eren’s eyes snapped open, whole body shaking into a state of alertness. He had a boner and it was pressed up against Armin’s ass. He blinked, noticing no discomfort from the blond, he bit his lip and pondered his options. He moved his head and kissed his neck.  
  
Armin gasped, smiling.  
  
Eren began grinding his hips against Armin and his mouth moved over teeth marks, which he realised must have been from Levi’s own mouth…  
  
“That would be too easy,” Armin said in a dangerous voice before he slipped out of Eren’s embrace.  
  
“No!” Eren whined, desperately reaching for the blond, “I hate you.”  
  
Armin blew him a little kiss before turning around, heading into the bathroom.  
  
As much as Eren wanted to be upset, a huge grin formed on his lips and he rolled over. He grabbed a pillow, hugging it tight and nuzzled into that instead. It didn’t take long before Armin showered and stepped back in the room, “I still hate you.”  
  
“Oh?” Armin’s teasing tone was infuriating. “But, what do you want for breakfast?”  
  
Eren looked up at the ceiling and thought about it. “Um, I don’t know. You made awesome pancakes the first morning I was here.”  
  
“Wanna know my secret?”  
  
Eren blinked, looking over to him. “Sure.”  
  
Armin slipped a shirt over his head, “I add the maple syrup to the batter. I use it instead of sugar, and it gives the flavour. But there’s no mess… Levi says the texture and stickiness of maple syrup is disgusting and an abomination.”  
  
Eren laughed, “Of course he would.”  
  
Armin snickered. “So, you want pancakes?”  
  
“Sure?” Eren thought about it, “If it’s not too much work.”  
  
“Nah, pancakes are easy.”  
  
“Then, yeah.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren’s morning routine went by fairly quickly. Usual shower, usual getting dressed, usual walk down the stairs. He found himself getting comfortable with the way his life was. Stepping into the kitchen, he saw Levi at the kitchen table. He half considered giving the man a kiss on the cheek, but after what happened the last two times, he decided against it. They had breakfast, which was amazing pancakes, a bit wider than last time, with some fresh fruits and steaming coffee. He found out Armin actually put maple syrup in his coffee and then Eren was forced into promising not to judge him.  
  
He secretly judged him, just a little.  
  
Afterwords, Levi eventually moved to the living room and took a seat on the couch, and Eren decided to lie down, laying his head in his Dom’s lap. He half expected Levi to push him away or tell him to get off, but there was nothing. If anything, Levi slowly began running his hand through Eren’s hair.  
  
Eren couldn’t help but smile. If this is what all weekends would be like, he was more than happy to comply. “Hey, Sir…”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“What’s your favourite colour?”  
  
Levi’s hand stopped and he paused. He looked down and just blinked, “What?”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks warm, but he smiled. “What’s your favourite colour, Sir?”  
  
“Why do you care?”  
  
Eren probably would have flinched a couple days ago, but he was somewhat grasping his personality. “I just want to get to know you, Sir… that’s all. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to—you know, in case it’s a secret.”  
  
Levi’s lower lip twitched and he looked away. “Green.”  
  
Eren suddenly sat up and turned so he was facing his Dom, “Me too! I love green, and I just love really bright greens!”  
  
“Dark green,” Levi muttered before looking towards the kitchen. “Armin?”  
  
“Yes, Sir?” the blond called from the other room.  
  
“Remind me to call Marco in a couple hours, will you?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
Levi turned his head back to Eren.  
  
Eren just grinned and turned around, lying down again, laying his head in his Dom’s lap again. “We both like green.”  
  
“Oh, do we also pronounce some funny words the same way?”  
  
Eren laughed at Levi’s dry tone. He knew it was practically an insult, but he just smiled. “It makes me happy.”  
  
Levi sighed, rolling his eyes. “You’re easy to please, apparently.”  
  
“Is that a bad thing?” Eren tilted his head, “After all, pleasing me is secondary.”  
  
Levi’s lips curved into a soft smile and he brought his hand back to Eren’s head, playing with his hair slowly. “That’s one way to look at it, Pup. Have you always been so optimistic?”  
  
“I think so,” Eren grinned, “Have you always been such a dry realist?”  
  
Levi actually laughed. He shook his head, “Not always, no.” He cupped the back of Eren’s head, lifting it slowly. He crossed his legs, then laid the brunet’s head back in his lap again, closer to his hip this time. He continued to play with the hair and looked up absentmindedly. “One more heavy day at work, tomorrow, then I have a full week off. It’s like a fucking dream, they’re leaving me alone.”  
  
“Taking time off?” Eren blinked, “So, that means you can spend time with us?”  
  
“No, it means I can make use of you,” he corrected. He looked down, and was a little surprised by Eren’s stupid little smile. “You like being useful, don’t you?”  
  
“Of course, it’s my duty.”  
  
“Your sense of purpose?”  
  
“Yeah, it’s,” Eren paused, hearing his phone go off. He sat up and reached into his pocket, seeing a call from ‘Mikasaaa Ackermaaan’ with too many a’s because he put it that way in the eighth grade and he couldn’t bring himself to change it, even when he changed phones. “Excuse me, Sir.”  
  
Levi just nodded.  
  
He flipped his phone open and put it to his ear, “Hey Mikasa, what’s up?”  
  
 _“Hey, we haven’t talked in a while.”_  
  
Eren moved his head back against Levi’s lap, “We texted all yesterday.”  
  
 _“Not the same.”_  
  
Eren just smiled.  
  
 _“Is Levi there?”_  
  
“Yeah,” Eren looked up at the man, “Why?”  
  
Levi looked down, wondering why his sub was looking at him.  
  
 _“Tell him Annie and I are free tomorrow, we’ll be happy to join you.”_  
  
“Huh?” He blinked, “Sure.” He moved his phone away from his mouth, “Mikasa says she and Annie are free tomorrow, and they’re going to join us or something?”  
  
Levi just nodded.  
  
Eren continued to stare at his dom.  
  
Levi smirked, “If you’re expecting an answer, you’re not getting one.”  
  
Eren pouted and focused on his phone. “I told him… So, um, what’s happening tomorrow?”  
  
 _“Oh, he hasn’t told you? Then, I guess I shouldn’t either.”_  
  
“Mikasa!”  
  
 _“We’ll talk again soon. I’ve gotta go. Bye, Eren.”_  
  
“Bye,” he grumbled, closing his phone. He looked up at Levi and almost shrank when he saw a stern expression. Not exactly angry, but serious.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Y-Yes, Sir?”  
  
“If I don’t tell you something, it’s because I made the decision that you’re not entitled to know. Got it, Mutt?”  
  
Eren just meeped.  
  
“Asking Ackerman is a way of going around my block.”  
  
Eren thought about it, then nodded. “I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t think of it that way, I didn’t mean to upset you.”  
  
Levi sensed the sincerity behind those words and he relaxed a little. He moved his crossed legs apart, “Considering how damn dense your head is, I’ll instil this correction with a spanking.”  
  
“Yes, Sir!” Eren’s eyes sparkled as he sat up.  
  
Levi slapped a hand over his face, “You’re not supposed to be excited by that.”  
  
“But…” Eren wiggled.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes before looking at his sub. “Then I’ll instil the correction with a _lack_ of spanking.”  
  
Eren practically deflated.  
  
Levi gave an amused smile and moved a hand forward, scratching under Eren’s chin playfully.  
  
“You’re… not mad?”  
  
“It’s hard to be mad around you,” Levi admitted with a sour note. “Plus, you’ve learned your lesson… Right?”  
  
“Yes, Sir!”  
  
“Good.”  
  
“So,” Eren pursed his lips, tentatively moving to lean on Levi’s side. “Are we… doing anything today?”  
  
“Preferably not, I’m fucking tired.”  
  
Eren smiled.  
  
Levi frowned, “Why the fuck are you so happy all the time?”  
  
“Because…” Eren scratched the back of his head, “I guess, because I’m sort of with you.”  
  
“You’re odd.”  
  
“And you’re not?”  
  
Levi suddenly scowled, “Don’t talk like that to your Dom.”  
  
“Nothing wrong with being odd, Sir,” Eren looked down for a moment before looking back up. He found Levi’s expression completely blank and almost froze when he realise he had no idea how to read it.  
  
“Sorry, you’re right,” Levi reached one hand forward, slipping his arm around Eren’s shoulder and pulled him closer.  
  
Eren was a little confused, but he welcomed the affectionate gesture. “You don’t like being called odd?”  
  
“No…”  
  
“You called me odd.”  
  
“I,” Levi pursed his lips, trying to word his thoughts. “I meant it the way you said it, but when you said it… I don’t know. I’m sorry. I meant nothing wrong by it, Pup.”  
  
He chuckled, “I’m still happy.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because it, kind of, sort of, maybe feels like, you’re sort of, a little, opening up to me… a bit.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow, glancing to the brunet. “You haven’t even scraped the surface.”  
  
“That’s okay,” Eren nodded, “Whenever you feel comfortable.”  
  
Levi paused, analysing Eren’s face for some sort of answer but there was none. “What’s wrong with you, anyway?”  
  
A soft chuckle, “Well, it’s just… in my contract, it says I can confide in you and Armin, so… I want you and Armin to feel like you can confide in me too. I mean, I know you guys barely know me compared to how long you’ve been with each other, but… you know…”  
  
“I do know,” Levi looked at him for a moment before he leaned in.  
  
Eren realised what the other was doing, so he closed his eyes, feeling the man’s lips gently move onto his.  
  
Levi carefully kissed Eren before breaking it off. He moved away, looking away, but pulled Eren closer nonetheless.  
  
Eren leaned his head against Levi’s shoulder, smiling like a complete moron, and completely aware that he was smiling like a complete moron. Even though Levi was utterly avoiding eye contact, he couldn’t help but understand that this was Levi’s way. Levi’s way to… being close with someone, to being affectionate with someone. He looked up at his Dom, eyeing the strong jawline, thin lips, steel eyes, before he looked away as well.  
  
From the kitchen, Armin caught a glimpse of the two together. A full smile formed on his lips as he busied himself with stacking dishes. It wasn’t often Levi would get comfortable around someone so quickly… He watched, watched the way Levi was trying to ignore the fact that he was enjoying the moment, while Eren was trying to keep himself calm and quiet not to ruin it. “Adorable,” he whispered before turning around.  
  


⁂

  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
Armin walked through the hallways, tilting his head. They weren’t expecting any visitors, but then again random people dropping by was common… Still, usually they would give warning if it was a Sunday. He unlocked the lock and opened the door. He suddenly smiled and dipped his head politely, “Hi, how are--”  
  
“Levi!” Hanji shouted into the home, knowing her booming voice would carry the message along.  
  
Armin flinched from the loud noise. He wasn’t, however, surprised that there was no response.  
  
“How rude!”  
  
Armin chuckled and stepped back, “I’m sure he’s just busy. Can I get you something to drink?”  
  
“Water.”  
  
Armin nodded, “Sure, please come in.”  
  
“Geez, Army,” Hanji sighed, closing the door, “Don’t be so formal with me.”  
  
“Sorry, it’s habit,” he admitted as they walked down the hall to the kitchen. He quickly opened the fridge, grabbing the pitcher of water.  
  
Hanji stepped into the kitchen as well, eyes moving to Eren. “Oh, hi there.”  
  
Eren blinked and looked at Armin, “Uh, hi.”  
  
A sharp gasp came out of Hanji’s mouth and she suddenly slammed him into the wall, “Are you the new sub!?”  
  
Eren meeped, legs turning to jelly. “Y-Yes…”  
  
“Eren, this is Hanji, one of Levi’s old friends.”  
  
“I’m not old!”  
  
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way!”  
  
Hanji just laughed, taking the glass of water Armin offered. “I’m kidding, sheesh.” She took a sip and looked Eren over. “He’s a sub?”  
  
“Yep,” Armin nodded.  
  
Eren felt a little awkward, being talked about as if he was on display.  
  
“Well,” Hanji offered a hand, “Nice to meet a gorgeous thing like you.”  
  
Eren took the hand and shook it slowly, “It’s nice to meet a beautiful lady like you.”  
  
Armin looked to Hanji, wondering if Eren would be corrected.  
  
But Hanji, comfortable with the grey area ‘she’ existed in, didn’t mind. She sipped her drink and looked over to Armin, “So how has Levi been since I’ve been gone?”  
  
“Not too bad, same as always,” Armin nodded, “How was your trip to meet the… ‘great sage’?”  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow.  
  
Hanji squeezed the glass in her hand, crying out in pure ecstasy. Her free hand was shaking in the air and her cheeks flushed red. “It was wonderful! Shibari dildo hip harnesses! Dragonfly sleeve! Mod pearls! I’ve learned how to modify them all!”  
  
“Um,” Eren looked at her, “What?”  
  
After taking an overly-thoughtful sip of water, she cleared her throat. “One word: _Bondage_.”  
  
“Oh!” Eren smiled, looking exciting.  
  
Knowing exactly where this was going, Armin’s eyes widened. “H-Hey, nothing too extreme, please!”  
  
“We can do the dragonfly!”  
  


⁂

  
  
Levi eventually came down the stairs. He knew when he heard Hanji’s voice that he couldn’t leave her alone for too long. When he entered the living room, he was a little surprised to see Eren sitting on the couch, arms behind his back, tied together. He expected Armin, because that was generally who Hanji went for (since it was easy to get Armin to do anything, really). He paused, examining just how Eren’s arms were tied.  
  
Over his chest was a was a criss cross pattern in white ropes; but, behind him, parallel to his spine, was the main attraction. As the rope went down, there was a wide knot every two or three inches. At those knots, the rope extended in both directions, looping around Eren’s arms. The loops started just under his underarm and went down to his wrists, giving the impression of a sleeve.  
  
Levi had seen it before, many times, but his steel eyes glanced to Eren’s wrists.  
  
At the base of the rope was a wide knot, almost like a sphere.  
  
He noted that Eren’s wrists were quite a distance away, almost as if he would be able to lie on his back without getting his arms numb. Tapping his chin twice, Levi figured that was the point and stepped closer. “You’re tying up _my_ boys, Hanji.”  
  
Hanji instantly jumped off the couch and threw both arms around him, picking him up and doing a little twirl. “I’m only tying up one! And his clothes are still on, don’t worry!”  
  
Levi awkwardly hugged back, cringing a little, but making the effort nonetheless.  
  
Eren watched from the couch; he glanced at Armin, noticing a lack of surprise, so he figured this was a usual occurrence.  
  
Levi backed away the first chance he got. “How was your flight?”  
  
“I slept the whole damn time,” Hanji admitted with a grin.  
  
“You didn’t call,” Levi pursed his lips.  
  
“It was only an hour, onto the island. Sheesh, don’t go mother hen on me. Erwin does that enough.”  
  
Levi shrugged, “Fair enough.” His eyes moved to Eren, “Dragonfly sleeve? It looks different.”  
  
Eren stayed quiet as Levi stepped closer, examining him.  
  
“Oh,” Levi noticed the several differences and tilted his head. “How is it, Pup?”  
  
“Comfortable,” Eren nodded. “Like really comfortable.”  
  
Hanji blushed and fanned herself.  
  
Levi smiled, looking over his shoulder. “I like it… Could you teach me?”  
  
Hanji squealed, “Sure!”  
  


⁂

  
  
After Hanji untied Eren, the four of them moved onto the floor. Eren and Armin both faced forward, giving each other a mixture of glances and chuckling so often. Hanji worked behind Eren, while Levi was following along behind Armin. Levi had done the dragonfly sleeve before; though he wasn’t an expert at it, he had a firm grasp on the knots. Eren was a little impressed.  
  
“So,” Hanji talked as they worked, “Heard about Erwin?”  
  
“Something happen?” Levi paused, looking at her.  
  
“Nothing like that, chill your tits,” Hanji chuckled. “He ended his contract with his slave.”  
  
Levi blinked, “When?”  
  
“Uh, I think two or three days ago? He told me last night when I gave him a call.”  
  
“Oh,” Levi frowned and went back to the rope, “Shame.”  
  
“Um,” Armin looked over his shoulder, “Was that the slave he’s had for two years now?”  
  
Hanji made an ‘mhm’ noise with a nod.  
  
Levi gave a dark chuckle, “Don’t worry.”  
  
“Aha,” Armin blushed, looking away.  
  
Eren grinned at first, then tilted his head. “Slave?”  
  
Hanji looked up at Eren, then glanced over to Levi.  
  
Armin stayed quiet.  
  
Levi found the silence amusing and he smiled. “Depending on your community, there are several different interpretations, but the way we do it is that there are levels of dominance and submission. A Top is with a bottom, which is a very relaxed relationship, only playing with roles in the bedroom. A Dom is with a sub, which is what you and I are, where you consent to be my object for my pleasure. A Master is with a slave, which is also consensual… but the slave is further an object, just a tool. It’s levels of intensity. Some people want more, some want less. As long as both partners consent and are happy, then there are no problems.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren nodded.  
  
“It can get a little… confusing, though. The terms can also be generalised. Bottoms, subs, and slaves are sometimes collectively called ‘subs’, same for their partners. And, of course, there can be ‘bottoms of the relationship’ for people who have nothing to do with D.s. Like I said… it’s overly confusing, and if you talk to someone else from another area, or online, they’ll probably have different definitions, but that’s how we communicate when we talked to each other.  
  
Hanji nodded along, “Switch?”  
  
“And switches,” Levi nodded. “Switches can be at any level, and sometimes they go up and down the levels too.”  
  
Hanji snickered, “I mean we should switch.”  
  
“Sorry?”  
  
“See if you can untie Eren,” Hanji explained, “While I’m going to check if you did it right on Armin.”  
  
“Oh,” Levi frowned at himself before standing. Soon, he switched places with Hanji and began tugging at the ropes, working through the knots.  
  
“Yesterday,” Eren looked over his shoulder, “Armin called you master.”  
  
Armin blinked, “Huh?”  
  
Levi’s fingers paused, “When?”  
  
“When you two were…” Eren cleared his throat, cheeks burning as he remembered Armin riding Levi before his very eyes.  
  
Hanji grinned, knowing whatever was being kept from her was delicious and spicy, but she didn’t intrude.  
  
Levi snickered, hands working again. His fingers were nimble, moving quickly as he undid the ropes, one at a time. “Yes, Armin is my slave, and I am his Master. That is the agreement we decided.”  
  
Armin felt his chest tighten and he looked over to Eren. “We weren’t, you know, hiding it from you… we just, wanted you to get comfortable first.”  
  
Eren grinned, leaning over to smooch the blond. “Geez, you get worried over the little things, huh?”  
  
“Always,” Levi answered on his behalf.  
  
“So,” Eren looked back to his Dom, “If I’m a sub, and he’s a slave… what does that make you, Sir?”  
  
“His Master, and your Dom.” He yanked the ropes very gently, making Eren lean back. He moved his lips next to Eren’s ear, “I’m always in control.”  
  
Eren meeped.  
  
Hanji laughed, “He’s cute.”  
  
“He is,” Levi nodded.  
  


⁂

  
  
They were tied and untied, and tied again as Hanji taught Levi the new knots. Levi had more trouble with it than he liked, but he seemed to take it in strides, as if it was expected. After half an hour, Armin was untied to serve drinks as they moved to the kitchen table; Eren, however, was left tied up, on his knees, wiggling. Levi said he’d eventually let him go, but at the moment he was more concerned on his guest. “Armin, open the bottle of scotch, would you?”  
  
“Oh,” Hanji raised an eyebrow, leaning on the table across from him. “We’re being fancy today, are we? Here I thought you would just take water… I wonder what the real reason is, Levi?”  
  
“Don’t read into it, as if there’s some fucking message,” Levi made a ‘tsk’ noise. “It’s been a while, that’s all.”  
  
Hanji gave a playful shrug, “Boring answers from boring men.”  
  
Levi’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t exactly seem angry.  
  
“This one, Sir?”  
  
Levi looked to the side, examining the wide bottle of single malt scotch in Armin’s hands. He gave a nod.  
  
Armin nodded, “With ice?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi nodded, “On the rocks, as always.”  
  
“Not for _I_ ,” Hanji cleared her throat.  
  
Armin grinned, “Straight up?”  
  
“Good man, remembering my order,” Hanji grinned.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes, “It’s the same thing every damn time.”  
  
“Well of course!” Hanji frowned, “It’s the only _real_ way to enjoy any whisky!”  
  
“Ugh,” Levi waved Armin off as he looked away from Hanji, “Don’t bring that up again.”  
  
Hanji took that as a victory and followed Levi’s gaze. “Oh, he looks so sad.”  
  
“Like a neglected puppy,” Levi agreed.  
  
Hanji laughed, but paused. “Wow, I actually feel bad.”  
  
Levi chuckled and made a ‘come here’ motion with two fingers.  
  
Eren stood up slowly and walked over.  
  
“Sit,” he pointed at the chair next to him, “Face the other way. I’ll untie you.”  
  
“Thank you, Sir,” Eren did as he was told. He felt the bondage loosen around his arms and, surprisingly quickly, the ropes fell to the floor. He rubbed his arm, surprised by the lack of itchiness.  
  
Armin came back in the room with two glasses. They both had the same rich yellow-brown colour, but one of them had ice. He placed that one in front of Levi, and the other one was handed to Hanji.  
  
Hanji took a second to smell the drink before bringing it to her lips. The chilled drink slipped in her mouth and she swallowed. “Ah,” she grinned, looking at her drink. “That’s the good stuff, ne?”  
  
Levi smelled it as well, careful not to swirl it. “Brings back memories, doesn’t it?”  
  
Hanji grinned, nodding. “Oh yeah… Underaged in stuffy pubs, chain smoking cigarettes, shitty bar music.”  
  
Levi snorted, “The good ol’ days,” dry sarcasm not lost on anyone.  
  
Hanji sipped her drink again. “If only Erwin was here.”  
  
Levi gave a nod as he took his first sip. He nodded in appreciation, then looked at the golden liquid. “I haven’t talked to him in a while, now… I wonder how he’s doing.”  
  
“Really?” Hanji tilted her head, “Surprising, since you two have always been so butt-to-butt.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes.  
  
“Oh come on, it’s so true!” Hanji glanced to the blond, “Armin! Be honest!”  
  
Armin almost jumped and thought about how to answer it diplomatically. “Levi’s only had those sort of interactions with the members of the household due to contracts in a while.”  
  
“Oh,” Hanji glanced to Eren, “That’s right.”  
  
Levi also glanced to the brunet, peering into those green eyes. “Do you know your drinks, Eren?”  
  
“Um,” Eren glanced at him, wanting to impress his Dom but then he just shrinked. “Not really.”  
  
“Ever had scotch before?”  
  
“No, Sir.”  
  
“Ever had any whisky before?”  
  
“Uh, nope.”  
  
Levi offered his glass, “If you want.”  
  
Eren took it carefully. The glass wasn’t as cold as he expected, but he brought it to his lips. He took one sip, then thrust the glass away from his face, coughing, snarling as it burned his throat.  
  
Hanji laughed, and so did Levi as he took the glass back. “Whisky’s an acquired taste, Pup.”  
  
“It tastes like lighter fluid,” Eren made a ‘blech’ noise. “Why would you acquire that?”  
  
Hanji kept laughing, putting her hands over her sides. “I like this one!”  
  
Levi chuckled, sipping his drink. “Scotch has a lot of… underlying flavours. When you get accustomed to it, you can make out the distinct differences in each sip.”  
  
“But,” Eren pouted, “Why would you do that to yourself?”  
  
Hanji threw her head back, giggling like mad before she managed to get herself under control. “Our friend, Erwin, liked it, and he sort of showed us the ropes, in a way. Levi here used to be his favourite.”  
  
Levi shrugged, “We’re talking over ten years ago.” He paused for a moment, eyes aimlessly staring into his cup. “Back when I was working at a record shop… He was the manager, and I needed the job, but kept fucking up because I was a moron. So I pinned him in the back room, got on my knees, and sucked him off for another chance.”  
  
Hanji grinned, snickering to herself.  
  
Armin listened intently, and Eren figured he’d never heard the story either.  
  
“Things… sort of evolved from there…” Levi smiled; it was the smile one could only get from memories, “It’s years, years ago, we’ve changed a lot since then… all three of us. Those days are long gone, but every once in a while… all it takes, really, is a puff of smoke or a glass of scotch, something as small as that, and it takes me back, to when I was younger, stupider, free. We broke every rule just because we could. We had some good times.”  
  
Hanji’s lips curved into a dangerous smile, “Like that time you threw an old lady down the stairs?”  
  
Levi coughed on his drink and placed his glass down, chuckling. “First of all, it was an accident! Second, bitch deserved it.”  
  
“I’m,” Armin tilted his head, “Sorry?”  
  
“She killed my grandpa,” Levi shrugged, “Long-ass story there… But it really was an accident. She didn’t die either, didn’t even break a bone, lucky twat. But _that_ story aside,” he eyed Eren, “They were fun days, back when we were your age,” he suddenly pinched his sub’s cheeks, tugging on it painfully.  
  
“Ow,” Eren winced, thankful when Levi let go.  
  
Hanji tilted her head, “How old are you, Eren?”  
  
“Oh, uh, twenty-one.”  
  
“Oh, nice, exactly ten years,” Hanji looked at Levi. “Why do you always go for the ones that are a lot younger, Levi?”  
  
“I don’t.”  
  
“But you know what I mean,” Hanji crossed her legs, sipping her drink. “Even the people you surround yourself with now are pretty young. Annie, Ackerman, Marco, whatever Marco’s Dom’s name is… I always forget, but yeah, even that Reiss girl. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing or anything, I mean I know you’re still close to Erwee and I, but I’m just wondering why?”  
  
Eren was a little curious who the ‘Rice girl’ was, but didn’t say anything.  
  
“It’s just easier,” Levi shrugged. “The new community is just, more… more, sane. More safe, sane, and consensual, not like the shit for tits we had when we were their age. And everyone who’s older… They just don’t seem like they like the change. Erwin and you do, obviously, but that’s why I still talk to you two, moron.” He took a sip of his drink, then stared at her. “Why?”  
  
Hanji shrugged, looking away. “I’ve been thinking about finding another sub, but… I don’t know, I might try to pull a Ymir.”  
  
Levi snorted, “Fair enough. Whatever you think is best. If you want my opinion, you know what I’m going to say.”  
  
“Boring answers from boring men,” Hanji repeated before a smile formed on her lips. She finished her drink and placed her glass on the table. There was a small silence as she stared at him. “Would you ever go back?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Would you ever go back… to when we were younger?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
Levi nodded, swirling the last bit of his scotch carelessly. “It’s fun… looking back, I mean. Having nostalgia, and just having memories come back to you. But that’s the fucking problem with us humans. When we look back, we either remember how good everything was, or how bad everything was… We just can’t fucking put two and two together. We can never look back and remember both the day to day bullshit we had to put up with as well as the reason why we loved coming home all the fucking time, what made us smile.”  
  
“Fuck,” Hanji rolled her eyes, “Not again.”  
  
Armin laughed, loud.  
  
Levi blinked, “What?”  
  
Hanji looked over to a confused Eren and smiled. “Leevee likes to get philosophical when he drinks scotch.”  
  
Levi snarled, “Shut the fuck up, Hanji.” He sipped the rest of his drink.  
  
Armin tried not to smile as he spoke, “Another glass, Sir?”  
  
“Yeah,” Levi nodded.  
  
Hanji waited for Armin to glance at her before she nodded, “Yes please.”  
  
Armin took the glasses and left.  
  
“I’d never go back,” Levi shrugged. “It was fun, lots of stupid things we did… but we’re older now, and going back would mean being stupider. Even if it’s fun, it’s not a trade off. Plus, I’d have to quit smoking again. And, I’ve fucking got money now.”  
  
Hanji snorted, “And the truth comes out.”  
  
Levi laughed, shaking his head.  
  
“So…” Eren spoke up, but froze when they both looked at him. Ignoring the awkward feeling, he forced himself to speak: “How long have you two known each other?”  
  
“I’ve known this bitch since I was thirteen,” Levi sneered.  
  
Hanji chuckled, “I was sixteen at that time. We met in school, when I bummed a cig’ off of him before class started. We talked a bit every couple of weeks. Then when Levi was sixteen, and I was nineteen, he got into BDSM and we met each other again through that. We got to know each other better when we weren’t always keeping our eye on the time.”  
  
Armin walked back in with the drinks, handing them to the both of them.  
  
“Thanks muffin,” Hanji grinned.  
  
Levi took the glass and nodded, “Thank you, darling.”  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow at the word ‘darling’. The way Levi said it was dripping with sarcasm, and he noticed Armin chuckling. Maybe it was part of Levi’s weird sense of humour.  
  
“So,” Levi looked at her, “What happened to Erwin’s slave? I was surprised, thought they got along… Who called off the contract? Or was it mutual?”  
  
“He called it off, she had her issues… She was a bit too, playful,” Hanji tilted her head to the side. “She liked to dance around the rules, testing the limits. She started seeing it as a game, you know? Problem is, Erwin didn’t. It was just her being disobedient.”  
  
“Hmm,” Levi sipped his drink.  
  
“He gave her chances,” she went on, “He told her it wasn’t a game, and what he told me was that it basically felt like she was acting like a child, and he lost sexual interest in her after it kept going for a while. Then, everything else just crumbled. A forty year old woman acting like a child, weird, huh?”  
  
“She was older than Erwin?” Levi blinked, mildly surprised.  
  
“Just a couple of years,” Hanji shrugged. “She did look good for a forty year old, though… I think, you know, sometimes when a sub dances around the rules, sort of _almost_ crosses the line, it can be fun… but, I don’t know. It’s always risky.”  
  
Levi nodded, “Always. What do you two think?”  
  
Eren blinked; he honestly had no idea.  
  
“I think…” Armin noticed Eren’s distress and grabbed the attention, “That it’s something you should do if you promise to be very conscious of other people. You have to be able to read the other person, catch vibes, I think… I mean, if I did something to Levi… Not that I would, Sir… But, if I did, I think, right away, I could tell if it bothered or excited him. But if that slave did it because she found it fun, despite Erwin telling her it was a one-sided fun, maybe it was just her being selfish… That sounds bad, but, I guess what I want to say is… If it’s going to have an effect on the relationship, you should proceed with caution.”  
  
“Well,” Hanji sipped her scotch, “From what Erwin told me – and I don’t know both sides of the argument, I only know his side – it sounds like she didn’t. Too focused on the fun she was having, maybe.”  
  
“That could break any relationship,” Eren spoke up, instantly regretting it as the three of them looked at him. He was probably a social masochist as well, he realised. “I mean, like, even normal… not-D.s. ones. If you’re just focused on the fun you’re having, you could mess things up even over small things like teasing, or eating your boyfriend’s ice cream or something.”  
  
“Fair point,” Levi nodded.  
  
“Geez,” Hanji shook her head, “Where do you find these subs? What’s your secret?”  
  
Levi snorted, but didn’t answer.  
  


⁂

  
  
A couple more glasses of scotch had been consumed before Hanji finally left. The three of them migrated back to the living room. Eren sat on the couch and Armin took the seat next to him, leaning into the brunet slightly. Levi stepped in and sat across from them.  
  
“Oh,” Armin spoke up, “Don’t forget to call Marco.”  
  
“That’s right,” Levi grumbled and pulled out his phone. He entered his passcode with his thumb, tapping on the screen, before he went to contacts, favourites, _Marco Bodt_. He put his phone to his ear. Waiting for a moment, “Hey, it’s Levi.”  
  
Eren slipped an arm around Armin’s waist, pulling him a little closer.  
  
“I was just wondering if you got my email?” Levi paused, “It wasn’t a big deal, just compiled some links… No, I already had the data… All I did was forward it to you… Marco, if you thank me one more time I’ll castrate you.” He frowned, “Do you honestly not care if I chop off your genitals?… I’m hanging up now. Goodbye. No, I won’t wait. Bye.” He moved his phone away, hitting ‘end call’. He tossed his cell to the side, frowning, “Useless.”  
  
Armin chuckled.  
  
Eren blinked, “Was that for work?”  
  
“Sort of,” Levi paused, wondering how to explain it. “Marco’s a designer, we sell his stuff. He doesn’t work for me, though. He wants to do something risky, so I compiled some links and images that I thought would help him.”  
  
“Uhuhh,” Armin nodded his head with a grin.  
  
Levi frowned, “Yes.”  
  
“Okay, I guess,” Armin grinned.  
  
“Are you implying something?”  
  
Eren tensed, glancing to the blond.  
  
He gave a playful shrug, “Hmmm, I don’t know… Maybe, it might sound like you spent a lot of time putting everything together. You know, being the good guy you are.”  
  
Levi’s jaw twitched and his steel eyes narrowed. “You’ve lost your right to speak for the day, and you will do all of Eren’s remaining chores. Do you understand me?”  
  
Using a hand to cover his chuckle, Armin nodded, wide grin on his face.  
  
“Go, you fucking Mutt.”  
  
Armin nodded and got up, promptly leaving.  
  
Levi frowned and glanced over to Eren. Seeing a smile on his face too, his frown deepened into a scowl. “Why the fuck are you so happy?”  
  
Eren jumped a little, wiggled a bit in his seat. “I’m, just, always happy, Sir.”  
  
“Freak.”  
  
Eren got up and slowly walked over. He hesitated for a moment, but he straddled Levi’s hips. He noticed the shock and surprise on his Dom’s face, but saw no dislike or anger. So he leaned down, pressing their lips together.  
  
Levi broke the kiss, but didn’t move away. “I’m surprised you’re taking initiative, Eren. You still seem like you’d shit your pants if I got too close.”  
  
Eren chuckled, moving his butt from side to side over Levi’s lap, “Well you had me tied up for like, an hour… It worked me up a bit, Sir.”  
  
Levi moved his head back and brought a finger up. He poked Eren’s nose, laughing at the startled expression over his sub’s face. “It’s in our contract: No sex after I consume alcohol, Pup.”  
  
Eren blinked, “But that was like three glasses, you don’t seem drunk”  
  
“Scotch is heavy,” Levi shrugged. He knew he wasn’t drunk, but he didn’t stray from the rules. “That bottle was sixty percent alcohol.”  
  
Eren tried to frown, but ended up pouting.  
  
Levi chuckled silently and looked into those green eyes. “It’s dangerous… I have looser limits with Armin, but that’s because we’ve been together for a long time; he trusts me and I trust him.”  
  
“You don’t trust me, Sir?”  
  
“I want to,” he admitted. “I’m sure you’re trustworthy, I’m just not a trusting person.”  
  
Eren smiled, slipping off of Levi’s lap and into the seat next to him. He slowly leaned on Levi, expecting to be pushed away, but was happy when he wasn’t. In his head he mulled over what Levi said, about trust, and thought back to when they first met, how Levi said he’d been in D/s for so long that he had enough ‘hassles’ in his life.  
  
He knew 'hassles' was just a euphemism for something, and he didn’t really want to think of what that was.  
  
Eren looked up at Levi and tilted his head. “So, that um… Marco guy, he was your sub once, right?”  
  
Levi blinked, not expecting that question, “Yes.”  
  
“So… did he work as a designer when he was with you, or how did that happen?”  
  
“No, it mostly happened afterwards,” Levi slipped an arm over Eren’s shoulder. “He was a small time guy, mostly just modifying outfits, doing fix ups or size stretches, but after he lived with me and got to see the high class idea, he ended up sketching some ideas. I happened on them when he was moving out, and we talked about his possible chances in the future. We kept in touch, and I wasn’t that surprised when he actually got his designs made. He’s brilliant, really.”  
  
Eren listened to the story and smiled, “So you kept in touch because he was a fashion guy, or because he was your sub?”  
  
“Both?” Levi pondered over the question, tilting his head ever so slightly. “I guess… in a way, it was both. I generally do keep in contact with most subs, just because they’re part of the community. Though, if they leave the community, I generally lose touch with them. I don’t know. The fashion part of it was just extra, I guess. I ended up hooking Marco up with his Dom, Jean, when Jean was looking for a sub.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren blinked, “Because Jean used to be a sub, but then he wanted to try being a Dom?”  
  
Levi paused, glancing over to Eren. “How do you know that…?”  
  
“Ah, I uh,” Eren meeped, “Armin told me.”  
  
Levi looked away, trying to hide the fraction of a smile that was fighting to stay on his face. “I don’t mind if Armin told you, I was just surprised, that’s all. Yes, Jean and Marco were both my subs at one point, months apart though. When Jean decided to try being a Dom, he talked to me a lot. He was constantly worried about abusing his power… and probably smart to be worried about that. It’s too fucking easy to be selfish as a Dom, even more as a Master.”  
  
“Sounds tough,” Eren muttered.  
  
“Maybe. I started as a sub myself… I think they’re equally tough and demanding, they just require different things. As a sub, a lot of it is physical work, and being able to control your body. You have to learn to relax, even if your mind and body understand that being tied up and hanging from the ceiling is not a normal position. As a Dom, you have to learn how to read people. You need to understand that your pleasure is first, to an extent. If your sub doesn’t want to sing in the shower about making you cum a fountain, then you’re doing something wrong.”  
  
Eren chuckled, thinking about it. “I always figured being a Dom was tough, but I never really thought of it as a really… human, social, sort of thing.”  
  
“It depends on the Dom,” Levi pursed his lips for a moment. “When I was a sub, I had a couple of Doms. Some honestly did not give a shitstain if I enjoyed getting him off or not. Some of them tried to get me to sign contracts which did not allow me to end the contract, at all. Like I said before… it was a different time.”  
  
Eren thought back to the conversation with Hanji and he smiled. “You’re… pretty cool.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“You’re pretty cool,” Eren grinned, nudging his Dom playfully.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Pup. Enough questions about me… I feel like today’s an interrogation. Tell me about you.”  
  
“M-Me?” Eren’s eyes widened and he blinked about four times. “Me, Sir?”  
  
“Yeah.” Levi watched Eren’s expression. “I want to know more about you, too.”  
  
“I’m… I’m not that exciting,” Eren moved away a bit. He scratched the back of his neck and thought about what to say. “I grew up in a small town, about half an hour by car away from this city. I moved here when I moved in with Mikasa, which was two years ago. That’s all.”  
  
Levi took the moment to wonder if it was a wise question to ask, but he was curious and decided it was in his interest to know anyway. “And, your parents?”  
  
Eren visibly stiffened.  
  
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, Pup.”  
  
Eren smiled softly. Something about being given the choice just made him feel all the more inclined to tell his Dom. “It’s not a big deal… I… Well, my dad’s a scientist, well a researcher. He works in disease control, and deals with that kinda stuff. My mom’s a psychiatrist but she stopped working at a hospital and now she teaches at the university there. She teaches post-doctorate courses, and my dad’s a big hot-shot in the science world too… They’re… successful.”  
  
Levi nodded slowly, understanding where this was going. “I assume they wanted the same for you?”  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“I see,” Levi nodded, “And you didn’t?”  
  
“Well, no… I mean yes, I mean, wait,” he paused, “I mean I wanted it too is what I meant.” Great, he was back to a blabbering in front of his Dom, again. “I wanted to go to school, start a career, make a name for myself. Not in sciences, but I always figured I’d get a doctorate. I was on my way to doing it, too. I had good grades, scholarships, and my family had the money. They were also huge on education, so they would have sacrificed anything… In some ways, it was all on a silver platter. Some part of me is just pissed off… I had what so many other people want, and what so many people are working so hard for, and I guess… I sort of threw it away… Sorry, I’m going on and on and on.”  
  
Levi smiled, “It’s fine… I’m curious though. You had everything you needed, including the drive and motivation to do it… what went wrong?”  
  
Eren sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”  
  
“You don’t know?”  
  
“Well, I kind of do… but, it just feels, it feels like we fought over such stupid stuff, that I feel so ashamed about it,” Eren frowned. “When I was fifteen, I had a boyfriend. He was twenty-one.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow, “So you’ve always been into older guys?”  
  
“Always,” Eren laughed, scratching the back of his head as he stared into his lap. “I always liked older guys… But, I don’t know. Now that _I’m_ twenty-one… it feels like, why would I ever date a fifteen year old?” He looked at Levi, “Do you feel that way about me sometimes?”  
  
“No,” Levi said plainly. “Even if by math it isn’t, I think there’s a bigger difference between fifteen and twenty-one than there is between twenty-one and thirty-one. Just look at it from a biological point of view. Puberty, brain development, the list goes on. Sure, I have more experience than you… but you’re as mature as you’ll get. Plus, fifteen is a… weird age for an adult to take interest in. It’s below the age of consent.”  
  
“That’s what my parents said,” Eren nodded. “So, they made me break up with him… Or, at least, as far as they were concerned.”  
  
The older male snickered, “You would.”  
  
“I loved him…” Eren said the words and felt the sour aftertaste of them. “Looking back, he was kind of a manipulative ass. I don’t know… But I had this self-righteous annoying teenager mindset. I was sure that they made me break up with him because he was a boy, even though they’re totally cool with gays, and I was just a bratty teenager who sort of ruined everything and then they found out I was still seeing him… It just got worse as I went along. If I could go back, knowing what I know now, and redo it all… I would.”  
  
“Well, I think annoying teenager mindsets are a rite of passage.”  
  
Eren chuckled, nodding, “Maybe, Sir.”  
  
“And your relationship with your parents now?”  
  
Eren scratched his cheek. “Well, I mean after all that happened things sort of went well. I mean, I call them on their birthdays, and they call me on mine, but… it’s not much more than that.”  
  
Levi listened. “Do you want to talk to them again? I mean, really talk to them again?”  
  
Eren moved away and moved his legs onto the couch; he ended up lying down, resting his head in Levi’s lap as he did this morning, staring up at the ceiling. “Not really… I think I’d just have to explain my relationship to them… Explain why I’m living as a thirty-one year old man’s housewife. I don’t think it’ll go over well.”  
  
“I see.”  
  
Eren looked at his Dom, “Why all the questions?”  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
Eren paused, wondering if there was some ulterior motive. “You’re not going to make me talk to them are you?”  
  
“No,” Levi shuddered. “I don’t want to explain to two highly-educated, upper-middle class parents why their son with such a bright future has decided to reduce himself to be my maid, with sexual favours on the side, either.”  
  
Eren snorted and closed his eyes.  
  
Levi ran his hand through Eren’s hair, as he had that morning.  
  
Eren smiled, mentally noting how he could get used to this…


	7. The First Week (7)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay~! Sorry it's been a while since I've updated, but here it is at last! Just a couple things. A couple people have asked for my tumblr, [here is a link if you want it](http://remembrance123.tumblr.com/), it's mostly a Haikyuu!! blog (my main fandom!), with the occasional Free!. Also, I would like to thank you all for all the awesome comments you've left me. When I was taking a break from Chapter 7, I just went through the comments (ohmygodsomany) and I just wanted to melt. You guys are amazing and I mean that. 
> 
> A small warning, though: The average chapter has been about 7k words, this chapter is like 16k... so yeah, sorry. I considered splitting it into two, but I couldn't find a good spot that would give both of them that 'complete' feel. You know? Anyway, get yourself a warm drink and enjoy. Day seven, end of week one~!
> 
> * * *

Contrary to what people believed, seven o’clock on a Monday morning was relatively calm at the cafe. It was past the time the early birds grabbed a cup to go before heading off to work, and those going to work at eight usually stopped by at seven thirty. There were the occasional busy customer, but it was only half as hectic as it would be in the afternoon. The customers were usually store owners, taxi drivers, bus drivers, or people who woke up too early for their own good and had time to kill.  
  
As usual, the air was heavy with the smell of freshly ground coffee beans of the ‘blue bird’ variant. There was nothing blue about them, though. It had a strong, robust flavour without much bitterness, and they seemed to be generally popular, if sales were anything to go by.  
  
There was also the sweetness of steamed milk and cocoa, the warm air of freshly baked baguettes, honey glazed and crunchy exterior, warm white fluff on the inside, and croissants of all flavours—butter, chocolate, almond, cheese—lined up behind the display glass.  
  
Along the back wall were white tea cups hung high, as decoration.  
  
Out front was the special written in chalk on the blackboard.  
  
There was music in the background, a soft female voice, slow strumming of a wavy steel guitar. It was a lazy song, something close to country but with a more pop-esque chord pattern.  
  
Despite telling everyone he hated country songs, Jean found himself humming along to the tune.  
  
It was an exception.  
  
Jean moved his head back, dodging the steam from the espresso pump. He added in the steamed milk, swirling it in slowly. “Medium latte, to go, extra foam!” He popped the lid on the cup and put it on the counter. He turned to the next customer and smiled, “Morning sunshine.”  
  
“I’ll fucking cut you.”  
  
Standing in front of him was a blonde with short hair and icy blue eyes.  
  
Jean covered his mouth with his hand, but failed to cover up his laugh as he walked over to the counter. “Usual order?”  
  
Annie just gave a nod.  
  
Jean moved to the register, punching it in. “You’re up pretty early, though.”  
  
Annie patted her black leather shoulder bag and sighed, “Mhm. Gonna try to get some studying done before work.”  
  
Jean winced, “Full-time worker, full-time student, and full-time punching bag for Mikasa. I don’t know how you do it… ”  
  
Annie did not smile, even if she found it a little amusing. “Coffee. That’s how I do it. Hurry up.” She glanced over to the glass counter, “Oh, and one of those breakfast sandwiches.”  
  
Jean nodded, “Four nine’y-five.”  
  
Annie grabbed her wallet, slipping out a five dollar bill and placing it on the counter. “Keep the change. I don’t like nickels.”  
  
“Thank you,” Jean smiled and popped out the cash drawer before slipping the bill in and adding five cents to the tip jar. He closed the register then quickly got to work. He watched Annie go to the table on the far side, making a note of it as he turned around. He grabbed one of the baguette sandwiches and put it in the toaster oven. He turned it on and then moved to start the drink.  
  
Two shots of espresso, equal amount of steamed milk, a dash of chocolate syrup and one quick stir.  
  
“Annie,” he called out as he added a dollop of whipped cream onto the wide cup.  
  
Annie walked over, grabbing the cup carefully. “That was quick.”  
  
“You did say hurry,” he smiled.  
  
Annie just nodded, “Thanks.”  
  
Jean glanced to the toaster oven, knowing it would be a couple more minutes, so he had time to serve the next customer. Speaking of, when he glanced to the counter, all he saw was a tuft of red hair. He walked over and stretched to look over the counter to see a young boy, probably around ten or eleven. “Hey young guy!”  
  
The kid instantly frowned, “I’m not young!”  
  
“Oops,” Jean played along, “My bad. What can I get you?”  
  
“Um… a small hot chocolate.”  
  
Jean tilted his head, “Do you want a kid’s hot chocolate?”  
  
“I’m not a kid!”  
  
“Me neither, but I always order it. It’s not as hot, so I don’t have to wait for it to cool down, and…” He looked left, then right, before leaning down and bringing a hand up to hide his mouth, as if telling a secret, “It’s also a little sweeter!”  
  
The kid’s eyes went wide and he nodded, “Okay! I want that!”  
  
After telling him the cost, taking the bill, and giving the change, he quickly made the drink. He glanced over to the next customer and stopped what he was doing.  
  
Short black hair, rich dark brown eyes, freckled face, dressed up in a black polo shirt and dark grey skinny slacks, outfit completed by a rusty silver locket in the shape of a heart around his neck. “You know, you’re kind of cute with kids.”  
  
Jean leaned on the counter. “He said he wasn’t a kid.”  
  
Marco leaned forward, kissing the tip of Jean’s nose.  
  
Jean’s face burst into a grin and he tilted his head. “What the hell are you doing here?”  
  
“I gotta head to Rivaille today,” Marco smiled, “Figured I’d stop by since I was early.”  
  
As if on cue, the toaster oven beeped and Jean had to turn around. “Annie’s here,” he said as he used tongs to grab the sandwich and place it on a small white plate.  
  
“Oh,” Marco looked around, instantly noting the books on her table. “She’s studying though, probably shouldn’t bother her.”  
  
“I’m sure you could say hi,” Jean pointed out. He knew Annie always waited for her sandwich to cool, so he figured he had some time. “What can I get you?”  
  
“Hmm, something sweet?”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
Marco turned his head, knowing Jean would _not_ let him pay—even though he wanted to support the place his boyfriend worked at—but he was too happy to argue. He walked over to the table by the far wall and offered a smile, “Annie.”  
  
Annie looked up, a little surprised. “Hey.”  
  
“Hey, mind if I take a seat?”  
  
“Of course not,” she shrugged, pretending not to care. “I’m not supposed to see you for another hour.”  
  
Marco chuckled, sitting at the table. “Sorry.” He noticed Annie’s smile and wasn’t surprised she didn’t say anything. “Studying hard?”  
  
“Mhm,” Annie focused on her book, “The semi permeable molecular characteristics of the blood-brain barrier.”  
  
Marco winced, “What is that for?”  
  
“Fourth year course,” Annie grumbled, “It’s required to specialise… which makes no sense, because I’m not going into neurology, but it’s a general requirement for all branches of biology.” Her light blue eyes glanced up, “Sorry, I’m ranting.”  
  
“It’s okay. It’s good to vent!”  
  
“The exam isn’t until Friday, but I’m going to have to study all week. I don’t get any of this.”  
  
Marco bit his lip, looking worried.  
  
She snorted and looked back to her book, “Don’t worry. Mikasa gets it, she’ll probably tutor me.”  
  
“Breakfast sandwich with the small salad for you,” Jean placed the plate down then placed another one down in front of Marco, with a drink. “And a mocha and butter croissant for you.”  
  
Marco grinned, “Thanks.”  
  
Jean glanced around quickly before leaning down, pressing their lips together for a short kiss.  
  
“Ugh,” Annie rolled her eyes.  
  
Marco whispered an apology, cheeks warming slightly as he glanced away.  
  
Jean raised an eyebrow, “Sheesh, you really are in a bad mood.”  
  
Annie chuckled, actually laughing, before moving her right fringe out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. “Sorry.”  
  
Marco notice Jean glancing over his shoulder, so he looked in the direction. He realised his boyfriend was checking for customers, so he looked back at Annie. His hand moved up, fingers playing with the heart-shaped necklace he was wearing.  
  
Annie looked at him, eyes dropping to his neck. “You still wear that thing?”  
  
“Of course!” Marco grinned, “Jean bought it for me.”  
  
“As a joke,” Jean reminded. “It was two bucks and it was in the teenage girl section!”  
  
“But,” Marco frowned, “You bought it for me anyway.”  
  
“As a joke!”  
  
Annie tried not to laugh and ended up bringing up a hand to cover her mouth as she silently chuckled.  
  
“I still like it,” Marco mumbled. He suddenly shifted, eyes lighting up, “Oh! I found fourteen today.”  
  
Annie rolled her eyes, ignoring the kisses. She didn’t realise they were both looking at her for a full minute before she blinked. “What?”  
  
Marco looked worried, “Everything okay?”  
  
“Yeah,” she shrugged, “Usual issues with Mikasa, I guess. But it’s fine. We’re actually going to Lolfa tonight.”  
  
Jean whistled.  
  
Marco grinned, “Wow!”  
  
Annie eyed him and raised a thin eyebrow. “You can go whenever you want.”  
  
“No I can’t, I gotta save up…” Marco pursed his lips, “I don’t… want to deal with, you know…” He took a shaky breath, “Autumn.”  
  
Jean laughed, loud. “Geez, can you talk some sense into him? He’ll be a nervous wreck in ten minutes if you don’t.”  
  
Annie sipped her drink, giving a little nod as she did.  
  
Jean noticed a customer walk in and he moved away from the table.  
  
“Marco, you know you’re not going to magically go broke during fall, right? It’s just a season with lower sales anyway.”  
  
“I know… but, as a designer, having a season you have a record for only being decent is a bad thing. You need to be well rounded… You have so many more possibilities if you can be good at everything, compared to if you’re great at something and only okay at another thing…”  
  
“Dude, shut up,” Annie sipped her drink again. “If it was summer or winter, sure, even spring would have been fine… but autumn? Fuck it. You can sell winter jeans in autumn anyway, at least in this city. We’re not even _near_ autumn.”  
  
Marco sipped his mocha, tasting extra chocolate flavour.  
  
“Plus, those scarves you made last year were cute,” she pointed out.  
  
“Hmm, yeah… I liked those. They were a bit annoying since manufacturers hated them.”  
  
“But they were good quality,” Annie countered, “So even if it cost more, it was a huge selling point.”  
  
“I guess, yeah…” Marco sighed, “I guess I’m just nervous.”  
  
“Wow. Jean wasn’t kidding. You will turn yourself into a wreck.” She looked at him, then chuckled. “Relax, moron.”  
  
“Okay, okay,” Marco smiled, “I’ll try.”  
  
After that, they went to eating their food and sipping their drinks. Annie was mostly focused on her books, flipping page after page as she tried to retain whatever the hell she was supposed to. Her blue eyes eventually flicked up. While Marco wasn’t loud, he wasn’t the silent type either.  
  
Marco was watching. His brown eyes on Jean, watching his boyfriend make another drink. His lips had the gentlest of smiles.  
  
“You’re gushing.”  
  
Marco blinked, looking back at her. “What?”  
  
“Over Jean.”  
  
“Well,” Marco pouted, “You do it to Mikasa.”  
  
Annie blinked, “I do?”  
  
“Whenever you think she isn’t looking, yeah.”  
  
Annie paused, giving a little nod, “Huh…”  
  
“So, have you…?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Still?”  
  
Her blonde hair moved over her eyes again and she frowned. She pushed it away and glanced to Marco. “Two years, still haven’t said it.”  
  
“But… Mikasa knows, I’m sure.”  
  
“Oh,” Annie nodded, “I know. She exists on non-verbal communication. I know she knows, still…”  
  
Marco offered a smile, “Yeah…”  


 

⁂

  
  
“Ooo, fancy!” Eren looked over his shoulder.  
  
“Not really,” Armin chuckled as he put the triangles of crustless bread together. “They’re just cucumber sandwiches… Here,” he picked one up and handed it over his shoulder.  
  
Eren grabbed it, feeling the fluffy white bread slices before he took a bite. Chewing, his eyes widened. The flavours rushed over his tongue and moved to his soul, petting it gently and wings grew out of his back and he went to heaven and redesigned the pearly gates to vibrant pink. Or at least that’s how it happened in his head.  
  
“How is it?”  
  
Eren tried to talk, but that was also the moment he tried to swallow—he ended up coughing, bringing up his arm to cover his mouth.  
  
A piece of slightly chewed bread, however, landed splat on Armin’s cheek and the blond just blinked. “You’re so sexy Eren, I get ten boners a day from you.”  
  
After chewing and swallowing, his green eyes widened. “Really?”  
  
Wiping off the bread bit from his face, Armin rolled his eyes, “No.”  
  
Eren suddenly deflated and shoved the rest of the sandwich in his mouth to feel better.  
  
Realising what he did, Armin couldn’t help but laugh. “Usually you do, Eren. Not just ten boners a day, _eleven_ boners a day… but not when you spit food on my face.”  
  
Eren meeped and kept chewing.  
  
Armin’s blue eyes noticed how puffy Eren’s chewing cheeks were (he really did shove the whole sandwich in his mouth) and he couldn’t help but lean up and kiss those big cheeks.  
  
Swallowing, Eren smiled and leaned down, kissing Armin’s cheek in return.  
  
“So, you like it?”  
  
“Hell yeah,” Eren grabbed another piece. “What are in these things?”  
  
“It’s a cucumber sandwich, Eren.”  
  
“I’ve never had one before…”  
  
Armin watched the brunet shove the triangle in his mouth and he smiled. “Well it’s bread, and cucumbers, and there’s a bit of a cream cheese thing… well it’s cream cheese, a touch of mayonnaise, onion salt, lemon pepper, garlic powder, Worcest—Eren!”  
  
After Eren shoved his fourth sandwich in his mouth, he paused.  
  
“It’s supposed to be lunch for the three of us,” Armin did his best to frown. He wanted to giggle away, but he was trying to be stern, though the corners of his lips were shaking upward.  
  
Eren chewed and swallowed before licking his lips. “Sorry. It was just really tasty… You should make more.”  
  
Armin’s frown broke and a wide grin replaced it. “Okay…” He turned around and began grabbing more sliced bread.  
  
“So… if it’s lunch for the three of us,” Eren tilted his head, “Levi’s coming home soon?”  
  
“Mhm,” Armin began slicing off the crust, “We’ve got plans for tonight, but I’m under orders not to tell you.”  
  
Eren pouted, grabbing another sandwich to make himself feel better. He shoved it in his mouth, enslaving the divine cucumber creature with his jaw. He watched as Armin made more, noticing the smile on the blond’s face as he worked. He remembered Armin telling him something about how he liked cooking. Making cucumber sandwiches wasn’t ‘cooking’… but, it was making food, which was probably what Armin meant.  
  
“You’re quiet, should I be worried?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Armin added a spoon of cream cheese to a small, clear bowl and began adding the other ingredients before smoothing them together. “I always wonder what you think about when you get quiet.”  
  
Eren tilted his head, “Why?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Armin shrugged, “I guess I’m just wondering what’s going on inside your head. You always seem to say something totally random that I can’t help but wonder what the connection is.” He glanced over to Eren and smiled, “It’s not a bad thing.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren scratched the back of his head. He wasn’t sure how to take it, but if Armin said it wasn’t a bad thing then it probably wasn’t. “Well, to be honest, my head’s kinda full with stupid thoughts.”  
  
“Like what?”  
  
“I don’t know,” he looked to the side.  
  
Armin spread the cream cheese mix over the pieces of bread and chuckled.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“You’re weird…” Armin nodded, “I hope I don’t sound mean when I say I like that. You’re… easy to be around, sort of. Well, what I mean is… It’s a compliment.”  
  
Eren was about to speak when he noticed the faintest tint of red on Armin’s cheeks. He grinned, leaning forward and smooching that blush.  
  
Armin swallowed hard, a smile forming on his lips. He added the cucumber slices, and then the other piece of bread and the sandwiches were complete. “Levi will be home soon, so we can probably leave these here. And not eat them all.”  
  
Eren chuckled, “So what should we do?”  
  
Armin opened his mouth to speak… then his blush turned redder. “I… have an idea.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
He moved back, to a part of the kitchen counter that wasn’t being used. He hopped up, taking a seat on it, spreading his legs a little.  
  
Eren understood immediately. He closed the distance, moving himself between those knees. He looked up as he slipped both arms around the blond’s waist, pulling them close to each other.  
  
Armin moved some of Eren’s dark brown hair out of his eyes, leaning down.  
  
Eren took in a shaky breath through his nose. His green eyes closed slowly and he tilted his head back, welcoming the lips that slid against his. He felt his knees wiggle and he smiled into the kiss slowly. He reminded himself to breathe because he felt his chest quiver. He kept his eyes shut, not daring to break the moment. He couldn’t help but think about how it was the first time Armin was really letting him.  
  
No teasing.  
  
No games.  
  
It was actually happening.  
  
Armin felt his cheeks warm; he moved his arms around Eren’s neck, deepening the kiss. He licked the seam of their lips, but when he didn’t give access he smirked into the kiss, grating his two front teeth against Eren’s lower lip.  
  
With a muffled chuckle, Eren opened his mouth, sliding his tongue forward. He felt his breath hitch in his throat as his tongue brushed against Armin’s. He told himself to calm down and he moved slowly, naturally, letting it happen. He was a little jealous of the fact that Armin was sitting on the countertop, though… his knees were wiggling, going weak, but he kept his footing, for now.  
  
Armin made a little noise into the kiss, a happy noise, adorable but muffled. He broke the kiss, keeping his eyes closed, taking in a deep breath, before pushing their mouths together again.  
  
Eren shivered, feeling the warmth against his lips. He continued to breathe through his nose, taking in the sweet strawberry scent of Armin’s soap. It was oddly… fitting. He couldn’t explain it, but it just seemed right. His hands, around Armin, moved slowly, eventually moving down. One hand cupped Armin’s ass and Eren felt his cheeks burn. He didn’t know what it was about Armin that made him that way. He’d been with lots of guys. With his three previous Doms, and casual Doms, he’d also had normal sex, especially with cute twinks. He’d been with Armin’s type before… but there was just, something, something was different.  
  
Different, and good.  
  
He tried to work it out, but as he felt another teasing grate of teeth, he broke his mouth away, keeping his eyes closed as he frowned. “If you keep that up, I’ll have to do something about it…”  
  
“Oh?” Armin grinned, also keeping his eyes closed. He could feel Eren’s warm breath and it made him bite his lip, “Gonna punish me? Now that Levi’s not home, you’re gonna try to take control?”  
  
“Well,” Eren smirked, “I’m a sub, you’re a slave… doesn’t that mean I’m above you?”  
  
Armin laughed, legs moving around Eren’s body, pulling him closer. “Is that how you think it is?”  
  
“Well, that’s how it works. I’m not a Dom, but I’m more dominant than you are.” Eren captured Armin’s lips for a quick kiss, “Right?”  
  
“You’re adorable, Eren.”  
  
Eren opened his eyes, frowning. “What’s that supposed to mean.”  
  
Armin opened his eyes too, moving his head back, “Don’t worry about it, okay?”  
  
“But–”  
  
Before Eren could speak, they both heard footsteps.  
  
“There you two are,” Levi stepped in, steel eyes noticing their position. “I called out, no one responded I… I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”  
  
“No Sir!” Armin chimed, “I made lunch.”  
  
“Wonderful,” Levi nodded.  
  
Eren just swallowed hard, cheeks burning as he quickly dashed away mumbling something about ice water.  
  
Levi glanced to Armin, “Am I going to get an explanation?”  
  
“Well,” Armin chuckled, “Considering it’s Eren… I wouldn’t know where to start.”  
  
Levi’s lips curved into a subtle smile. “I see. Eren.”  
  
Sipping on his drink, Eren glanced over to his Dom. He moved the glass away. “Yes, Sir?”  
  
“We’re going to have lunch, then I just need a quick chat with you.”  
  
“Oh no,” Eren whispered, “What did I do?”  
  
Levi chuckled. He walked over to the brunet and moved his hand under Eren’s chin, scratching it playfully. “Nothing, Pup. I just wanted to ask some questions… We have plans for later tonight, after all. I want to make sure everything goes smoothly, that’s all.”  
  
“Okay,” Eren sipped the cold drink again, glancing to Armin for some kind of answer.  
  
Armin just chuckled, hopping off the counter. “I made cucumber sandwiches… Eren likes them a lot apparently, so I had to make more.”  
  
Levi nodded, moving over to the kitchen table. “Eren, make some coffee, would you?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  


 

⁂

  
  
Eren knew the inner-Eren wanted to devour the sex sandwiches like a starving pig, but he was in front of Levi, and he did his best not to look like an utter savage in front of the man. He had very slow, careful bites, timed chewing seconds, then he swallowed. Rinse, repeat. When they were done, he was told to do the dishes with Armin and then come up to their room. Eren noticed that Levi didn’t seem very ‘hurhurhur’ so he guessed it wasn’t sex related.  
  
Which was both disappointing and a relief.  
  
Going up the stairs, Eren poked his head in the bedroom he shared with Armin and cleared his throat. “Sir?”  
  
Levi was standing at the centre of the room, arms crossed. He looked up and to the side, “Eren. May I go through your things?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Your things,” he motioned to the suitcases. “May I go through them?”  
  
Eren nodded, “You’re my Dom, Sir. Of course.”  
  
“Our contract’s not permanent,” Levi reminded him, “You came here with shit from before, and… if you leave, you’ll be taking it with you. Your stuff is your own, and if you don’t want me going through it then that’s fine. We’ve only known each other for a short while, anyway. I’m asking permission, Eren.”  
  
Eren didn’t know why, but his cheeks flushed. Whenever Levi asked (as opposed to ordered), he felt strange butterflies in his chest. Maybe it was because most of his other Doms were just so… unnecessarily dominant. He looked at Levi, thinking back to what Armin told him once… Levi was a–  
  
“Eren,” Levi snapped, “Don’t just zone out.”  
  
“Sorry, Sir!” he used his outside voice, then put a hand over his mouth. Speaking again, he whispered, “Sorry Sir. You can go through my things.”  
  
“Anything I should avoid?”  
  
“Sorry?”  
  
“One of my subs had a journal once, a diary. He told me not to go through it, so I didn’t. You are choosing to submit to me, Eren. You are consenting and making the decision to be my tool; you still have your right to privacy – if you want it.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren nodded slowly. “You can go through it all, really. I don’t have anything private with me. Can I ask why you want to go through it, though?”  
  
“You’re going to need to change,” Levi said simply as he opened up the suit case. “Let’s see if we can find some nice clothes to go out in public.”  
  
“Public?”  
  
“We have dinner plans,” Levi muttered, “With Mikasa and Annie. We’re going to a nice restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I think you have a cute fashion sense. Your ripped jeans make you look like a whore, your shirts make you look like a caveman, and your disgusting vests make you look like a fifty year old math teacher who’s only teaching because he lost his dream job from a sex scandal.”  
  
“Um…” Eren blinked twice, “What?”  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
“Okay. So… is that what Mikasa called about yesterday?”  
  
“Yeah,” Levi suddenly paused, looking up. “All your clothes are ugly, but I like them. Eren…”  
  
Eren suddenly felt his chest tighten.  
  
“Can I ask you something?”  
  
“Y-Yes, S-Sir…”  
  
Levi noticed the nervousness and couldn’t help but smile. “I’m just wondering why you’re still living out of a suitcase… You’ve been here for a while now. You do know you can put your clothes in the drawers, right?”  
  
“Right!” Eren shouted, looking around.  
  
“Eren…”  
  
“Y-Yes, Sir?”  
  
Levi crossed the distance, tilting his head to the side. “I want you to feel at home here… if you’re not comfortable enough–”  
  
“N-No, that’s not it,” Eren chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “It just… never crossed my mind. Armin told me, and I remember saying I would do it in the morning, but I guess it just sort of slipped my mind.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. “You’re something.”  
  
“I guess I really am, huh?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Ten minutes passed. Levi chose a dark blue buttoned up shirt and a pair of black jeans; he also decided to go for dark green underwear, even though it wouldn’t affect Eren’s appearance. Eren silently wondered if it was because he just wanted to make Eren change underwear, in some kind of weird dominance way? As he slipped on his clothes, he paused, remembering that dark green was Levi’s favourite colour.  
  
He grinned.  
  
He took everything out of his suitcases, the big one and the small one, and began putting his clothes in the drawers. He put his laptop, which he hadn’t opened in a week, on the desk with the needed cords. He made sure his clothes and things was somewhat organised, knowing Levi would probably get pissed if it was the usual mess Eren had.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
Eren blinked, looking over his shoulder. He smiled, “Hey.”  
  
Armin looked him up and down, then nodded, “You look nice.”  
  
“Thanks, Levi picked it out,” Eren glanced down at himself and then back to the blond. “So… if Levi says my clothes are ugly but he likes them, what does that even mean?”  
  
“Well,” Armin made a serious face, “I’ve got no idea.” A grin formed on his face and he shrugged, “Your guess is as good as mine.”  
  
Eren gave a little whine and sighed.  
  
Armin crossed the distance between them and frowned. “Eren, your buttons… You haven’t done them right, they don’t match.”  
  
Eren blinked, glancing down, “Really?”  
  
“Oh, you’re hopeless,” Armin grinned, going on his tippy-toes to smooch Eren’s cheek before he quickly undid every button. “Just leave it to me, okay?”  
  
“Okay,” Eren felt his cheeks warm. “I’m… I’m not annoying, am I?”  
  
Armin’s fingers stilled, blue eyes looked up. “Huh?”  
  
“I mean… you’re always taking care of me, always looking after me, fixing my mistakes…” Eren looked down, “I kind of feel like a bad sub, you know? I mean, I’m grateful for everything you’re doing, I mean that, Armin, it’s just… I wonder sometimes, maybe I’m just making your job harder.”  
  
Armin smiled, shaking his head. “Well, for one, it’s my job to make sure you’re okay. I’m supposed to help ease you into the household; second of all, I enjoy it. You’re a nice guy. Levi really likes you, you know? I do too.”  
  
Eren blinked, “Really?”  
  
“Mhm,” Armin finished doing the buttons then patted Eren’s chest, “Now stop worrying so much, okay?”  
  
“I’ll try…”  


 

⁂

  
  
Eren paused, swallowing hard as he glanced at Levi. When he realised this is what the man looked like when he was dressed up, his inner thighs quivered and his inner schoolgirl screamed like teenagers do for boy bands.  
  
Levi wore three layers: A black undershirt, a grey sweater over top, then a navy blazer, left open. It did nothing to hide the lines of his arms, and made his shoulders look broad. He wore dark red pants, relaxed around the legs, but a black leather belt slung around the waistline, keeping it tight against his hips. A long scarf made two big, uneven loops around his neck, same dark red colour as his pants. His leather boots were ankle-high, and his hands were partially covered by tight, fingerless, black leather gloves. He tugged at the collar of his sweater and eyed Eren, “What?”  
  
“Fuck me into a wall…”  
  
Levi paused; he glanced to the side as he heard footsteps.  
  
Armin walked down the stairs, “Sorry, I’m ready to go now, Sir.”  
  
Eren looked as well and his breath hitched in his throat.  
  
Armin wore a white dress shirt underneath, and a dark blue wool sweater with a white pattern overtop. It didn’t hug his form; in fact, it seemed a little loose. However, the white cuffs of his undershirt had been rolled over the sweater. He wore tight fitting black jeans that hugged his legs all the way through and had a little bowtie at his collar, same colour as his eyes. He hugged his arm, feeling his cheeks warm a little as he looked to Eren for approval.  
  
“Can I fuck you into a wall?”  
  
“Huh?” Armin’s cheeks burned and he looked to Levi for help, “What?”  
  
“Nothing,” Levi scratched his collarbone. “We’ll be on time, but we should leave in case there’s traffic. Fucking hate traffic,” he grumbled and headed for the door, “Armin lock it behind you.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
Levi opened the door and stepped out, making his way down the path through the front lawn to his car.  
  
Eren, wearing the clothes Levi had chosen earlier, stepped out and headed to the car. He heard Armin step up behind him and felt a small tug on his sleeve. He looked over his shoulder.  
  
“Sit in the front, okay?”  
  
“Wh-What?” Eren blinked, “No way! That’s all super close to Levi…”  
  
“Well, I’m sitting in the back,” Armin grinned.  
  
“Then I’m also sitting in the back!”  
  
“Oi,” Levi called out, “You’re not both sitting in the back. I’m not your fucking taxi driver.”  
  
“Yes, Sir!” Eren winced.  


 

⁂

  
  
Eren didn’t know anything about cars, really. When the driver picked him up and brought him to Levi’s place, days ago, all he could think was that it was a nice car. He felt the same way about Levi’s. The seats were comfortable, the shape was smooth, things looked nice. He never bought a car, so he didn’t really know much about what to look for. Even though the highway had rough roads, it felt like they were gliding over it all. The stereo system looked pretty sleek and the music, radio, sounded nice.  
  
He looked over to Levi.  
  
Levi felt eyes on him and he spared a brief glance to Eren.  
  
Eren swallowed hard, turning away, pretending he hadn’t been staring.  
  
Armin laughed from the back seat.  
  
“So,” Eren rubbed the sides of his pants, “Where we going?”  
  
“A restaurant.”  
  
“I know _that_ , Sir… but like where? Which restaurant?”  
  
Levi seemed amused, keeping his eyes on the road. “It’s called Lolfa.”  
  
“Woah, wait, wait, wait, whoah,” Eren gawked. Of course he knew Lolfa—everyone in the city knew Lolfa—it was _the_ place for anniversaries, birthdays, business parties. He heard about it from quite a few people, and he just stared like a total idiot at Levi.  
  
“You’ve heard of it?” Levi kept his voice neutral as he teased, momentarily flashing his steel eyes to Eren.  
  
“Y-Yeah,” Eren looked at the rear-view mirror, trying to catch a glimpse of Armin, but all he saw was a blond looking away with a wide smile on his lips. Fucker. Eren couldn’t help but smile as well and then it clicked, “So that’s why we’re all dressed up?”  
  
“I dress up for less,” Levi shrugged, “But that comes with my line of work, I guess.”  
  
“So,” Eren twiddled his thumbs, “What’s the place like?”  
  
“You’ll find out.”  
  
“Sir!”  
  
Levi silently chuckled, a sly little grin forming on his thin lips.  


 

⁂

  
  
“The reservations under ‘Rivaille’. Five blind menus, please.”  
  
“Right this way, if you please.”  
  
Eren looked left and right as they followed the hostess. From the rumours, people had to book two months in advance for Lolfa, but it looked less upper-class than he expected. Everyone was dressed nicely, but not to the nines. None of the men were choking on the top button of their collars, while the women wore dresses and skirts that showed skin. It was a classy with a touch of casual.  
  
His green eyes shifted to the large windows, which showcased the darkening red of sunset and he couldn’t help but whistle.  
  
The hostess brought them to a circular dark walnut table. Although it was near the centre of the restaurant, there were so few tables that it gave them a sense of privacy all the same. They were close enough to live musicians to hear, but not too close where it was a problem.  
  
Armin took a seat first, and Eren sat next to him.  
  
Levi sat on the other side of Armin and took the menu when it was offered.  
  
“Your server will be with you in a moment.”  
  
Eren opened up the menu and found about four words he didn’t know on the first page. Something was off, though… He felt a nudge on his shoulder and he glanced to the side.  
  
“So it’s a three course meal,” Armin explained as he flipped the page. “You choose your appetizer, main course, then desert. If you want a drink, there’s recommended pairings under the main courses.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren nodded twice, flipping the page as he read more big words he didn’t understand. He heard whispering and looked up to see Levi and Armin both looking at him, with coy smiles on their faces. He pouted at them, only to hear light laughter, then looked back at the menu. He flipped through the pages, and then realised what was bugging him. “There’s no prices…”  
  
“Blind menus,” Armin smiled.  
  
“They used to be called ‘Lady Menus’,” Levi explained, “So the woman wouldn’t have to worry about the prices when she was here. This restaurant was first built… forty years ago? Different times. When the new owner took over, he decided to rename them blind menus.”  
  
Armin flipped through the page and looked up, “I’m curious though… why did they keep them if they were so… controversial?”  
  
“Well the fact that it was sexist was the main reason,” Levi smiled, “But the owner kept them around because he’s gay as fuck and he felt strange giving his male companion a ‘Lady Menu’. Personally, I prefer the blind menus, but then again that’s because I have money to burn, I guess. I don’t want you two shit heads worrying about the price. Just order what you like and let yourself be spoiled.”  
  
Armin smiled, but said nothing.  
  
Eren felt his cheeks burn a little as he continued to read the possible orders. He heard footsteps and looked up. The hostess was guiding two women to their table. Eren almost always considered himself exclusively for guys, but there were a couple moments he doubted himself.  
  
Annie had her hair styled up in a French twist, with only a couple strands of blonde hair falling in front of her right eye. She slowly took off her leather half jacket, revealing the wide neck of white shirt that hung loose on her shoulders, thin tan bra straps visible over her smooth skin. Her light yellow skirt was tight around her waist but became looser as it moved down to her knees. She wore silver heels with many thin straps, hugging her feet nicely as she walked towards the table.  
  
Mikasa was behind her, wearing a slim fitting black dress that hugged her figure, showing her light curves. It had an open back which her long black hair, slightly curled at the ends, fell over. Her heels were leather with two large straps and a low incline. The only splash of colour was her necklace, a dark red pendant, and a sash that was looped loosely around her narrow hips, also the same rich wine colour, though it blended hints of orange and yellow as well.  
  
Eren’s mouth hung open.  
  
Levi instantly stood. “Annie.”  
  
“Levi,” Annie glanced to him and settled her leather jacket on the seat next to his before closing the distance. They hugged for a short moment.  
  
Levi looked far more comfortable with the quick embrace with Annie than he did with Hanji, yesterday. He backed away and offered a smile, “You look good, especially since you looked like shit this morning.”  
  
Annie took his comment in stride and smiled, “A nap can make a Miss Universe out of anyone.”  
  
Levi snorted.  
  
Eren eventually stood up, hugging Mikasa. He could smell a light perfume, something a little floral and smiled before he took another look at her. “You’re all dressed up, you look great.”  
  
Mikasa gave a shy nod, glancing away. “Annie chose the outfit.”  
  
“It looks nice on you, Ackerman,” Levi commented.  
  
Annie just gave a nod.  
  
Mikasa smiled softly and looked from Levi to Eren, “It’s almost been a week now since I last saw you. You look happy.”  
  
“I am,” he grinned.  
  
They both took their seats and looked through the menu.  
  
Levi, not needing to look, looked over to Annie. “You sure you don’t want to get into fashion? You’ve got a calling for it.”  
  
Annie paused, before shaking her head. “I’ve always wanted to go into marine biology. Making outfits, stuff like that, it’s fun but it’s not me.”  
  
Levi shrugged, not able to blame her. “I liked the sash, though. That’s Marco’s scarf, isn’t it?”  
  
“From last autumn, yeah,” Annie opened up her menu. She already knew what she wanted, but she eyed the last page, the wines. “I talked to him today about it, so had the idea.”  
  
“He was happy today,” Levi thought back, “Wanted to ask why, but never got the chance.”  
  
“Oh, he found fourteen,” Annie shook her head.  
  
Armin, who was sitting between Levi and Eren, looked up, a full smile on his lips. “He’s still finding those, huh?”  
  
“Fourteen?” Eren tilted his head, glancing to Mikasa for an answer.  
  
Mikasa just gave a shrug.  
  
Annie’s jaw twitched. “Mikasa, I explained it to you twice in the car.”  
  
“You did?”  
  
Annie held back a sigh, a small smile forming on her lips as she shook her head.  
  
Armin chuckled, nudging Eren lightly. “Marco’s Dom scattered these little sticky notes all over their apartment, and each one is just another reason why he loves Marco, and it’s the cutest thing in the world. So he collects them and sticks them to his board. He’s got most of them now,” he turned to the rest of them, “Right?”  
  
Annie shrugged.  
  
“I don’t know,” Levi muttered, “All I know is Marco gets this excited puppy look and you can literally make him do anything because he’s in such a good mood. I joked once and told him to scrub my boots clean. He got down and did it.”  
  
“Really?” Annie raised an eyebrow, “That sounds like it could be useful…”  
  
Armin’s jaw dropped, “You guys…”  
  
Eren chuckled, and glanced over to see Mikasa’s with an amused expression on her face.  
  
Levi glanced over to Eren, “Have you decided what you wanted?”  
  
“Ah, not yet,” Eren looked at the menu again. “I kind of want the soup thing for appetizer, and then I know I want the trifle for dessert, but I don’t know what I want for the main course. Lots of choices…”  
  
Mikasa smiled, “I think you’ll like the surf and turf special.”  
  
Levi nodded, “I agree.” He didn’t, however, say he agreed because it was the most expensive item on the menu. To dine in the restaurant, someone had to order all three courses, but each item had their own price.  
  
Annie knew generally knew the prices, so she took the moment the older man was looking at Eren to examine Levi’s face. Annie had her opinions, but looked back to her menu, saying nothing.  
  
Armin, also oblivious to the prices, just nodded, “That’s a good one.”  
  
The waiter stepped closer to the table and cleared his throat, “May I start you all off with some drinks, or are you ready to order?”  
  
“I think we’re ready,” Levi closed his menu, glancing to the man. “I’ll start with the stuffed olives, then I’ll go for the lobster plate. I’ll finish with a strawberry cheesecake.”  
  
Eren glanced over to Armin, who smiled right back at him.  
  
The man nodded, then looked to Annie.  
  
“French onion soup, seared ahi tuna, and I’ll finish with the crème brûlée.”  
  
He looked at Mikasa.  
  
“Crab cakes to start, prime fillet mignon medium-rare, then the blueberry tart.”  
  
He looked at Eren.  
  
“Uh, I’ll start with the uh, cream… soup thing, then the turf and surf special… Shit, I mean surf and turf, rare, then the fruit trifle thingy….”  
  
He snickered and then looked at Armin.  
  
Armin grinned, “Caesar salad, the halibut fillet, then a fruit cup, please.”  
  
“Geez,” Eren pouted, “You’re so healthy.”  
  
Armin just giggled.  
  
The waiter collected the menus, then paused. “I’m sorry, I didn’t ask for drinks.”  
  
“Water,” Mikasa moved her hair out of her eyes.  
  
“Water as well,” Levi nodded.  
  
Eren looked up, “Water’s fine.”  
  
Annie pursed her lips, mulling it over. “I kind of want a white.”  
  
“Me too,” Armin nodded, “I was kind of thinking Chardonnay.”  
  
“We could share a bottle,” Annie nodded and looked at Levi, “At least let me pay for the wine.”  
  
Levi took one look at her and sneered, “Fuck yourself.”  
  
“Or not,” she smirked and glanced to the waiter, “One bottle of Chardonnay for us.”  
  
“An excellent choice for seafood, however” he turned to Armin, “Would you mind if I saw some form of I.D.?”  
  
Armin pulled out his wallet, taking it as a compliment, before handing his drivers to the man.  
  
The waiter nodded and handed it back. “We have both oaked and unoaked Chardonnay, which would you prefer?”  
  
Armin took the card back and slipped it into his wallet, “Either’s fine with me.”  
  
“Oaked, then,” Annie nodded. “We’ll have it with the main course.”  
  
When the waiter left, Eren felt like a complete idiot and he glanced over to Armin. “What the difference between oaked and unoaked?”  
  
Mikasa smiled softly.  
  
Armin grinned, “It’s how the wine is stored… sort of. Oaked means its in the old French style oak barrels while it’s aging. It gives the wine a more… well, oaky flavour. It’s usually richer, more… bodied, kinda. For Chardonnays it tends to give it a more… cedar and smoky flavour, I guess.” He glanced at the other blonde for confirmation.  
  
Annie gave a curt nod, “Unoaked wines usually have a lighter flavour, better for more fruity wines.”  
  
“Isn’t he cute?” Levi actually smiled, “My little savage is learning about the world.”  
  
Eren smiled as well, then paused; his face dropped when he realised it wasn’t quite a compliment…  
  
“Don’t worry,” Mikasa spoke in her usual, low tone, “I don’t know any of this either.”  
  
Annie frowned, “I explained this to you before…”  
  
“You did?”  
  
“Several times.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“They really did grow up together.” Annie shook her head as she moved a strand of hair behind her ear, “Savage one and savage two.”  
  
Armin laughed louder than he should have.  
  
Levi looked away to hide his smile.  


 

⁂

  
  
The appetizers were served and Eren declared that it was the best soup he ever had in his life, to which Armin made a bit of a noise and muttered ‘Challenge accepted’ under his breath. Levi was quite pleased with his arrangement of stuffed olives, and Annie enjoyed her own soup. Mikasa mentioned that her crab cakes were great and offered one to Annie to eat from her fingers, which she did. Eren tried to take a crab cake, but Mikasa slapped his hand without thinking. When she realised what she did, she apologised and offered some to Eren.  
  
The main courses arrived, along with the paired wine.  
  
Levi’s lobster plate was a full lobster, tender meat removed and placed on a bed of white sauce. It came with a skewer of large scallops, each one having criss-cross grill marks, and several asparagus, raw yellow pepper and shredded carrot.  
  
Mikasa’s filet mignon was a big piece with bacon wrapped around it, with a creamy mushroom sauce. It was served with garlic and herb mashed potatoes, grilled carrots and asparagus.  
  
Annie’s ahi tuna was white on the exterior, charred at the corners, but a rare pink at the center. Covered in sesame seeds, it came with quinoa and a mix of onions, peppers and green beans.  
  
Armin’s halibut fillet had a warm orange exterior from the grill then had little bits of parsley to add some green. His came with a garden salad, green peas and corn.  
  
Eren was a little surprised to see just how spectacular his plate was. He had a six ounce rare steak layered with rich lobster meat. There was a small bowl in his plate with a mini seafood salad, some steamed brussel sprouts, and a another small bowl filled with a buttery dip for the lobster.  
  
“Enjoy,” the waiter smiled before turning around.  
  
“Wow,” Eren blinked.  
  
Levi’s lips curved into a small smirk as he began eating.  
  
Armin was the only one with a sour expression; eyes narrowed as he tasted the warm, flaky, flavourful fish. As far as he was concerned, he needed to dissect it and find out how it managed to be the way it was.  
  
Annie’s contained expression hid how much her mouth watered as she grabbed the cutlery.  
  
Mikasa’s eyes lit up, which said something because she usually found food boring.  
  
Eren just looked at his plate, not sure what to tackle first. He went for the steak, easily slicing off a piece and bringing it to his mouth. He remembered when he thought Armin’s meal was the best thing he ever tasted. Sorry blondy. As he chewed, he moaned.  
  
Everyone, especially Armin, ignored it.  
  
Annie reached for her glass of white wine, sipping it and giving a little nod. The full-bodied wine had a taste of lemon, and had a deep flavour from the oak. It glided over her tongue, complimenting the seared fish.  
  
Levi noticed her movement and smiled, “Chardonnay was a good pair?”  
  
“Yes,” she nodded.  
  
Armin sipped his as well, giving an appreciative bob of his head. “You generally can’t go wrong with Chardonnay and fish.”  
  
Annie and Levi nodded.  
  
Eren listened, wondering if any of it would stick. His eyes moved to Annie.  
  
He’d spend two years as her roommate… although they limited contact as much as possible. It was the first time he’d seen her dressed up, classy. He remembered Levi mentioning she had a position at Levi’s store, and when he thought about the hug they had earlier, and the fact that they were both in the D/s community, he wondered if Levi considered her a ‘friend’. He ate slowly, savouring the taste, although his eyes drifted back to Annie.  
  
“Eren,” Annie looked over to him.  
  
He almost choked.  
  
“If you’re going to stare, you can at least tell me if I’m pissing you off.”  
  
“Ah, no,” he felt incredibly small again. “It’s just… I’m so used to seeing the you, you are before you have coffee… weird seeing you in such a fancy place.”  
  
Annie stayed still for a moment before a small smile formed on her lips. She moved hair out of her eyes and looked at her plate. She couldn’t help but understand. After all, she barely looked human between the time she woke up and had her first of four coffees. “Well, yeah, I guess. It’s a bit weird seeing you here, too.”  
  
Mikasa nodded, “I never thought you could be in upper society.”  
  
Eren pouted at her, “You’re one to talk.”  
  
Mikasa actually smiled, “Well Annie dressed me up and I don’t much. It’s easy.”  
  
“Well, Levi dressed me up,” Eren pointed out, “And I’m trying not to talk too much.”  
  
Levi glanced over to Armin; the two of them shared a laugh, nonverbally communicating, before they both chuckled.  


 

⁂

  
  
The rest of the main course went by mostly in silence, as everyone was quite committed to a one-way relationship with their delicious meal. Casual conversation began when the food was all devoured; Annie and Levi talked a bit about business, but quickly agreed they worked five days a week and didn’t need the store to follow them to the table. Eren was rather content on listening and not saying stupid things when Mikasa turned to him.  
  
“So,” she spoke in a quieter than usual tone, “How have you been? You’ve been looked after? They’ve been good to you?”  
  
Eren nodded, “Yeah.”  
  
Mikasa’s eyes shifted from one of Eren’s eyes to the other, trying to find some kind of sign of discomfort. She knew Eren would have difficulty saying so considering Levi and Armin were right there, but she figured she could see it on his face if he was actually troubled. She gave a little nod, “How long did you sign the contract for?”  
  
“Until the thirty first,” Eren glanced to the side, seeing how Armin, Annie, and Levi busied themselves with their own conversation. “I’m enjoying myself. Honestly,” he kept his voice low, “They’re great.”  
  
Mikasa smiled, nodding. She pondered telling Eren what Annie told her earlier, but decided against it. “I’m glad. Your contract is… good?”  
  
“Yeah, it’s pretty light on most things. Only light bondage, only light S and M play, and a lot of cool things. He’s a fair Dom for sure.”  
  
“Yeah. He’s the best in the community… well, maybe second to Erwin Smith.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened. Erwin. Wasn’t that the name of…?  
  
“Eren?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Mikasa tilted her head, “You made a funny face when I said Erwin.”  
  
“Oh, sorry,” he offered a smile, “I just remembered Hanji and Levi talking about a guy named Erwin, so I wondered if it was the same guy.”  
  
Mikasa nodded, “Probably…” Her face suddenly filled with worry; she didn’t keep her voice the low tone, “You met Hanji?”  
  
Levi, sitting at the other end of the table, figured it was a good time to butt in. “Don’t worry, I didn’t let her go crazy on him.”  
  
Mikasa turned her head then gave a nod.  
  
“You met Hanji?” Annie smirked, a wide smirk, playful, feminine.  
  
Unlike anything Eren had seen on her before.  
  
“Before time began, before spirits and life existed,” Annie began speaking animatedly and everyone else (except Eren) groaned, “Three golden deities descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule…” She suddenly paused, looking over her shoulder, and pouted. “Oh… Jean’s not here. Right.”  
  
Eren just stared at her, unsure how to take this new side. “Did you say Hyrule… like, Legends of Zelda?” Was it the wine, or…?  
  
“Yeah,” Annie turned to him, “There’s a joke in the community that Levi, Mikasa, and Hanji—”  
  
“–Annie,” Mikasa used a very serious tone. “Enough.”  
  
Annie’s jaw twitched, and she shared a glanced with Mikasa. She returned to her usual composure. “Yes, Ma’am.”  
  
Eren looked between them and he swore he could see sexual tension in a physical form drift between them. He saw the waiter approach their table and he was almost afraid he would be tossed aside by said very real and physical sexual tension.  
  
“Your desserts.”  


 

⁂

  
  
Eren had the feeling he was going to be disappointed, only because the appetizers and entrees had set such high standards there was only downhill from there; however, he was once again reminded that his tongue could have its own version of an orgasm, and orgasm it had indeed. The trifle he ordered was delicious and probably sinful. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries on a bed of whipped cream, sponge cake bits and creamy custard.  
  
Armin’s fruit cup turned out to be a little less healthy than Eren expected when it came with liquid chocolate to dip in, and Armin pretended he was still classy when he licked up the remaining melted chocolate with his fingers.  
  
Mikasa’s blueberry tart came in small single bite circles, the size of coins. She seemed to have fun eating them as a smile formed on her lips. They were warm and the berries were juicy, while the crust of the tart was soft, and they melted in her mouth.  
  
Levi’s strawberry cheesecake was sweet, and he knew he would have a hard time denying he had a sweet tooth. A weakness of his he would never forgive himself for. The cheesecake came in a slim triangle shape with a red, fresh fruit drizzle going back and forth.  
  
Annie’s crème brûlée had a nice crunchy top with a smooth vanilla filling. She enjoyed tapping on the glass-like caramel with her spoon, watching it crack bit by bit before scooping it in her mouth.  
  
When the waiter came by to see how everything was, Levi slipped out his credit card and told him he could have a twenty percent tip if he refused allowing anyone else to pay for the whole meal. Annie visibly twitched and after many swear words thrown around, Levi won the argument by reminding it would take four seconds for him to kill her with a fork and only three to fire her.  
  
The waiter took it all in strides and just nodded, taking the card and bringing it back soon enough.  
  
Despite how much they all ate, nothing was left behind.  
  
The five of them walked together outside, Levi and Annie taking lead. Mikasa stood next to Eren as they walked and Eren wondered if Armin felt a little out of place, so he nudged the blond with his elbow, motioning for him to take his arm.  
  
Armin blushed but took hugged Eren’s arm as they walked to the parking lot.  
  
“Our car is that way,” Annie said as she realised they had to split ways. She turned to Levi; and, as much as she wanted to remain pissed at him, she could only smile. “Thank you for inviting us out.”  
  
“Thank you for accepting,” Levi replied smoothly.  
  
The two of them shared a quick hug, then whispered some words before Annie laughed and turned to Mikasa.  
  
Mikasa hugged Eren tight, nuzzling into his neck. “If you need anything, call me, okay?”  
  
“Okay,” he smiled, pulling her close. “I missed you this week, you know?”  
  
“I know… I… missed you too.”  
  
They eventually moved away and he couldn’t help but grin, “I’ll see you soon?”  
  
Mikasa nodded, “Sure.” She glanced over to Annie.  
  
Annie took the time to look at Armin and she offered a smile, “Good luck dealing with these two.”  
  
Armin grinned wide and nodded, “I’ll do my best.”  
  
Annie looked over to Eren, “Good seeing you again. Although I do admit, I like the house better without you around. I can scream as loud as I want.”  
  
Eren plastered a smile on his lips but visibly shuddered as memories he sealed away resurfaced.  
  
“Annie,” Mikasa frowned, knowing that was the point. “You and your twisted sense of humour…” She glanced to Armin, giving him a nod, then doing the same to Levi. “Thank you for inviting us out.”  
  
Levi nodded, “Drive safe, Ackerman.”  
  
“Bye,” Armin grinned, watching the two of them walk away. He was about to turn when he suddenly felt two arms around him. He blinked as his shoulder was pushed against something warm. “Eren?”  
  
“Well, Mikasa hugged me, and Annie hugged Levi…” Eren embraced Armin from the side, “So I figure it’s only fair you get a hug too, right?”  
  
Armin glanced at him and smiled. He dipped his head a bit and nuzzled under Eren’s chin. “You’re sweet.”  
  
“To you,” Eren grinned and moved his head forward, gently brushing their lips together.  
  
Armin smiled into the kiss for a moment before he broke his mouth away. “Um… thanks.” Before Eren could reply, he ducked out of the hug and chuckled as he ran towards Levi’s car.  
  
“Little shit,” Eren grumbled, smile wide on his face.  
  
“You’re one to talk,” Levi tapped on his car door twice before opening it, “Get the fuck in or I’ll run you over. Stop laughing, I _will_ do it and you know it.”  
  
“Y-Yes Sir!”  


 

⁂

  
  
The drive back was mostly quiet. Eren found himself looking out the window, smiling to himself. He felt Levi’s eyes on him every once in a while, but he pretended not to notice, mostly because he swore his cheeks turned red every time. As he stared up at the moon, he noticed it was full. He thought back to Mikasa, and Annie, and eventually Armin, and Levi. His mind wandered to Krista as well, even though he’d only met her once, and he couldn’t help but smile.  
  
He liked the people he was surrounded by.  
  
He cringed a little at the memory of Hanji, only because that woman scared him a little, but she seemed sensible enough. For all her silliness, she was also a little wise, he couldn’t help but realise. He hummed a little, tapping his finger over his lips for no reason in particular.  
  
He pulled out his phone, hitting the top button to turn it on. He backed his head away at the bright light, so he flicked up the control panel and moved the brightness slider to the side, dampening the screen. He swiped his finger across the screen, moving to his calendar app. He saw the number ‘7’ on the application's icon.  
  
His green eyes widened.  
  
It had been a week.  
  
One fourth of the time he had with them was gone…  
  
He nervously glanced over to Levi, catching a glimpse of his expression, before looking back at his phone. He flicked his eyes up to the rear-view mirror, snatching the same second long stare before he looked out the window.  
  
It had been a week.  
  
But…  
  
He liked the people he was surrounded by.  


 

⁂

  
  
“Eren,” Levi spoke in a careful voice as he removed his coat.  
  
“Yes, Sir?” Eren blinked, feeling his throat tighten.  
  
Levi paused for several seconds, before looking at the brunet. “Will you wait for me in my room?”  
  
Eren knew it was a question, a request, not an order. He had the power to deny, but why the fuck would he? He felt his knees wiggle and he didn’t trust his voice to work so he just gave a nod. Eren took off his shoes and walked up the stairs, passing Armin along the way.  
  
Armin gave him a knowing smile, but said nothing.  
  
Going up another flight of stairs, to the third floor, Eren took a deep breath and walked down the hall to Levi’s room. He grabbed one door handle of the double doors and turned it carefully. He let himself in and closed the door behind him. He stepped in, looking around. Eren dusted the whole house, Levi’s room included, once a day. Everytime he was in here, he tried to hurry out as fast as possible. Something about being in his Dom’s room was… strange.  
  
He took a deep breath, wondering what they would do tonight. He walked over to the bed and sat on the side, glancing at the bookshelf. He rubbed his arm, feeling a nervous twist in his stomach. Being a sub meant giving up control, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious…  
  
The door opened.  
  
Eren stood up.  
  
Levi slipped in, closing the door silently behind him. He walked over to his desk, slipping off his scarf and placing it on the chair. He tugged at his collar, pulling out a necklace before taking it off and dropping it somewhat carefully on the scarf.  
  
Eren took a seat again, waiting with as much patience as he could.  
  
Levi slipped off his sweater, now only in a black undershirt and dark red pants. He popped the top button of his collar and turned around. He looked at Eren and reached forward, moving his fingers under his chin, scratching it lightly.  
  
Eren couldn’t help but smile. Despite height, he felt incredibly small, like he was being crushed under Levi’s dominance… not that he minded, of course.  
  
“Stand.”  
  
Eren did so.  
  
Levi began unbuttoning Eren’s shirt, slowly, carefully, taking his time. “I like seeing you like this, nervous… A little bit of fear, little bit of excitement.”  
  
“I’m glad, S-Sir.”  
  
Levi smiled at the stutter then unbuttoned the last one. He slipped his hand in Eren’s open shirt, fingertips grazing over Eren’s chest.  
  
Eren chuckled nervously, feeling little butterflies and dancing skulls in his stomach.  
  
Levi bit his lip a little, feeling the lightest strands of hair, invisible to the eye, but ticklish to his fingertips. “Mine,” he whispered before he brought his other hand up. He grabbed Eren’s shirt, moving it over his sub’s shoulder, steel eyes eating up the sight of Eren’s collar bones.  
  
Eren took a silent breath as he felt his shirt slip off. He swallowed hard and tried to relax.  
  
Levi eyed him, appreciating Eren’s body.  
  
Eren wasn’t muscular, he didn’t work out, but his arms and chest had some tone to them. It was the halfway point between ‘skinny’ and ‘muscled’ and with his shoulders and collarbones…  
  
Levi gave a nod; his hands found themselves on Eren’s stomach, feeling the skin. He moved his hands up, gliding them over Eren’s chest.  
  
Eren shivered, remembering his previous lesson about being a strong sub. He had to follow orders and be the best sub for his Dom no matter what. He felt his body tense and he consciously tried to relax.  
  
“Eren,” Levi looked up, making eye contact. “I want you. I’m going to have you tonight.”  
  
“Fuck, _please_ ,” Eren whispered, closing his eyes. “I mean, please, Sir.”  
  
Levi smirked, “Eager?”  
  
Eren nodded, “I thought… you weren’t interested in me.”  
  
Levi paused.  
  
Eren opened his eyes cautiously, expecting anger in his Dom’s eyes but all he saw was worry.  
  
“Why would you think something like that, Pup?”  
  
“Well…” Eren looked away, “You… I mean, today’s day seven, right? That means it’s the end of the first week… obviously… But, what I mean is, I’ve been here, a full week, an entire week… and all we’ve really done is a hand job… and that was you pleasing me…” He bit his lip, “I mean we had phone sex and you made me watch you and Armin, but… I mean, I uh, you know, most Doms would have fucked me a dozen times by now so I just sort of kind of maybe sort of kind of maybe assumed that, you…” He stopped talking when he felt Levi’s finger over his lips.  
  
“You’re not attractive when you talk, Pup.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened.  
  
Levi snorted, “Teasing.”  
  
“O-Oh,” he relaxed.  
  
Levi looked into Eren’s green eyes, examining the life and worry behind them. “I’ve been very interested in you. You’ve got a nice body, a smackable ass… you gave me a wicked lap dance. I’ve wanted you, I want you.”  
  
Eren tensed, feeling his heart beat fast.  
  
“I take my time, though. I savour things… and I’ll savour you,” Levi smirked. “When it comes to lifestyle Dominance and submission, it can’t be based on sex… in fact, most D.s. relationships are rarely about sex, but the companionship that comes with them.”  
  
Eren listened, nodding. “I think… I know what you mean… You and Armin, I mean, you’re not in love, but you work so well together, you know what each other are thinking… you just work in tandem and it’s, well, it’s awesome… but it kind of makes me jealous.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow, “Jealous of Armin?”  
  
“No, well, yes, but not just Armin… I’m jealous of how he’s so in sync with you, but I’m also jealous of how you’re so in sync with him…”  
  
Levi smiled, “Time’s the only fucker who can do that.”  
  
Eren nodded, “Yeah… but, you want me?”  
  
“I’ve thought about it every night,” Levi whispered, looking down Eren’s body then back up. “You’re different from Armin, not just personality wise but your body. You’re still a twink,” he smirked, “But you’ve got more muscle than he does. You’re both my type, in different ways… I think, with you and him, I’ve got a good selection.”  
  
Eren closed his eyes, feeling his face get hot. “I want to service you, Sir.”  
  
“Then get on your knees, Pup.”  
  
Eren did as he was told, getting on his knees. He looked up, feeling incredibly small, but a giddy feeling was beating in his chest because he was finally able to please Levi. He licked his lips and reminded himself to breathe.  
  
Levi looked down at Eren, a small but sexy smile on his lips. He brought a hand to his sub’s face, cupping it. He ran his thumb over Eren’s cheek, then moved it over Eren’s lips. He was getting hard from just looking into those green eyes. He bit his lip and grabbed a fistful of his hair, before shoving Eren’s face into his crotch.  
  
Eren closed his eyes, swallowing hard. He could feel the hard outline of Levi’s cock against his cheek and he rubbed his face against it. It was incredibly warm and he, himself, was getting hard.  
  
“Strip.”  
  
Eren felt the hand let go of his hair and he quickly undid his belt, fumbling with the hook and the metal bit several times before he pulled it free. He undid his pants and pulled them off, leaving on his dark green boxers. He took off his socks, not daring to look up at his Dom until he was finished. He was a little nervous but he reminded himself that he had to be a strong sub. If Levi asked him to do something, he must do it. He slipped off his boxers and threw them aside carelessly. He went back on his knees, legs slightly parted, his own cock hard and in the air, before he looked for some kind of sign of approval.  
  
Levi took in a deep breath through his nose, eyes locked on the figure beneath him.  
  
Eren was naked, on the floor, beneath a well-dressed man who had control over him.  
  
Levi just stared.  
  
“S-Sir?”  
  
Levi offered a small smile and scratched under Eren’s chin, “Your eyes are so fucking needy. I could write a shitty romance novel about them.”  
  
Eren cracked a smile, “Would it sell thousands?”  
  
“Millions.”  
  
Eren laughed, feeling the tension in his chest fade. He silently wondered if that was the point… could Levi tell he was nervous so he used humour? The idea, which he still didn’t know was true or not, was comforting nonetheless. He looked up at his Dom and wiggled a bit, “Sir… please.”  
  
“Please?” Levi’s eyebrow arched, “Please what, Pup?”  
  
“Please… no more games, no more teasing… no more waiting…” Eren pouted, “Let me please you, Sir.”  
  
Levi seemed amused, “You want to please me?”  
  
“It’s my purpose,” he grinned, “I think I’ve done well this week… I think I earned the right to do this much…”  
  
“Is that so?”  
  
“I hope so.”  
  
Levi smirked, stroking Eren’s cheek with his thumb. “I like a sub who knows what he wants.”  
  
“I want to please you,” he impatiently wiggled.  
  
Levi snickered, finding the wiggling rather strange but kind of cute in a very ‘Eren the Dork’ way. “Beg.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened for a moment, but he hunched his shoulders. “Please…”  
  
“I can’t hear you.”  
  
“Please.”  
  
“You don’t sound that interested.”  
  
Eren closed his eyes, swallowing hard. “Please, Sir. Please, please. Let me touch you… let me s-suck you o-off,” he inwardly cringed as his voice became shaky. Begging, talking dirty, they were all things he had done before, but for some reason doing it in front of Levi… doing it, _for_ Levi, made his knees shake and his fingers twitch. “Please, Sir!”  
  
“Good boy,” Levi smirked, “Please Sir what?”  
  
“Please let me do my job, Sir!”  
  
Levi inhaled sharply and brought a hand up. He popped open a button of his shirt then moved his hand down, doing it again for another button. “One more time, Pup. Beg.”  
  
Eren lowered his head, “Please Sir! Please, please!”  
  
“Tch,” Levi pretended to be annoyed, “Fine.”  
  
Eren looked up, pausing for half a second. He raised a hand, reaching for Levi’s pants. He ran his fingertips over the outline of the manhood, feeling the warmth.  
  
Levi finished unbuttoning the last button and pulled his shirt off; his toned muscles shifted and rippled under his smooth skin as he tossed the clothing aside. For his short stature he was well built; and, as far as Eren was concerned, utterly flawless… with the exception of two thin gashes, slightly open like a valley, on the right side of his stomach. Scars. Only one shade pinker than his skin, peaking outwards. Old wounds. One started below his navel and curved downwards along his side before moving up to his back. The second was on his rib and much shorter, only a couple inches long.  
  
Eren stared at the scars, biting his lip. He heard a ‘tsk’ noise and remembered what he was supposed to do. He grabbed the zipper, then looked up. “Do you want me to use my teeth Sir?”  
  
“If you want the taste of metal in your mouth… whatever turns you on, I guess.”  
  
Eren laughed, feeling his cheeks warm. “You’re very practical, Sir. I like that.”  
  
Levi just smirked.  
  
Eren pulled down the zipper, then undid the button. He was expecting underwear but saw a batch of finely trimmed black hair and the first bit of the shaft. He smiled, looking up. “You go commando?”  
  
“Not often,” Levi shrugged, “Felt like it today.”  
  
Eren tugged at the sides of the pants, bringing them down just enough for the cock to shoot up. Eren stared. He licked his lips. He wasn’t a cock measuring master, but he guessed it was about seven inches. It was a little on the thick side, curving just a bit to the right at the tip. He felt his mouth water and swallowed his saliva. He reached up, grabbing the cock. It was soft and hard in his fingers, warm. It twitched in his hand. He moved the foreskin back, revealing the pink head. Eren looked up, making eye contact with Levi as he kissed the tip.  
  
Levi bit his lip.  
  
Eren wasn’t sure what to do. Usually, he’d just get right into it… but when he thought about the lap dance, and thought about how Levi waited seven days… how Levi wanted to savour things… Eren dipped his head, running his tongue over his Dom’s smooth balls, then moved up over the underside of the shaft, taking his time as he licked up one inch at a time, before he flicked his tongue over the sweet spot.  
  
Levi shuddered, giving a shaky breath.  
  
Eren brought his tongue back to the tip, then placed another, soft, gentle kiss. Keeping the eye contact, he slowly took the head of Levi’s cock into his mouth.  
  
“Ah.”  
  
Eren bobbed his mouth over the head, sucking on it once.  
  
“You know what you’re doing,” Levi mused, “And you’ve figured out how I like it.”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks warm. He pushed his mouth forward, taking a couple inches before the head pushed against the back of his throat, then moved back. He moved forward again, but this time he relaxed and pushed another inch in, then another, then another, then another, all the way until the whole cock was in his mouth—never once breaking the eye contact.  
  
Levi chuckled, tilting his head. “No gag reflex? Shame. Your last Dom must have had the fun of breaking that habit out of you.”  
  
Eren moved back, quickly, letting the head slide off his lips. He gave a nervous chuckle, stroking Levi with his hand, rolling the skin over the head and back again. “I never had a gag reflex.”  
  
“What?” Levi raised an eyebrow.  
  
“I could always just choke down a dick… I’ve never gagged. Not even on food or anything, so I guess I just don’t have it.”  
  
“Everyone has one,” Levi suddenly laughed. “Or maybe your purpose was just to suck dick after all.” He slipped his hand into Eren’s hair, fisting the brown strands. He guided Eren’s mouth back onto his cock and pushed the back of Eren’s head until his sub was nuzzling the base of his cock. He gave a shuddering moan, feeling the warm wetness around his manhood. “Fuck.” He breathed. “Impressive.”  
  
Feeling Levi’s hand let go of his hair, Eren took the cue and moved his mouth back, then forward again, repeating the action.  
  
Levi closed his eyes for a moment, letting out another sound. “Shit…” He opened his steel eyes again, watching. “It’s almost a little weird… Does it just glide in, or?”  
  
Eren slipped the cock out of his mouth. “Well I might end up coughing or choking if I go too fast, or if I’m not careful, but I just don’t gag.”  
  
“Never?”  
  
“Nope,” Eren grinned. His own cock was hard, but he neglected it. He put both hands on Levi’s length then slipped it back in his mouth. He bobbed on the head several times, quick movements, before he took the whole thing in again.  
  
“Fuck.”  
  
Eren felt a hand on the back of his head, but it didn’t grab his hair or try to push or pull his head in any direction. He nuzzled the trimmed black strands of hair then kept his lips tight as he slowly moved back. He heard another moan spill from Levi’s mouth and his cock twitched. As his lips tightly glided over the pink head, he heard a gruff grunt.  
  
Levi snickered, knowing he chose well with this one. As Eren’s warm mouth moved away, the cool air gave him little tingles. He watched as the brunet sucked his dick and he looked past to see just how hard Eren was. “Do you want to touch yourself, Pup?”  
  
Eren shook his head; the head of Levi’s cock hitting the inside of his cheeks.  
  
“No?”  
  
Eren popped the cock out of his mouth and took a breath. “I’m busy with something more important, Sir.”  
  
Levi smirked. “You know, I enjoy watching you get off. You look hot when you’re getting attention. Touch yourself.”  
  
Recognising an order when he heard one, Eren’s right hand dropped between his legs. He thumbed his head over the hood before grabbing his shaft. He started stroking himself slowly, keeping in time to the movement of his mouth over Levi’s cock. His eyes closed for a moment, then they went to half-mast. His length finally getting the attention it wanted, he moaned against Levi.  
  
Levi cupped Eren’s face, watching those green eyes open again. Slowly, he moved his hips back, sliding his cock out of Eren’s mouth. He leaned down, pressing their lips together for a short kiss before breaking it, ignoring the little protest Eren made. He smirked, staring right into those green eyes. He moved down to his knees then pushed Eren back against the floor.  
  
Eren felt his back pushed against the cool, wooden floor but he didn’t protest. He raised his knees, moving his legs back.  
  
Levi leaned in, kissing Eren’s neck.  
  
A sudden gasp left his throat.  
  
Levi’s lips moved slowly, but passionately. He kissed, nipped, licked, grated his teeth, leaving a hot trail down Eren’s body, over his chest, down to his stomach, moving lower.  
  
“Ah,” Eren’s whole body shook as he felt Levi’s mouth on his cock. He let out a shaky noise, whimpering.  
  
Levi bobbed his head up and down, sucking, swirling his tongue around the head.  
  
“S-Sir!” Eren suddenly clasped his hand over his mouth.  
  
Levi took the cock out of his mouth and kissed the side. “Be strong for me, Eren.” He ran his tongue down the shaft. “Don’t hide yourself from me.” He kissed the base. “Not when I want to see you.”  
  
Eren remembered that he had to be a strong sub, that he had to follow Levi’s orders. That he had to be a strong sub; the strength to stand naked… He moved his hand away, letting out another moan. He felt his shoulders and knees lock and he forced himself to relax. “Sir,” he said in a breathless voice, “Thank you, Sir.”  
  
“Good.” Levi kissed Eren’s stomach, then chest, then he ran his tongue over his collar bone. Finally, he brought his mouth back to Eren’s neck, kissing it, ravishing it.  
  
“Ah,” Eren’s whole body shook, shivering. The hot tingles all over him…  
  
“A perfect neck,” Levi pulled back to say, hot breath moving over wet skin. “How do you feel about me collaring you, Pup?”  
  
“Uh,” Eren looked away. “If you want, I guess…”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Not a fan?”  
  
“Collars are… itchy,” Eren wiggled.  
  
Levi laughed, loud, a smooth and dark chuckle. “I guess it’s too good of a neck to cover up, anyway. I guess I’ll just lace it with hickeys until I find another way to claim you.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard. “Please.”  
  
“Please? You like them?”  
  
“M-Mark me… That’s… what they mean, right?”  
  
Levi just snickered, bringing his mouth down to Eren’s neck again. He used his teeth, gently biting on the skin before sucking.  
  
Eren whimpered, closing his eyes. He moved one hand down, grabbing their cocks, squeezing them against each other. He began stroking them both, together.  
  
Levi hissed against Eren, sucking on another bit of skin. “You,” he chuckled, “Bring out the worst in me.”  
  
“I don’t mind,” Eren grinned. “But… you can put a collar on me if you want, Sir…”  
  
“No.” Levi paused. “I’ll find a better way to make it clear that you’re taken—something you’ll enjoy wearing.”  
  
“Until then… I guess just lots of hickeys.”  
  
“Yes,” Levi snickered, planting a gentle kiss on Eren’s neck. He looked to the side, then pulled himself away. As much as he wanted to be with Eren, “We’re taking this to the bed. We’ll be more comfortable.”  
  
Eren’s eyes light up. “Yes, Sir!” He was about to get up when he felt Levi’s hand on his chest.  
  
“Just one thing.” Levi made sure he had all of Eren’s attention. “You remember the safe words, right?”  
  
“Traffic lights,” Eren blurted out.  
  
Levi smiled softly. “Yes, Red, Yellow, Green. It’s my first time with you, I want you… but I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t know your limits, so I need you to promise me that you’re _going_ to tell me if it’s too much.”  
  
Eren felt his chest tighten, but he couldn’t help but grin. “Only if you do the same.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“It’s in our contract, for both of us.”  
  
Levi smirked, “Just get up.”  
  
Eren turned around, going on all fours before he stood up—suddenly, he felt a smack on his ass and jumped, yelping loudly.  
  
Levi snickered to himself. “Your ass is too fucking spankable.”  
  
Eren grinned, “I’ll take it as a compliment!”  
  
“Just shut up and get on the bed.”  
  
“Sure.” Eren smiled from ear to ear as he moved onto the bed, “How do you want me?”  
  
“On your back, get comfortable.” Levi stood as well, moving to the bedside table.  
  
“Um,” Eren lied down, looking at Levi. “Are we going to do anything, extra?”  
  
“Extra?”  
  
“Like, blindfolds… and cuffs, and stuff like that…”  
  
“No, not this time.” Levi pulled out a drawer, smiling as he heard Eren give a disappointed ‘awwww’. “I don’t turn you on enough?”  
  
“N-No!” Eren felt his face get hot. “I mean, y-yes! I mean, no! I mean, you turn me on!”  
  
Levi just snickered.  
  
Eren hugged his knees, “Sir… What about you…? Do… I…?”  
  
“Yes,” Levi said simply. He grabbed the lube and moved onto the bed. He pushed Eren back down and moved between his legs. “Don’t worry… You and your submission is all I need. We’ll have our turns with ‘extras’, but for now…” He leaned down, pressing their lips together. “All we need right now is you and me.”  
  
“And I,” he corrected.  
  
Levi’s eye twitched.  
  
Eren grinned wide.  
  
“Actually, Eren,” Levi hissed, “Grammatically it is ‘you and me’.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
There was a pause.  
  
“It is?” Eren asked.  
  
“Yes… I’m sure I can teach my little savage grammar afterwards, but you got both of us soft you fucking moron.”  
  
Eren looked down to see indeed both of their cocks had shrunk and he couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry! May I correct my fault, Sir?”  
  
“Yes. Yes you _may_ ,” he teased.  
  
Eren moved his arms around Levi’s neck, pulling himself up to bring their lips together. He felt a shiver run down his spine when their lips met and he focused only on that. He pulled his left arm back and placed it on Levi’s shoulder, then began moving down. It was the first time he actually got to touch his Dom’s body, so his cheeks warmed, cock instantly coming to life. He ran his hand down his chest, down to his stomach, fingers brushing up against the ridge of the scar–  
  
“No,” Levi broke the kiss. “Not there.”  
  
Eren looked down, eyeing the scar. “Not there?”  
  
“No.”  
  
Eren was curious as fuck but, “Okay.”  
  
Levi breathed a little sigh of relief.  
  
Eren swallowed hard. His instant curiosity aside, he didn’t want to ruin the moment. He moved his hand back up Levi’s chest, feeling the toned muscles. He bit his lip, wondering if Levi worked out. His body was just, perfect. He moved his head and kissed his Dom’s throat, then ran his tongue along the collarbone, as Levi had done to him. Another kiss on the man’s shoulder, then he kissed Levi’s jawline.  
  
Levi’s smile slowly returned. The warm, gentle kisses lacked the hunger he had when he was ravishing Eren, but in some way he found them all the more exciting because of it. His cock twitched, not quite hard yet, but he watched those green eyes examine him, almost appreciate him. Levi was old enough and experienced enough to like his body, but even he had his insecurities. Watching Eren practically worship his skin made his cheeks warm. Levi did not blush. He moved quickly, kissing Eren’s neck so he wouldn’t see his embarrassment.  
  
“S-Sir,” Eren gasped. He tilted his head to the side, exposing more of his neck to him. “Sir…” he whined, “Sir.”  
  
“So needy,” Levi teased. He caught Eren’s chin between his teeth, chuckling at the brunet’s surprised reaction.  
  
Eren reached between Levi’s legs, grabbing his cock and stroking it.  
  
Levi snickered, letting go of Eren’s chin. He closed his eyes for a second, appreciating the feel of Eren’s hand over him.  
  
Eren could smell Levi’s cologne, light but manly. He bit his lip, wiggling a bit. “Sir… you should fuck me.”  
  
Eyes glancing to the side, he grabbed the bottle of lube he had let go of before. It was a small bottle, smaller than the palm of his hand, and he popped the top. “Raise your legs.”  
  
Eren nodded, moving his legs back, knees high in the air.  
  
“If you need a pillow, just grab one.” Levi smeared the lube onto his fingers, making sure they were coated well. He brought his hand to Eren’s entrance, making eye contact as he slowly rubbed the hole.  
  
Eren just stared into those steel eyes. “I’m ready.”  
  
Levi gave a little nod. He pushed in his middle finger, surprised at how relaxed Eren’s body was. He had to remind himself that, even though Eren was a blushing dork, he was experienced. He knew Eren could probably take it, but he didn’t move quickly. He took his time until his knuckles hit the entrance.  
  
Eren’s green eyes were wide. He gave a teasing squeeze on Levi’s finger and smiled. “You can put in another.”  
  
“Alright.” Levi pulled out slowly, teasing Eren back, before he added his index finger. He was equally as careful, eyes examining Eren’s face, ready to catch any sign of discomfort. His fingers fit in nicely and he made a ‘come here’.  
  
Eren squirmed a bit, not expecting it. Most guys just prepared as quickly as possible and then went right for it. But he let out a soft sound as Levi’s fingers moved in and out of him, teasing him, playing with him. “S-Sir…”  
  
“Yes, Pup?” Levi smirked. His fingers were searching for a certain spot….  
  
Eren brought his knees together, closing his eyes as he shifted his hips in time with the fingers. “You can add another fing-ah!”  
  
There. Levi knew he hit it. “Fing _er_ ,” he corrected, “Not fingah.”  
  
Eren tried to frown, but the anger melted away from his face when the pad of Levi’s fingers brushed up against that spot again. “Sh-Shush…”  
  
Levi gave an amused chuckle before he slipped his fingers out. He reapplied lube quickly, then pushed three fingers in.  
  
“Ah,” Eren moved his head back.  
  
“Touch yourself.”  
  
Eren grabbed his cock, not wasting a second to start stroking. “Fuck, Levi, Sir.”  
  
Levi kept moving his hand, staying still as he watched Eren wriggle and wiggle, stroking himself, making little noises as he begged to be fucked. His eyes sucked it all in: The sight of Eren Jaeger wanting him, needing him, coming undone. He pulled out his fingers, ignoring the protest and smeared more lube on his hand before he made sure his cock was well-coated. “Ready?”  
  
“Yes!”  
  
Levi had to chuckle, grey eyes moving to green. He leaned in, pressing the head of his slick cock against the hole. He kept eye contact as he slowly pushed in.  
  
Eren took a deep breath, calming himself as the cock moved deeper inside him.  
  
Levi leaned down, bringing their lips together.  
  
Eren made a soft noise into the kiss, hand still on his cock but it paused. He waited until Levi was completely inside him, waited until he could feel Levi’s hips on his ass, then he started stroking again. He broke the kiss to make a desperate breath.  
  
Levi breathed heavily as well; the tight heat hugging every inch of his cock made him shudder. “Good, good Pup. Tell me when I can move.”  
  
Eren slung one arm around Levi’s neck, pulling him closer. “You can move… I’m, experienced.”  
  
Levi gave a little nod. He moved his head back, feeling the tight head glide over his cock, before he pushed back in.  
  
Eren’s body squeezed on the cock, “Sir.”  
  
“Relax. You just said you were experienced, didn’t you?”  
  
Eren chuckled, nodding. He looked into those eyes, and blinked. They looked metal in colour… sort of a grey, not quite black but grey, with a bit of a shine. He had assumed steel, but the more he stared into them, he realised that the shine was from the lightest touch of blue. Blue eyes. Steel blue eyes. Eren kept staring, about to comment, when he felt Levi pull out again. “Ahh, Sir.”  
  
Levi pushed in again, a moan rolling off his tongue. He pulled back again, then bucked his hips forward.  
  
Eren began stroking himself again, but felt his hand being pushed away. He looked down and watched as Levi grabbed his cock. He gave a whimper as he felt Levi squeezing his manhood. “Faster.”  
  
Had it been another sub, Levi would have reminded him not to order him around, but he made the exception. His hips began to move back and forth, hand stroking Eren’s cock in a rhythm.  
  
Eren squeezed on Levi’s cock, wiggling his hips against his Dom’s sides. “Please, more.”  
  
Levi was more than happy to comply. He grunted as his thrusts became quicker. The tight heat hugged his cock and he needed more as well. He thrusted deep into the feeling. His breathing became audible.  
  
Eren moved his head back, looking to the headboard as he let out a moan. His cock twitched in Levi’s warm hand and he couldn’t help but make another noise.  
  
Seeing Eren’s neck so exposed, he couldn’t help it. He leaned down, running his tongue up, tasting the salty skin.  
  
Eren shivered; he kept his neck stretched, wanting more. He wrapped his legs around Levi’s waist and pulled him closer every time he thrust in. Feeling the hard cock move deep inside him… He squeezed hard on the cock.  
  
Levi grunted. His eyes locked with Eren’s. His hands scrunched up the bed sheets and he kept thrusting.  
  
He gasped, eyes widening.  
  
Levi did his best to stifle a moan, but remnants of what would have been a whimper slipped out of his mouth. His hips began to speed up and so did his hand.  
  
Eren felt his eyes roll to the back of his head, and he let out another noise. His breathing increased, “More. More, please, please, more. Please, Sir, more!”  
  
Levi grit his teeth, his cock twitching inside the brunet. He slammed in, hard, hearing Eren cry out as the ripples of pleasure caused him to shudder. He moved his hips back then slammed in again. His arms began to shake and he closed his eyes, biting his lip as he repeated the movement.  
  
Eren felt his cheeks burn and his throat tighten. The manhood inside him kept slamming inside of him and he whimpered in delight. His legs turned to jello at that point and they unwrapped around Levi’s waist, but he still tried to pull him closer with every thrust.  
  
Levi grabbed Eren’s right shoulder for support, continuing the rough movements.  
  
Eren’s throat let out yet another shameless noise and he swore his mind went numb, overridden from the pleasure. But what bit of sense and sensibility he had left made him speak, “Levi… I’m… I’m gonna, I’m gonna cum, Sir.”  
  
Levi slammed in twice more before responding. His shoulders tensed and his breathing ragged. “Fuck! Yeah, me too. Cum for me, come on Pup. Cum.”  
  
Eren rubbed his knees against Levi’s side, feeling his cock in Levi’s hand burn. He arched his back, pressing their chest together before Levi squeezed his length. He shouted, biting his lip as his body tensed. “Sir!”  
  
Feeling Eren’s ass squeeze around his cock, Levi felt his body lock and everything went silent for half a second—before they came, together.  
  
Flopping back on the bed sheets, Eren’s eyes watered as he could barely breathe. The white stickiness between their bodies was warm, but he couldn’t even think about that; in fact, he couldn’t even think of anything.  
  
Levi felt his body slowly relax. His eyes were shut tight and the aftershocks were still moving under his skin. He moved his hips back, pulling out and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes, looking down at Eren, then froze.  
  
Eren blinked, noticing the change in his Dom’s features. “What? Did I do something wrong…?”  
  
“No,” Levi frowned. He moved a hand up, thumbing the corner of Eren’s eye. “You’re crying… Eren, I told you, if I went too rough you have to use a safe word–”  
  
“–Levi, Sir—”  
  
“–How can I trust myself with you if you won’t talk to me?–”  
  
“—Sir!” Eren tried to yell but it ended up being a laugh. He rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. “I’m crying because… that was, really good sex…”  
  
Levi paused. “What?”  
  
“I just… it felt so good,” Eren felt his cheeks burn, so he closed his eyes, causing a tear to fall down. “Geez, Sir… where did you learn to fuck like that?” He continued to rub his eyes, chuckling.  
  
Levi felt the knot in his chest unravel and he sighed. He kissed the corner of Eren’s eyes once each then crashed next to him. “I didn’t hurt you?”  
  
“Not at all,” Eren grinned, turning so he could rest his head on Levi’s chest. “I like it rough, but I don’t want it to hurt… Not many tops know the difference.”  
  
Levi slipped an arm around his sub, smirking. “Good.”  
  
Eren pressed his head, glancing down Levi’s stomach to the scars on the other side. Remembering Levi’s reaction, he decided against asking. He looked back up to see Levi looking up. He nuzzled Levi’s chest and closed his eyes.  
  
Levi ended up tugging the covers, pulling it over them both. He reached to the side, turning off the lamp and throwing the room in darkness. There was a silence and Levi pursed his lips. “What is it?”  
  
“H-Huh?”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“Nothing…”  
  
Levi frowned.  
  
Eren let his eyes adjust to the darkness, but he was still unable to make out the details of Levi’s face. He rolled over onto his back. “I sort of want to do something, but… I feel like a loser sometimes.”  
  
“You are a loser.”  
  
Eren chuckled, nudging Levi with his elbow.  
  
Levi moved onto his side, slipping an arm around Eren’s waist. “You’re a loser, but that’s not a bad thing. I like you being a dork. But, what makes you feel like a loser?”  
  
Eren wiggled a bit. “When I do small things, you look at me like I’m an idiot. Like, when I kiss you on the cheeks in the morning, you just stare.”  
  
“Well, what am I supposed to do?”  
  
“I don’t know…”  
  
“Me neither,” Levi admitted. “This is why I generally hate people… I never know what they want me to say or think, or do.”  
  
Eren blinked a couple times. More adjusted to the darkness, he leaned up and kissed Levi on the cheek.  
  
“I appreciate it.”  
  
Eren suddenly laughed, hugging his stomach as he erupted with cackles.  
  
“Stop that!”  
  
Eren rolled over, pushing their chests together, and wrapped his arms around Levi’s neck, squeezing tight.  
  
“Stop! What the hell are you doing? Eren!”  
  
“We’re cuddling…” Eren grinned, planting another kiss on Levi’s face.  
  
Levi winced, slowly putting his arms around Eren. “I don’t cuddle.”  
  
“Never?”  
  
“Occasionally…” Levi frowned, “But I don’t tackle or grab people when I do it.”  
  
Eren just chuckled, placing his head in the hollow of Levi’s neck, nuzzling.  
  
Levi pursed his lips, looking away. “Night, Eren.”  
  
“Goodnight, Sir.”  
  
As much as Levi didn’t want to admit it… the embrace was kind of nice…


	8. The Second Week (1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Psst,* Chapter title, *Gasp!*
> 
> * * *

A very happy noise slipped through the slight part of Eren’s lips. He nuzzled the warmth—He didn’t know pillows came with heaters. That’s awesome. In his slumbering daze, he squeezed his pillow and nuzzled it a bit more. Wiggling a bit, Eren cuddled up against the incredible heat and smiled like the dork he truly was. He didn’t know why his pillow smelled like cologne, but it was nice to smell and gentle on his nose. He chuckled. “Pillows are… so silly.”  
  
“Is that so, Pup?”  
  
Eren lifted his head. He lazily opened one eye, then the other. He blinked a bit, light peering into his green eyes, and he saw a somewhat blurry figure. A huge grin formed on his lips. “Levi, Sir… you’re gorgeous.”  
  
Levi snickered, placing a hand on Eren’s brown hair, messing up the bedhead even further. “You really are something when you wake up.”  
  
“Mhm.” Eren closed his eyes, yawning a bit as he nuzzled Levi’s chest. He got comfy and smiled. “Pillows are so nice nowadays, Sir.”  
  
“I’m glad you think so.”  
  
Eren opened his eyes again. Taking a look at his pillow, he backed his head away and blinked about four times before staring blankly at Levi. “You… you’re my pillow.”  
  
Unable to hold it in, Levi laughed, tousling Eren’s hair. He shook his head, giving a soft sigh. “Now I know what Armin was talking about.”  
  
“Armin… was talking? When?”  
  
“Nothing, Pup. Good morning.”  
  
“Mornin’,” Eren mumbled. He pulled his arms away from Levi and began rubbing his eyes. He rolled over onto his back and yawned. “What time is it, Sir?”  
  
“Late.” Levi rolled over onto his side, resting his head on his arm. “It’s about eleven thirty, last I checked. We both slept in.”  
  
“Hmm, good.” Eren nodded. “It’s your first day off work, right? So you should sleep in.”  
  
Levi smiled softly, bringing up his other hand to poke Eren’s nose.  
  
Eren’s face distorted and he wiggled, shaking his head.  
  
Levi flashed a rare smile and rolled over, away from Eren. “I hope you don’t mind, I turned off your phone.”  
  
“Huh?” Eren blinked. “Why?”  
  
“Your alarm,” he reached for the phone at the bedside, “Went off, so I had to get out of bed and find it; of course, it was in your pants. I didn’t mind, then your second alarm went off, then your third. I didn’t know how many alarms you had – or why – but I just turned it off.” He grabbed the phone and offered it to the brunet. “Here.”  
  
“Thanks.” Eren took it and clicked the power button, holding it until the soft light came on. “Mm, yeah,” he mumbled, “I’ve got like… five, five or six alarms, in case I don’t wake up.”  
  
“Five… or six?”  
  
“Mhm.”  
  
Levi didn’t know why, but he leaned over and pressed his lips against Eren’s cheek, planting a small kiss.  
  
Eren smiled, dropping his phone on the bedsheets and slipping his arms around Levi’s neck.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
Too tired to hear the warning in his tone (or possibly just too sleepy to care), Eren just nuzzled Levi’s neck.  
  
“Such a fucking dork.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
“Get off, Mutt.”  
  
“No Sir.”  
  
“Eren…”

⁂

  
  
It only took two spanks to correct the behaviour. Eren jolted awake and instantly apologised. Levi could have made him beg for forgiveness, but with his messed up bedhead and big green puppy dog eyes… Levi found himself gracing Eren with leniency. He figured after the great sex from last night and extra three hours of rather nice sleep that it was okay to be just a little soft.  
  
The two of them eventually stepped into the bathroom.  
  
Eren cleaned Levi’s room and bathroom once a day, but it felt odd to be in there. It was a rather large bathroom with a large rain shower, three sinks, a massive mirror, a Jacuzzi that could fit three people, and several towel racks. All Eren was going to do was take a shower, but it felt like he was in the master’s lair or something.  
  
 _“Every ogre has a swamp,” Shrek whispered._  
  
“Stop it!” Eren closed his eyes and smacked his head repeatedly. “No!”  
  
Levi paused, glancing over his naked shoulder. “Eren?”  
  
Eren opened his eyes and just started laughing nervously.  
  
“What was that about?”  
  
“Um, well, I uh um, hmmm. _That_ is a good question!” He couldn’t exactly go spilling on about how he mentally imagining Levi as Shrek, or that he had done it before, several times. “Um, hey… You remember, my first day here? When you asked me what I was thinking about when I was drinking tea?—And I told you, how I didn’t want to be an old lady so you would kiss me?”  
  
Levi took in a very sharp breath. “Yes…”  
  
“Well, your response was something like, ‘I wish I didn’t ask’…” Eren laughed louder than he should have. “So, yeah, it’s one of those. You’re totally gonna regret asking.”  
  
Levi just nodded and faced forward. “I’ll respect your judgement.”  
  
“Thank you, Sir!”  
  
Levi silently chuckled, stepping into the shower, keeping the glass door open. He turned the knobs, hearing it move through the pipes before warm water rained down. “Do you like hot showers?”  
  
“Uh, yeah.” Eren looked up. The ‘nozzle’ of the shower was a large disc with the diameter the same length as his arm. He stepped under it and was surprised by how gentle the water fell over him. “Why do you ask?”  
  
“I like hot showers, some people don’t. Fucking freaks.” Levi moved his neck to the side, rubbing his shoulder. “Speaking of freaks, Armin’s a savage. Never take a shower with him. You’ll get sunburned, by water. The temperature’s Satan’s fucking ass.”  
  
Eren laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. He glanced over Levi’s body, staring at his back—the way his shoulder blades were so pronounced, and how he could see the little bumps of his spine, the strength of his shoulders and his arms… As soon as he saw Levi move his chin to glance over his shoulder, Eren looked away, trying not to look guilty.  
  
Levi was well aware Eren was oogling over his body, but he found it a little amusing. Contrary to common belief, sexual attraction was not necessary in Dominance and submission, but it definitely didn’t hurt.  
  
Eren felt a little awkward being naked with Levi, just because it was so casual. He knew it was something he was going to have to get used to, but that didn’t make it easier. The strength to stand naked, he repeated in his mind. That’s what Levi taught him. As a sub, he was supposed to strive for improvement. But it was still weird! He cringed and bit his lip, distracting himself with thoughts of chores and the smell of Levi’s skin, and how his fingers moved inside—Shit, no. He was so distracted by his own internal struggle, that when Levi slipped an arm around his waist he just screamed.  
  
Levi just stared, shaking his head. “I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do with you, sometimes.”  
  
“S-Sorry S-Sir!” Eren’s cheeks burned and he looked away. It was moments like these that their height difference was as clear as it could be, but Eren couldn’t help but feel small around Levi. He rubbed his arm and tried once again to distract himself. He glanced to the side, seeing a couple bottles of soap and shampoo. “Oh, my stuff’s in our bathroom, well my bathroom… I mean the one I share with Armin. Should I just use one of these?”  
  
“Sure.” Levi broke away from Eren, a faint smile curving the corners of his mouth. “Just use mine. It’s almost empty, so I have to open the next bottle anyway.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
Levi took over from there. He grabbed a spare shower sponge and scrubbed Eren like the clean freak he was; there was so much scrubbing that Eren’s arm became red. He felt like a clean fairy princess. He wasn’t sure why it was a fairy princess, but it was nice. It was almost like Levi was pampering him… with soap, a sponge, and pain. The idea became less romantic in his head the more he thought about it. When he was deemed ‘clean enough’, he stepped back and watched Levi scrub himself like a madman.  
  
All the while, Eren’s green eyes kept glancing to Levi’s side… He kept glancing to that line, the scar, the way it curved down then back up. Eren couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to run his finger over the ridges—what would it be like to run his tongue over that faint pink scar? Swallowing hard, Eren knew it wasn’t ever going to happen. Unless he did it while Levi was sleeping, but that would just be dishonest, wouldn’t it? No, not dishonest, since he wasn’t lying about anything, but it would just be one way of going behind Levi’s back and that wasn’t okay.  
  
With a sigh, Eren knew he needed to stop thinking about it. The water stopped, Levi was done, so Eren shook his head violently, throwing tiny droplets of water everywhere.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Ah!” Eren backed up against the wall, realising he probably hit Levi with fifty thousand water drops. “Sorry! It just, uh, it just saves time… for drying my hair.”  
  
Levi snorted, shaking his head. “One moment you’re staring at my scar and the next you forget I’m even here.”  
  
Eren meeped, very loudly.  
  
Levi looked away, eyes staring at a non-existent point. He scratched the back of his neck. “I know you’re curious, but it’s not something I want to discuss and it’s not something I’m ever going to tell you about.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“The scars.”  
  
“Oh!” Eren looked down at his feet like a scolded child. “That’s okay, Sir! I’m just, naturally really curious about things, but I know it bothers you and I don’t want to bother you. I wasn’t going to bring it up.”  
  
“Very curious,” Levi muttered. He cocked his head to the side, steel eyes sliding to Eren. “I like that about you, actually.”  
  
“You…” Eren looked up. “Do?”  
  
“Yeah. If a sub isn’t jumping for joy to try new things with his or her Dom, then… Well, there’s no right or wrong way to dominate and submit, but I just wouldn’t be interested. That sub wouldn’t be for me… I need them to have curiosity.”  
  
“Oh…”  
  
Levi suddenly smirked.  
  
Eren wasn’t sure why Levi looked so amused and it made him realise, even after a week, he barely understood that man.  
  


⁂

  
  
The rest of the morning went by well. They dried off, put on clothes, Levi made fun of Eren’s vest again, Eren then took it off, but was ordered to put it back on. Confused, startled, and looking like a poor lost puppy, Levi couldn’t help but kiss him softly. A smile, however tentative, returned on Eren’s face and they went down the stairs.  
  
Levi heard the light clanging of plates and cups and smiled as he entered the kitchen. “Morning, Armin.”  
  
“Morning Master!” Armin grinned from ear to ear, placing small square plates on the glass table. “Morning, Eren!”  
  
“Morning!” Eren grinned. With Armin bouncing around with so much energy, it was hard not to get excited. Eren realised a bouncy Armin was adorable and infectious. Even so, he couldn’t let Armin do all the work. “Here, let me help.”  
  
“No, no, it’s okay.” Armin turned and grabbed three mugs. “Great timing. You two sit, I made breakfast. Well, lunch, brunch, whatever.”  
  
Levi took his usual seat at the head of the table, crossing his legs. “Eren, make the coffee.”  
  
“No need,” Armin pushed Eren into a chair. “I already made tea, don’t worry.” He ran over to the kitchen table and grabbed a long plate and brought it to the table. On the plate was a long sponge cake, rolled up in a cylinder to look like a log. It had a very light brown exterior, with whipped cream running over the top. Armin grabbed a large knife and quickly cut Levi a slice, putting on his plate, before doing the same for Eren.  
  
“Wow,” Eren blinked, “Did you make this?”  
  
“Yeah!” Armin grinned, “I figured you two would sleep in, so I had the time to really go all out.”  
  
Levi tilted his head, looking at the slice on his plate. A small smile formed on his lips as steel eyes glanced up to the blond. “You look like you had fun.”  
  
“Mhm,” Armin nodded, “It’s been a while.”  
  
Eren stared at the cake, seeing the yellow of the sponge cake base and the white of cream and something red at the centre. “What kind of cake is it?”  
  
“Oh,” Armin cast him a nonchalant glance, “Congrats on the Sex, cake.”  
  
Eren’s face went red and he mumbled something that didn’t quite make sense to anyone.  
  
Levi just snickered.  
  
“Strawberry,” Armin giggled, “Strawberry with vanilla cream. Oh and I made oolong tea to go with it, the one that’s a bit bitter, so it’s sweet cake with bitter tea.” He turned around, grabbing the teapot. He brought it over and quickly began pouring.  
  
Levi muttered thanks as he grabbed a steaming mug, bringing it to his nose. “Is this the milk oolong?”  
  
“Yes, Sir!”  
  
“Hmm.” Levi glanced at it. “I thought we ran out of this blend?”  
  
“Well, now we did. We only had a couple teaspoons left. I had to mix it with a bit of Earl Grey just to make sure there was enough for a full pot.” Armin placed the teapot down and then served himself a slice of the cake. “Oh, we don’t have forks.”  
  
Eren looked up, “I can–”  
  
But Armin was already up. He grabbed three small forks from the drawer and placed them next to each plate. Taking a seat, finally, he grinned.  
  
Eren looked at Armin, seeing that huge smile on his face. Even if he was doing more ‘work’, he was clearly enjoying it. It made Eren smile, and he wondered how he could make it up to him. He grabbed the small fork, having a mini flashback to the scene in Titanic where the guy had to work his way in. He broke off a little piece of the cake, one that had enough of the cake itself and the cream. Physically, it looked incredibly simple, but when he scooped it into his mouth… He had to close his eyes. His insides were melting. Creamy, sweet, still a little warm, and with the right touch of strawberry.  
  
Before Eren had taken his first bite, Levi had already finished his piece. He washed the sweetness down with the oolong and black tea mix. “Armin,” he spoke lightly, “I actually liked the way you mixed these two blends. Remind me to bother Ymir next time for more oolong.”  
  
Armin began serving Levi another slice, but pouted all the while. “Sir.” He spoke flatly. “I’ll take care of it when I go for groceries. I’m sure the last place you want to go, now, is the shopping mall again.”  
  
Levi snorted, but gave a nod. Even if he was the Master and Armin was his slave, he knew better than to fight the blond on this. He could choose most battles, but not this one. He’d never win. He thanked Armin as he placed another slice on his plate.  
  
Eren looked between them, sensing something in the subtext.  
  
Armin noticed Eren’s face and he couldn’t help but chuckle. The way Eren looked so confused was adorable. “I didn’t have enough of one kind of tea, so I mixed it with another kind of tea.”  
  
“Oh, no, I got that.” Eren wiggled in his seat a bit, feeling like an idiot. “I just didn’t get that bit about shopping malls.”  
  
“Oh,” Armin smiled, “Well the place we buy our tea from is in the same shopping mall as Rivaille. The stores are actually next door to each other. Since it’s Levi’s week off, I just said the last place he wanted to go was back there.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren nodded, “Okay. I get it now.”  
  
“Congrats,” Levi muttered in a dry tone, shoving another piece of cake in his mouth to hide his smile.  


⁂

  
  
After breakfast—despite the protests—Eren helped Armin clean. The kitchen had a magical girl transformation into a spotless area, and they were pleased with their work. The two of them wondered where Levi wandered off to and found him in the T.V. room, sitting on a recliner chair, watching a shitty reality show.  
  
Eren took a seat on the couch, adjusting himself so he was leaning on the armrest and his legs were on the couch seats. Armin decided, since Eren took up the whole couch, he was very much entitled to the spot between Eren’s legs. He somehow got himself between both Eren’s arms and legs and leaned back on the brunet.  
  
The reality show was horrifying.  
  
It was about six women in their early twenties with too much money and too much attitude travelling the world. Levi heard about the show, from Marco, how it started off as a pretty good show about the world and travel and different culture, but with each season the stars got richer and more pampered. The way Marco put it, seven seasons of idol worship could destroy anyone.  
  
It seemed the point of the new season was to make ‘Zapper’ the new thing. Everything was so ‘Zapper’. The local food was zapper, the local musician was zapper, the wine was zapper, and the local landmark was extra zapper!  
  
Levi kept watching for some strange reason. “It’s been a while since I’ve wasted my life.”  
  
“It’s healthy,” Eren pointed out, “To do it every once in a while. Good for the soul, right Armin?”  
  
“Right!” Armin nodded once.  
  
“Hm,” Levi tilted his head. “Maybe. It’s nice, I guess. It’s like I’m dead but not full. It’s so… zapper.”  
  
Eren cringed.  
  
Armin refused to vocalise his thoughts.  
  
Levi made a face, disgusted with himself.  
  
Eren watched the T.V. but he eventually looked around the room. It felt… a little strange to just be so, so, domestic with the two of them. It was nice, really nice. He felt Armin wiggle a bit every once in a while, Levi occasionally casting a curious glance. He didn’t know how much time had passed but he eventually heard a soft sigh and he blinked. Armin was leaning on him, head turned a bit to press his forehead against Eren’s neck, eyes closed, soft breathing. “Oh, he fell asleep.”  
  
Levi nodded. “Armin has a bit of an irregular sleeping pattern. He dozes off every once in a while.”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren looked at him. “You told me, Sir.”  
  
“I did?” Levi thought back. “Oh, that’s right. I did.”  
  
Eren hugged Armin a bit tighter. He watched the closed eyelids, slightly parted lips, soft expression. “He’s adorable.”  
  
Levi chuckled, nodding. As soon as one of the girls on T.V. said ‘Zapper’ again, he yanked the remote and turned it off. He just couldn’t do it anymore. He got out of his seat and rubbed his neck. He cast a glance to his two subs, fighting the urge to smile. “I need a walk. Take care of Armin, will you?”  
  
Eren smiled. It wasn’t an order, but a request. “Of course, Sir.”  
  
Levi nodded and left the room.  
  
Eren heard the footsteps in the quiet hall. They sounded like they went up the stairs. He tilted his head, wondering how someone could take a walk up the stairs. He wondered if there was maybe some secret room he didn’t know about—His first thought was that he wasn’t dusting it once a day. Chuckling, he thought back to his chores. He knew he still had to sweep outside; that was usually done before the afternoon, but with sleeping in with Levi and having to be Armin’s pillow it looked like sleep was to blame, not him.  


⁂

  
  
Armin napped for another twenty minutes before his eyes fluttered open. He yawned and tried to stretch a little, but felt the resistance of Eren’s arms around him. Realising where he was, a smile formed on his lips and he curled up. He heard Eren chuckle and couldn’t help but softly laugh as well. “How long, did I,” he yawned again, “Sleep for?”  
  
“I have no idea,” Eren admitted. “But, what I do know, is that you were pretty cute the whole time.”  
  
“Charming.” Armin grinned, closing his eyes. “You’re nice to nap on, Eren.”  
  
“I am?” Eren squeezed him a little tighter. “Well, you can nap on me whenever you want. I mean it, anytime, anyplace. I promise.”  
  
Armin opened his blue eyes and eventually forced himself to back away from Eren just a little so he could place a small kiss on the tip of Eren’s nose. He grinned wide, watching the slightly startled expression. A coy smile formed on his lips and he leaned in slowly, closing his eyes again.  
  
Eren closed his eyes, feeling those soft lips on his. He felt his cheeks warm and almost whined when the kiss broke as soon as it began. He pouted.  
  
Armin chuckled, but then paused. He leaned in, then moved his head back.  
  
Eren blinked. “What?”  
  
“You smell like Levi.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren chuckled, “Yeah I used his body wash ‘cause I showered in his bathroom this morning. What, you don’t like it?”  
  
“Oh, I like it,” Armin explained. He wondered how to word it, then smiled. “It’s just, I guess I sort of like Levi on Levi, and you on you. Yours fits you better, but I still like it.”  
  
Eren leaned in and smooched Armin’s cheek.  
  
Armin smooched back, then looked around. “Where did Levi go?”  
  
“Oh, he said he was going for a walk… but he went upstairs, I think. I haven’t heard the front door open, but it’s pretty far away so I don’t know…”  
  
Armin suddenly frowned, wiggling out of Eren’s embrace. He stood up and crossed his arms, pursing his lips. “I’ve got to make sure he’s not working…”  
  
“Working? Isn’t it his week off?”  
  
“Yeah, it’s his week off, but… It’s not easy for him to leave his work at work. It’s pretty important to him, despite what he says, but he’s been digging his own grave with how hard he’s been working. I’m worried about him, a little.”  
  
Eren nodded. “Yeah… He seemed pretty, exhausted today.”  
  
Armin looked at him and smiled a very forced smile. “They do that to him. He says he’s going to take time off, so the company overworks him as much as they can while they still have him. Then, when he’s here, they keep bugging him, messaging him, and if I take my eyes off of him for a second, he’s probably working. He needs time off or he’ll burn out.”  
  
Eren pursed his lips. “Sounds rough…”  
  
“Yeah… He’s got his luxuries, but a lot of shit to put up with. He says he can’t complain since he’s got money, but… sometimes I wish he did. I mean, just because you’re not suffering as much as another person doesn’t mean you still can’t have problems, and it doesn’t mean you can’t vent… I mean stress builds up for everyone, and it’s only healthy to let it go and, and…” Armin suddenly realised he was rambling, so he looked away and scratched the back of his head. “Sorry.”  
  
“No, no,” Eren stood up, “Don’t be. You’re right.”  
  
“I didn’t mean to ramble.” Armin pulled out his phone, checking the time. “Shit, it’s almost two. We’re both behind on our chores. How about, you leave Levi to me, and we’ll both get to work, okay?”  
  
“Okay.” Eren leaned in, smooching Armin once more.  
  
Armin blinked twice, surprised. A smile formed on his face, cheeks warming. He turned and left the room, grinning like an idiot.  


⁂

  
  
Eren finished sweeping the front and now was working on the backyard. It was pretty easy: All he had to do, really, was sweep all the dust onto the grass and make sure the path was clear. He was busy listening to his music while he swept. It was a song halfway between techno and dubstep, but softer. He found it online under something called ‘Melodic Dubstep’. It was a bit weird, combined mechanical techno beats with the wavy bass of dubstep, plus a female singer in a whispering voice. Kind of cool, though.  
  
He finished sweeping and pulled his phone out of his pocket, checking the time—two thirty—and stuffed his phone back in.  
  
Eren placed the overpriced broom by the door and took another look at the backyard. His green eyes were drawn to the blue pool.  
  
His first day at this house Armin told him he was free to use it whenever.  
  
Wasn’t it heated?  
  
Something about a cleaning mechanism…?  
  
Eren tried to remember, but it had been a while… That, and he was pretty sure he was mentally noting how cute Armin was. Chuckling, he walked over to the pool and leaned down. He looked at the blue water and reached forward. He tapped the surface with a finger, sending mini ripples outward. “Oh wow, it is warm.” He slowly dipped his hand in.  
  
“I’ll push you in.”  
  
Eren yelped, spine going straight as he turned around. “Levi, Sir—Ah!”  
  
“Eren!”  
  
His feet fumbled and he felt himself fall. One moment he was looking at Levi, then everything was blue, with little white puffs. He blinked, realising he was staring at the sky.  
  
“Eren!” Levi had latched onto his collar, stopping him from falling in.  
  
Eren paused, looking at his Dom. “You caught me…” His cheeks flushed, “It’s a little romantic, Sir…”  
  
“You fucking idiot.” Levi rolled his eyes then gave a fierce tug, throwing Eren in the other direction.  
  
With another loud yelp, Eren was thrown forward faster than he expected. His couldn’t quite catch his footing and dove forward, taking one large shaky step after another, arms flailing in the air, before he tripped over red bricks and dove head first into a flowerbed.  
  
Levi just watched as soil was thrown every-which-where as Eren flailed in the dirt. He was clearly unimpressed, but a small sigh left his throat. “I guess it’s my fault… Scaring you is inherently a stupid fucking idea… Cause and effect.”  
  
“Aha!” Eren shouted as he stood up, covered in dirt. He suddenly saluted, “Sir!”  
  
Levi cringed and took a couple steps forward, closing the distance between them. “You’re not making anything better.”  
  
Eren winced and wondered what he could do to make it better. A brilliant idea crossed his mind, he leaned in for a kiss–  
  
“Don’t.” Levi hissed. “You’re covered in dirt, you filthy animal.”  
  
“Oh, sorry…” Eren scratched his cheek, somehow effectively making both his hand and his cheek dirtier. “I guess I’ll take another shower… I’ll go do that.”  
  
“Fuck no.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Levi’s steel eyes narrowed. “You’ll leave a trail of soil all over the house.”  
  
“Oh…”  
  
“Here,” Levi offered his hand, “Give me your phone and your wallet.”  
  
“Um, okay.” Eren reached in his pocket, pulling out his phone. “My wallet’s inside.”  
  
“Do you have anything else in your pockets?”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
“Good.”  
  
“Um, Sir?”  
  
“Yes, Eren?”  
  
“What are you going to do?”  
  
“I’m going to spray you with the garden hose.”  
  
Eren suddenly yelped, stepping back, once more tripping over the bricks and landing in the flower bed and causing soil to fly in the air.  


⁂

  
  
Endless plains of sand rolling, moving at the whim of sorceress, war waged against the tyrant who destroyed her country. Armin flipped the page of the book. He had picked this one out not because it seemed interesting, but just because it was a fantasy novel. In Levi’s collection, about half of the books were fiction, but only a couple were fantasy novels. Fantasy was always his favourite.  
  
Armin was on the third floor, lounging on one of the fancy sofas in Levi’s library. He flipped another page, reading about the sand empress. The book, overall, was pretty good. He just couldn’t see Levi reading it, though. He wondered if he bought it for one of his subs at one point.  
  
Majority of Levi’s fantasy novels were gifts for Armin.  
  
However, as Armin moved through the endless plains of sand, sudden screams snapped him out of his daze. He sat up and looked around, glancing to the window. He slipped in his green page marker and placed the book down on the coffee table. He walked over to the window, turning the lock and pushed it open.  
  
A light breeze blew in; and, as much as he wanted to enjoy it, the screaming became louder too.  
  
His blue eyes looked into the garden and he paused.  
  
Eren was naked in the garden, running in circles, flailing his arms wildly, screaming as Levi sprayed him with the garden hose.  
  
Armin just blinked.  
  
The nozzle of the hose was one with several settings, such as a gentle rain or a mist spray, but Levi had turned it to the high pressure mode, which was thin but long range. Supported by Eren’s screaming, it probably hurt a bit too.  
  
Armin kept staring. He didn’t try to understand what was going on. He figured if Eren was involved, he probably wouldn’t figure it out unless he asked directly. A small smile forming on his lips, he closed the window and locked it. He turned around and left the library; going into the hallway, he headed down the stairs. He stopped by their bedroom, slipping into the bathroom and grabbing a couple towels. Leaving the room, he walked down the stairs again and ended on the first floor.  
  
He made his way to the kitchen, flicking on the kettle. Eren would probably be freezing and warm tea was always a good thing. He placed the towels down on the kitchen counter and hummed to himself. He had the large tea bag from this morning. Since it was oolong tea, it could be reused several times. He added a spoonful of sugar to the teapot, knowing Eren would probably want it. After pouring the steaming water into the teapot, he grabbed the towels again and headed to the open door leading to the garden.  
  
“Sir!” Eren shouted, “Please Sir! I’m clean Sir!”  
  
Levi just kept spraying him.  
  
“Sir!”  
  
Armin couldn’t help but chuckle as he stepped out. “Master, don’t be too harsh on him.”  
  
“It’s okay.” Levi didn’t take his eyes off Eren. “He’s into BDSM, that means he likes pain.”  
  
“I like sexual pain!” Eren screamed liked a girl, jumping from one foot to another as Levi sprayed at his feet. “This is just cold water!”  
  
Levi laughed.  
  
“Master,” Armin said in his extra cute voice.  
  
“Fine.” Levi let go of the handle and tossed the garden hose on the grass.  
  
Eren sobbed a little.  
  
“Come here,” Armin cooed, “I brought towels.”  
  
“Oh,” Levi seemed impressed. He took a couple steps forward then pressed a kiss on Armin’s forehead. “Perfect.” He chuckled.  
  
Armin chuckled.  
  
Eren was not chuckling. He was sobbing.  
  
Armin threw the towel over Eren’s shoulder, watching him clutch to it like it was his lifeforce. He noticed a tear moving down Eren’s face and – even though he shouldn’t have – he couldn’t help but laugh. Feeling a little bad about it, he kissed Eren’s cheek. “Come on, let’s go inside. I’ll take care of you, okay?”  
  
Eren nodded about eight times.  
  
Glancing over to Levi, Armin tried to hide his smile. “Sir, it’s almost three. You have to call Hanji.”  
  
“Good Kitten,” Levi turned around. “I’ll do that now.”  


⁂

  
  
Nice and warm, clothed and sipping on hot tea, Eren sat at the kitchen table, sniffling a little bit.  
  
Armin used a small towel to dry Eren’s hair. “So, you shave.”  
  
“H-Huh?” Eren looked up.  
  
Armin looked down at him. “I peeked when you were naked… It’s only fair.”  
  
“I guess,” Eren sipped his drink. “You could have found that out earlier if you weren’t such a jerk-face tease.”  
  
Armin snickered.  
  
Eren grinned, looking up again. “You don’t like it?”  
  
“Huh? Oh, no I do.” Armin smiled, “I’m just a little surprised. You don’t seem like the kind of guy that would. I mean, I guessed you would trim, but I thought you would be closer to Levi I guess.” Armin waited until Eren was taking a sip before he whispered in his ear: “I’ll still go down on you, don’t you worry.”  
  
Eren choked on his drink.  
  
Armin covered his mouth with his hand, hiding his laugh. “You care a lot about what I think of you…”  
  
“Well… yeah,” he said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.  
  
He stepped away, heading to the fridge, small smile on his lips. “We had a pretty late breakfast, so I’m guessing we’re going to have a late lunch and late dinner…” He opened the fridge door. He couldn’t find anything inspiring so he looked over his shoulder. “Eren, what do you want me to make for lunch?”  
  
“Cucumber sandwiches!”  
  
Armin laughed, shaking his head. “Again?”  
  
“Well… why not?”  
  
“Okay,” Armin turned around, instantly grabbing what he needed. “I might add some smoked salmon and capers to it, make it a bit different.”  
  
“Ack! No!”  
  
“Hey!” Armin frowned, looking over his shoulder. “Knock it before you mock it!”  


⁂

  
  
Lunch was served, and Eren found it was pretty good… He still wasn’t a fan of salmon, preferred it without, but he was pretty sure Armin could serve him human flesh with parsley for decoration and he would want more. He ate about five sandwiches before Armin had to remind him that they were going to eat dinner later.  
  
Walking into the kitchen with a scowl, Levi grabbed a glass of water and sipped on it. “I’m going to kill Hanji.”  
  
Armin blinked, “Why?”  
  
“No reason, I just always want to kill Hanji. We actually had a nice conversation for once, but I still want to kill her.” He glanced to the table, “Cucumber sandwiches?” He grabbed one, a bit surprised Armin would make the same dish twice. He noticed the red, and took a bite. He chewed on it for a bit before giving a nod. “Nice.”  
  
“Thank you,” Armin smiled.  
  
“Armin,” Levi sipped his drink again, “Has Erwin called back?”  
  
“No, Master.”  
  
“I see…”  
  
Eren snickered.  
  
“Hm?” Armin blinked, glancing to Eren.  
  
“Just,” Eren grinned, “I like it when you call him Master.”  
  
“I called him Master?” Armin chuckled, “Sorry, it’s a habit now.”  
  
Levi shrugged. “You can call me whatever you want. I don’t give a fuck.”  
  
“Sir or Master?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Eren was still grinning. “What about Mister? Mister Levi. Lord Levi?”  
  
“Oh!” Armin’s eyes lit up. “Earl Levi?”  
  
“Duke Levi!”  
  
“What about Advisor?” Armin looked at his Master. “Advisor Levi… Councillor Levi.”  
  
Eren slammed his hands on the glass table, rattling everything. “Headmaster Levi!”  
  
“Oh!” Armin’s eyes went wide with arousal. “We’ve been such bad school boys, punish us Headmaster!”  
  
With both of his subs looking at him intensely, Levi just sipped his tea. He placed the mug down, clearing his throat. He looked at Eren, then to Armin, then to Eren again. “You two disappoint me…”  
  
Eren deflated.  
  
Armin just burst into a giggling fit.  


⁂

  
  
Once again, Armin tried to do all the cleaning himself and Eren knew there was no way he was going to let that happen, even when Armin gave the most adorable pout on the whole planet. With the two of them, it didn’t take long. Armin ended up giving Eren a kiss on the cheek before he poofed and disappeared off to somewhere. Eren felt his cheeks redden, but that left him alone in the kitchen. Deciding he would rather not be alone, he entered the living room to find Levi sitting on the couch, legs crossed, reading a book.  
  
Eren approached slowly as to not startle the man.  
  
Levi glanced to the side, a sly smile forming on his lips. “Needing entertainment, Pup?”  
  
Eren blinked, scratching the back of his head. “Well, no…” He took a seat next to Levi, sitting cross-legged on the sofa cushion. “It’s just a big house, and I was wondering where everyone went.”  
  
“I’m here,” Levi said with an amused tone.  
  
Eren pouted. “I know that.”  
  
Levi snorted, glancing back to his book.  
  
“What are you reading?”  
  
Levi flicked his wrist, turning the book so he could glance at the cover. “The total and utter state of nihilism caused by the death of ‘God’, in the mythological usage of the word. Nietzsche.”  
  
“Um…” Eren stared at Levi for a couple seconds before he tilted his head, “What?”  
  
“Nietzsche.” Levi frowned. “He’s a philosopher known for being a fuck up and a shit face and a moronic fucking genius, as most philosophers are.”  
  
Eren had a blank face.  
  
Levi smirked. He grabbed his bookmark, slipped it in, then tossed the book carelessly onto the coffee table. “I’ve had enough of his bullshit. You can lay your head in my lap if you want.”  
  
Eren suddenly smiled. He half wondered if Levi was giving him permission because he wanted him to; from what he understood of Levi, the man never openly expressed a desire for affectionate gestures or even just human proximity. Eren turned around and leaned back, resting his head in Levi’s lap with a dorky smile on his face. Even if Levi never expressed interest in being close to someone, surely he had to have a need for it (however small), Eren assumed. Everyone did, after all.  
  
Levi slipped his fingers into Eren’s hair. Looking down, he tilted his head ever so slightly. “I’m curious, Eren, do you have a religious view of any sort? Even just a view on theology?”  
  
“Um, not really.” Eren shrugged, not really knowing what theology even meant. “I don’t really know what I believe. I don’t really care, either… I just sort of live life day to day and don’t think too much about that stuff, Sir.”  
  
Levi smiled. “You’re simple… I like that.”  
  
“You do?”  
  
“Armin and I can discuss philosophy for hours,” Levi explained. “It’s nice, but he strongly believes one thing and I strongly believe the other. Our discussions are civil, of course. I’d fucking spank him if they weren’t, but I think if you don’t have a view you’d fit just fine with us.”  
  
Eren smiled, taking it as a compliment? “Um, can I ask why you asked, though?”  
  
“No reason, really.” Levi shrugged. “I could care less, but it was on my mind since I was just reading some faggot philosopher’s view.”  
  
“Faggot… philosopher?”  
  
“He got syphilis at a male brothel, or so the rumours go.”  
  
Eren laughed, not sure why he found that funny. “Well, if you and Armin ever have a philosophy talk thingy, you can leave me out. I probably wouldn’t even know what to say…”  
  
Levi continued to play with Eren’s hair, steel blue eyes glancing to deep green. “I’m pretty sure you can say something useful. You’ll play the fool.”  
  
“Oh, thanks!”  
  
Levi chuckled. “You know, fools used to be licensed.”  
  
Eren blinked. “What? Really?”  
  
“Mhm.” Levi nodded, tapping Eren’s nose and watching him make a face. An amused smile formed on his lips. “Fools, or jesters, or whatever, had to be licensed. They were supposed to entertain, but also criticise. They could point out folly, contradictions, hypocrites, without worrying about punishment. They had to be funny, stupid to an extent, but they also had to be witty, so they were obviously not always a moron. A fool had the privilege of talking his mind, no matter what it was about… Sure, if they went too far they got whipped – like how you’d get spanked – but by royal or noble decree, they were excused for whatever they did or said. I’m sure they’d give you a license if you asked.”  
  
“Hey!”  
  
Levi chuckled, slipping his hand back into Eren’s hair.  
  
Eren grinned, looking up at his Dom. “So… I guess I’m a nice contrast to Armin?”  
  
“Yeah. You can give me something he can’t.” Levi nodded, “And…” He almost seemed to hesitate. “You’re a contrast to me, in many ways. You can give Armin something I can’t.”  
  
Eren’s smile faded and he blinked. “You care for him… a lot, don’t you?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Eren’s smile returned, softer this time, but it struggled to stay afloat before it disappeared. “Levi, Sir… there, there are a lot of times… um… There are a lot of times when it’s just me and you, like now, I’m just wondering where Armin is. I don’t want him to be left out, or anything.”  
  
Levi paused. He glanced away for a moment before the very corners of his lips twitched upwards. “Armin is… I guess introverted is one word for it, but not quite what I’m looking for. I guess, he just needs a lot of ‘Me’ time, time by himself.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren nodded, “Okay.”  
  
“But, that being said…” Levi’s face became stern as he stared at no point in particular on the wall. “Since he’s moved in with me, Armin’s made a lot of close friends in the community… I know he’s not alone, but… when it comes to day to day, I get a bit worried, I guess. I worry about leaving him alone for so fucking long. Being introverted and wanting to be alone for a while, even a long while, is totally normal… But sometimes I wonder if he’s just too alone. Even the shitty housewives, and the househusbands, in this area get together for shitty gossip. But he’s alone when I’m at work… Too often.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard, thinking about it. “I guess everyone needs balance. Both extremes are bad… and all that generic stuff, right?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi continued to play with Eren’s hair, eyes still unfocused on nothing in particular.  
  
“You… you really do care about him.”  
  
“Of course,” Levi looked down. “It’s a part of our contract. He serves me, I take care of him.”  
  
“No, but…” Eren grinned, “You take care of him, yeah… but, you actually care about him a lot more than you let on.”  
  
“Well,” Levi almost looked offended, “He’s been with me for a long time. Of course I’m going to take care of him, he never even got a fair chance at life and…” He trailed off, realising he probably said too much already.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
Eren chuckled, looking up at his Dom. “You’re a nice guy, Levi.”  
  
“And you can go fuck yourself, Eren.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _EDIT: So here I asked my readers a couple questions (which you can still answer!) because my readers are important to me so I want their (and your!) opinion on some things._
> 
>  
> 
> 1) Would you mind if I turned this into a series?  
> -The universe of this fic is richer than any I have written before, and possibilities for sequels and prequels and side stories are abundant. My decision was that I would wait until this story and the side story are complete to decide.
> 
> 2) Would you guys mind me writing a side story?  
> -This is in reference to my fic Two-Sided, which is Part 3 of the Tentative Bliss series. It is a Ymir/Historia for Femslash-February (which ended up longer than I expected and was not finished in February). I was really scared about writing it, because I'm gay and have never actually seen girlbits in real life, LOL, but yeah. Do check it out! You learn a lot about Levi and Armin as well. 
> 
> 3) How are you enjoying TB so far? Is there anything that's sort of bothering you?  
> -A question every writer is dying to know. I have gotten so much support and so many awesome messages. But I have not gotten many critiques or concrit, and I just want you to know that you guys can give that to me if there's something that's bugging you or if you don't understand something or whatever. I guess I'm just sort of asking for general feedback. I'm willing to take anything into consideration! This was for Chapter 8, but the sentiment of me taking anything into consideration applies to the whole fic. 
> 
> Thank you again for reading.


	9. The Second Week (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Marklemore, because he was the inspiration for one of the scenes. 
> 
> Day 8 continues~!

* * *

 

 

“Hey!”  
  
Levi chuckled, slipping his hand back into Eren’s hair.  
  
Eren grinned, looking up at his Dom. “So… I guess I’m a nice contrast to Armin?”  
  
“Yeah. You can give me something he can’t.” Levi nodded, “And…” He almost seemed to hesitate. “You’re a contrast to me, in many ways. You can give Armin something I can’t.”  
  
Eren’s smile faded and he blinked. “You care for him… a lot, don’t you?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Eren’s smile returned, softer this time, but it struggled to stay afloat before it disappeared. “Levi, Sir… there, there are a lot of times… um… There are a lot of times when it’s just me and you, like now, I’m just wondering where Armin is. I don’t want him to be left out, or anything.”  
  
Levi paused. He glanced away for a moment before the very corners of his lips twitched upwards. “Armin is… I guess introverted is one word for it, but not quite what I’m looking for. I guess, he just needs a lot of ‘Me’ time, time by himself.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren nodded, “Okay.”  
  
“But, that being said…” Levi’s face became stern as he stared at no point in particular on the wall. “Since he’s moved in with me, Armin’s made a lot of close friends in the community… I know he’s not alone, but… when it comes to day to day, I get a bit worried, I guess. I worry about leaving him alone for so fucking long. Being introverted and wanting to be alone for a while, even a long while, is totally normal… But sometimes I wonder if he’s just too alone. Even the shitty housewives, and the househusbands, in this area get together for shitty gossip. But he’s alone when I’m at work… Too often.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard, thinking about it. “I guess everyone needs balance. Both extremes are bad… and all that generic stuff, right?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi continued to play with Eren’s hair, eyes still unfocused on nothing in particular.  
  
“You… you really do care about him.”  
  
“Of course,” Levi looked down. “It’s a part of our contract. He serves me, I take care of him.”  
  
“No, but…” Eren grinned, “You take care of him, yeah… but, you actually care about him a lot more than you let on.”  
  
“Well,” Levi almost looked offended, “He’s been with me for a long time. Of course I’m going to take care of him, he never even got a fair chance at life and…” He trailed off, realising he probably said too much already.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
Eren chuckled, looking up at his Dom. “You’re a nice guy, Levi.”  
  
“And you can go fuck yourself, Eren.”  
  
Eren snickered, knowing better to say anything. He looked up at his Dom, then his green eyes wandered to the ceiling. He couldn’t help but wonder where Armin was… Was he alone now? Eren made a face and suddenly sat up.  
  
“Pup?”  
  
Eren looked over his shoulder to Levi and offered a smile. “I’m gonna go bug Armin for a bit.”  
  
Levi just smirked, giving a little nod.  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin was in their bedroom, laying on his stomach, playing an app on his phone. It was fun at first but the novelty wore off within ten minutes and he was getting bored. When the door opened, he looked to the side and smiled at Eren. “Hey.”  
  
“Hey.” Eren got on the bed and crawled next to the blond. He moved onto his side and looked at Armin.  
  
Armin blinked, expecting Eren to do something. But after the small moment of silence, he chuckled. He should have figured he couldn’t expect anything normal from Eren. He looked back on his phone, deciding his game wasn’t that fun anymore. He hit the button at the top of his phone and flicked it to the side. He turned to Eren, giving him his attention. “What’s up?”  
  
“Nothing…”  
  
“Nothing?” Armin grinned.  
  
“Well, not nothing, but…” Eren shrugged, realising he had nothing to say. He leaned over and kissed Armin’s cheek.  
  
Armin was a little startled, but he smiled, cheeks warming ever so slightly. “You’re cute.”  
  
“Not as cute as you,” Eren said quickly.  
  
“Oh, really?”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren smirked, “You’re the cutest.”  
  
Armin laughed, a little nervously. Sure he’d been flirted with before—but Eren’s flirting and Levi’s flirting were night and day. He moved onto his side as well, facing Eren. He brought his index finger up and booped Eren’s nose.  
  
“Stop that!” Eren grabbed his nose with both hands. “You and Levi keep doing that! It’s not funny!”  
  
Armin laughed, light and airy, carefree. “Sorry, you just give the most perfect reaction.” He leaned over and kissed Eren’s hands.  
  
Slowly, Eren moved his hands away and tried to frown, but he ended up smiling. “You’re a dork.”  
  
“Me? I think _you’re_ the dork.”  
  
“No!” Eren sat up. “I’m not a dork!”  
  
“A total dork!” Armin sat up as well.  
  
“I am not!”  
  
“The first thing you said to me was that I don’t look like Shrek!”  
  
“Shush!” Eren frowned. “Don’t talk about him!”  
  
Armin couldn’t help himself—he leaned in and captured Eren’s mouth with his. He wasn’t sure what happened, but somehow Eren ended up lying on his back while he straddled his hips, leaning down as their lips were against each other.  
  
Eren grinned, laughing between the tiny breaths between the string of short kisses. Feeling more courageous than before, his hands grabbed Armin’s shoulders, then went down his sides, feeling the curve of his body, before stopping at the blond’s hips.  
  
Armin broke the kiss, hovering his mouth over the brunet’s. “Eren…”  
  
“I swear if you ask me to stop…”  
  
“I’m not trying to tease this time,” Armin admitted, “But we can’t fool around, I’ve got to cook dinner.”  
  
Eren practically sobbed. “Worst day ever.”  
  
Armin laughed, pecking a kiss on Eren’s lips. “Sorry.”  
  
“You’re such a tease…”  
  
“Not this time!” he defended, “You’re the one who came here to bug me. You were spending time with Levi, I didn’t plan on teasing you.”  
  
Eren opened his eyes. “Wait, so you planned the other ones?”  
  
“Sort of…” Armin admitted with a snicker.  
  
“You’re such an ass.”  
  
“You wish you had my tight ass.”  
  
Eren whimpered. “Tease!”  
  
“Okay, okay,” Armin laughed, “That was a bit mean… but after dinner, I’m free…”  
  
“Hnn…”  
  
Armin kissed Eren again, slower this time.  
  
Eren kissed back, hands sliding and wrapping around Armin’s waist.  
  
Armin broke the kiss and he paused. He opened his eyes, looking aside, contemplating something…  
  
Eren opened his eyes as well, pouting. “What are you planning?”  
  
“Nothing… well, maybe something…” He grabbed one of Eren’s arms, pulling it away from his waist. He took Eren’s hand then guided it to the opening of his shirt.  
  
Eren’s entire face heated up as his fingertips touched the smooth skin of Armin’s stomach. He swallowed hard, green eyes looking between Armin’s face and where his hand was, searching for some kind of answer.  
  
“Do you…?” Armin almost seemed, shy, “Do you… want to… feel my body?”  
  
“Y-Yeah…”  
  
Armin’s cheeks warmed and he guided Eren’s hand up his body, over his stomach, then chest.  
  
All the while, Eren was amazed at how incredibly soft the skin was. He closed his mouth in fear of saying something stupid and breathed through his nose. He could feel the body, skin on skin, the touch was almost electric in some ways. “Armin?”  
  
“Y-Yeah?”  
  
“Um… I thought you said we shouldn’t… start anything…” Eren fiercely blushed, “Because I’m hard.”  
  
“I think… I think I am too.”  
  
“You think?” Eren chuckled, looking down to Armin’s legs straddling his hips. He could indeed see something confined in the dark jeans. “Looks like you’re hard to me.”  
  
“Yeah,” Armin blushed, biting his lip. “S-Sorry!” He instantly hopped off the brunet. “I have to go cook dinner…”  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow, “Can I help?”  
  
“Sure, just, you know…”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Gimme a sec, to calm down…”  
  
“Oh. Right. Yeah. Sure.”  
  


⁂

  
  
The two of them eventually came down the stairs and entered the kitchen. Eren kept staring at Armin’s ass but tried to keep his mind clean. They had to make dinner, for Levi. The thought of disappointing his Dom was enough to scare all the dirty thoughts away… though, then again, the more Eren thought about it, maybe Levi would give him a spanking…  
  
A beep caught his attention.  
  
Eren glanced to Armin, who was preheating the oven. “So, what are we making?”  
  
“Stromboli,” Armin said simply.  
  
“Stormboiling, what?”  
  
“Stromboli.”  
  
“A what?”  
  
Armin brought a hand up to cover his mouth, chuckling. “Strom-bowl-ee.”  
  
“Oh. Stromboli.” Eren blinked a couple times then looked around the kitchen for some kind of clue. Not finding anything, he looked back at Armin. “What’s that?”  
  
“It’s basically… like a pizza, but in a sandwich form, because Levi thinks pizzas are disgusting and unclean and cheese strings horrify him. He had a nightmare about them once.”  
  
Eren was about to laugh but then he paused.  
  
“Yes. I’m serious.” Armin nodded slowly. “If you ever eat anything with melted cheese, cut the strings before you bring it to your mouth.”  
  
“Okay. Noted.” Eren tilted his head. “Levi’s got a lot of weird little quirks…”  
  
“Everyone does… We all just learn to deal with it, I guess. But he’s got enough money to make everyone around him accommodate them all, and he takes subs instead of boyfriends, so life is the way he wants it.”  
  
Eren listened. He didn’t hear any contempt or even jealousy from Armin. It was stated just as fact. Armin didn’t seem to mind it, but then again neither did he. “Well, he’s lucky I guess.”  
  
“I wouldn’t say that…” Armin began, but trailed off. “Anyway, we should get started.” He walked over to the fridge, opening the door with a tug. “Here.”  
  
Eren was instantly handed something cold in pink butcher’s wrapping paper, a green pepper, a red onion, and mushrooms. He struggled to balance it all as Armin kept handing him more and more things, before the fridge door finally closed.  
  
“Okay so, I’ll get you to chop the greens.” Armin grabbed a cutting board and a knife, placing it on the counter. “That’s the pepper,” he took the green pepper from Eren, “The onions,” he took the red onion, “And—Oh—the ham, one sec.” He opened the fridge again.  
  
“Ham counts as the greens?” Eren teased.  
  
Armin snickered, “Shush. Just put that stuff down and start chopping, okay?”  
  
“I got all this stuff…”  
  
“So put it down.”  
  
“Yes, Sir!”  
  
Armin grinned. “Sir, huh? That sounds nice. No wonder Levi likes it.”  
  
Eren chuckled. He put the rest of the stuff down and grabbed the greens. He gave them a quick rinse under the tap then placed them on the cutting board. “So,” he took the knife, “How big do you want me to cut them?”  
  
“Little squares, if you can.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
Meanwhile, Armin grabbed the cooked ham placed in a plastic container. He had prepared it last night. He placed it next to the cutting board. “Same size as the rest.”  
  
“Sure thing,” Eren nodded.  
  
He grabbed the mushrooms, washing them carefully before breaking them into small uneven pieces with his hand and putting them in a bowl. He hummed a little as he worked. When he was done, he quickly grabbed a baking tray and layered it with a cookie sheet. He went back to the fridge and looked for the pizza dough he had made this morning while the cake was in the oven. Finding it, he took it out and closed the fridge door.  
  
Eren had finished chopping everything up and looked over his shoulder. “All done!”  
  
Armin smiled as he laid the pizza dough flat in a square on the cookie sheet. “Okay.” He looked left, then right, then snatched a plastic bag. “Can you put the pepperoni slices and the cheese on the dough? Leave about an inch uncovered though.”  
  
Eren blinked, turning around and stepping behind the blond. “An inch?”  
  
“It’s going to be folded,” he explained. “It just makes it easier.”  
  
“Oh, okay. Sure… Uh, how much is an inch?”  
  
Armin looked over his shoulder. “A seventh of Levi’s dick.”  
  
“Ahuhah,” Eren sputtered, backing away.  
  
Armin laughed, throwing his head back. He eventually calmed down and grabbed a toothpick. “Sorry. You’re just too easy to tease, Eren.”  
  
Eren grumbled and stepped closer. “So how much is an inch?”  
  
Armin kept a straight face. “A fifth of my dick.”  
  
Eren slapped both hands against his face. “Armin!”  
  
Armin tried to suppress his giggling, but ended up bursting into loud laughter again. His laugh was light and airy, and contagious, and probably sounded more like an evil cackle than anything else.  
  
“A-Armin!”  
  
“S-S,” Armin wheezed, “Sorry!”  
  
Eren removed his hands and took a deep breath.  
  
“Okay, now the cheese.” Armin grabbed the plastic bag of pepperoni slices and stifled his laughter. “I grated a whole bunch this morning, it should be in the fridge in a Tupperware thing.”  
  
Eren quickly found it and offered it to the blond. “This?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
He popped the top. “So, what kind of cheese is this?”  
  
“I mixed a bunch: Mozzarella, Asiago, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Romano, gouda, Fontina, and Emmental.”  
  
“I know…” Eren thought about it, “Two. I know two of those.”  
  
Armin grinned. “Just sprinkle a bit of cheese on it first, then the pepperoni, then the rest of the cheese.” He used the toothpick and marked an inch on each corner of the pizza dough. “Just keep between these little holes, okay?”  
  
“Sounds simple enough.”  
  
Opening the drawer beneath them, Armin ducked down. He grabbed a large pan that was wide and curved like a bowl. He headed to the side, where there was an electric outlet. He untangled the cord wrapped around the handle and plugged it in.  
  
Eren blinked. “Did you just…?”  
  
Armin looked at him, “What?”  
  
“Are you charging a pan?”  
  
Armin laughed, looking at what was in his hand. “It’s an electric wok. You just plug it in and it heats up.”  
  
“Um, what’s a wok?”  
  
Armin grinned. He knew if Levi was around the Dom would say something about his little savage. Glancing over to Eren, it was kinda true, in a cute way. “A wok is… basically it’s a big pan that you use to fry or stir fry or stewing… or a bunch of stuff really. Traditionally it’s over an open fire, but now they have electric woks that can usually keep the heat even.”  
  
“Oh… so can I try?”  
  
“Um,” Armin gave a nervous laugh, “Well, electric woks usually can’t hit the high temperatures traditional ones can… but this bad boy can, but that’s because he’s like two thousand dollars.”  
  
Eren screamed.  
  
Armin burst into a giggling fit, mumbling apologies between breaths.  
  
“Yeah, no, keep that thing away from me, Arm—I’m gonna break it.”  
  
Armin just grinned. “Okay.” He unwrapped the pink butcher’s wrapping paper and threw a block of ground beef onto the pan; it instantly sizzled and cracked. He used a long metal spatula to break the meat apart.  
  
Eren began putting the pieces of pepperoni on the pizza dough. “So… Wow, two thousand on a wok. Levi’s got money to burn. I wish I had that kinda money.”  
  
“Yeah, but how often are you going to buy a two thousand dollar pan?” Armin chuckled. “He’s actually kind of cheap with his money, but when he wants something he’s going to buy the best there is. He never settles for second rate.”  
  
Eren paused, blinking. He looked up. “It’s weird… I’ve been here a week. I still can’t see this big huge place as my home…”  
  
Armin stopped, glancing over his shoulder. “Do you mean like… you can’t see the big house as your home, or you don’t feel at home?”  
  
“I feel at home.” Eren nodded. “Don’t worry about that, I guess it just feels a little unreal. Not that my family was poor or anything, but this is a little ridiculous. Two thousand dollar pans, that broom I use to sweep outside is like two hundred dollars, and this whole place is just massive… Levi said his house was worth billions.”  
  
“Mostly the location,” Armin spoke softly. “The land is where most of the money is, but yeah his house is worth a lot.”  
  
“I don’t…” Eren frowned a little. “I don’t want to sound like an ass or anything…”  
  
Armin kept stirring the ground beef.  
  
“But, like… I don’t know. Is Levi… good with his money?”  
  
“Good?”  
  
“I just, like, does he donate or something?” Eren looked over his shoulder. “I just think, that’s a lot of money for one person… Even if he’s a great Dom, he could still be an asshole I’d rather not serve, you know?”  
  
“Well,” Armin began, but–  
  
“You’ve got your priorities, Pup.”  
  
Both subs froze.  
  
Levi leaned on the entrance to the kitchen, arms crossed.  
  
Eren nervously glanced over. “S-Sir…”  
  
While Levi usually liked seeing a bit of fear on Eren’s face, he could hardly take pleasure in their current situation. “You’re interested in my finances, now? That’s a bit of a question to ask considering you’ve been here for a week. I’ve kicked subs out in less time, ask Armin.”  
  
“It’s true.” Armin focused on the food to distract himself. “Most subs don’t make it past a week.”  
  
“Well…” Eren began slowly.  
  
Levi kept his face expressionless. “Well what?”  
  
“Well,” Eren wondered what he should do. A part of him wanted to just run and hide and cry, but another part of him… “I don’t want to serve a selfish jerk, Sir.”  
  
An amused smile formed on Levi’s lips. “Is that so? And if I was a selfish jerk?”  
  
“I’ll…” He felt his hands shake. “I’ll, pack my stuff… I guess.”  
  
Levi laughed, loudly.  
  
Armin tensed, not taking his eyes off the browning meat.  
  
Eren just swallowed hard. “You said… the first day I was here, you said… the difference between a sub and a slave is individuality, right? A slave surrenders everything they are to you, but a sub is an individual who submits to you, right? You said you wanted me to have my individuality.”  
  
Levi nodded. “And?”  
  
“I guess, that’s a part of me as an individual,” Eren shrugged. “I don’t like selfish bastards, even if they’re good Doms.”  
  
Levi pushed off the wall, arms uncrossing. “I like you.”  
  
Eren blinked. “What?”  
  
“I said I like you.” Levi shrugged. “If you really want to know: Yes, I donate. No, I’m not a selfish bastard. Yes, I want you to have individuality. And, yes, I like your individuality.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
“I don’t really pay taxes though, but I don’t feel bad about that.” Levi shifted his head to the side, cracking his neck. “Donating, among other things, gives tax credits for deductions. I donate to the point I barely pay anything. Not that I want to pay any taxes to this municipality. They’re rich and pretentious and I’d rather they fuck my corpse than take my money, it’s bullshit.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren replied. He wanted to smack himself in the face for the dumb reply. “I’m… I’m sorry if I spoke out of line, Sir.”  
  
Levi smirked. “It’s fine. I think I’ve made what I want from my subs clear; you’re more than justified to tell me what you want from your Dom. Not dating an ass-hat is a perfectly valid requirement. I hate them too. It’s why I have yet to make friends with any of my neighbours.”  
  
“Except Krista,” Armin added.  
  
“She’s down the road. Doesn’t count.”  
  
“Yes it does, Master.”  
  
“Fine. I still want to stab her parents.”  
  
Armin grinned. “I think we all do.”  
  
“Yeah.” Levi rolled his eyes. “If they ever come over, I’m forcing them in the pool and they will drown.”  
  
Eren chuckled. He didn’t know how morbid humour made the situation a little lighter, but leave it to Levi to do something like that.  
  
“So,” Levi glanced to Eren. “What are you two making?”  
  
“The uh storm boiler.”  
  
Armin snickered. “Stromboli.”  
  
Levi made a ‘tsk’ noise. “Armin, I know what you’re doing. Don’t you dare think it slipped past me.”  
  
Armin grinned from ear to ear. “Whatever could you mean?”  
  
“I’ll fucking spank you.” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “You used to do the same shit on me.”  
  
Armin just stirred the pan. “Well if you spanked me, the food would burn.”  
  
Levi gave an amused smile. “You’re such a little shit.”  
  
“Yes, Master.”  
  
Eren blinked, helplessly looking between the two of them.  
  
“Pup, don’t worry about it.” Levi turned around and glanced over his shoulder. “Armin?”  
  
“Yes, Sir?”  
  
“See me after,” he mumbled, then left.  
  
Eren looked at Armin’s back, expecting some kind of reply, but he got nothing. “So done here. What do you want me to do?”  
  
“Oh, can you get the chopped stuff and just throw it in the pan?”  
  
“Okay.” Eren grabbed the chopping board, where everything was nicely chopped on, and lifted it carefully. He walked over to Armin and tilted the board over the wok. He used the knife to scrape all the little bits in and he heard the sizzle and crackles of the food below. “There.”  
  
“Thank you,” Armin quickly stole a kiss before mixing everything in the pan. “Can you get the red sauce from the fridge?”  
  
Eren blushed a bit from the kiss and gave a little nod. He opened the fridge door and scanned for red. “Where is it?”  
  
“Should be near the bottom.”  
  
“Near the bottom? Oh.” He grabbed a jar and read the label. “Marinara?”  
  
“Yeah that’s the one.”  
  
“Marinara?” Eren closed the fridge door. “Aren’t you supposed to put pizza sauce on pizza?”  
  
Armin snorted, quickly bringing a hand up to cover his nose. “Pizza sauce is just tomato sauce. Marinara is tomato sauce with some herbs and some other stuff.”  
  
“Oh…” Eren kept staring at the jar. “So what’s like, pasta tomato sauce?”  
  
“Well they’re all just tomato sauces,” Armin explained, “They just have different things blended with the tomatoes. Depends on the brand, too. You can use pasta sauce for pizza, or pizza sauce for pasta or whatever. It might taste a little different but some people prefer it that way. The only thing you have to worry about is consistency. Some pasta sauce brands might be too watery and make your dough soggy.”  
  
“Oh…” Eren blinked. “I don’t think I’m gonna remember any of this.”  
  
Armin laughed, shaking his head. “Just give me the jar, Eren.”  
  
“Oh. Sorry. Here.”  
  
Armin grabbed the jar and undid the top. He poured about a quarter of it in the pan then offered it back to Eren. “Back in the fridge.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
Armin liked having a sous chef, or maybe more of a kitchen manservant. He wasn’t sure. He mixed the stuffing mix he was making then flicked a switch at the bottom of the electric pan, turning it off. He unplugged the wok and brought it over to the pizza dough. He glanced to the oven, making sure it was preheated, before he began pouring the mix onto the dough.  
  
Eren watched with interest. “So what do you do now?”  
  
“Roll it,” Armin began doing as he said, rolling the dough, over and over. “A pizza is baked flat, a calzone is basically just a folded pizza, but a Stromboli, which… should actually be pronounced Strom-bull-ee, not Strom-bowl-ee, since that’s how you pronounce the volcanic island in Italy, but you know, whatever, a Stromboli is a rolled up pizza. It’s about getting the spiral going.” He pinched the sides, making sure nothing would fall out. “There. You basically just cook it like a loaf of bread, well a higher temperature but it’s the same thing.” He grabbed a toothpick and stabbed several air holes along the length of the Stromboli. “Quiz time!”  
  
“Qu-Quiz time?” Eren jumped back a bit.  
  
Armin grabbed a mini bowl with some kind of yellowish white mixture inside. “What’s an egg wash?”  
  
“Oh,” Eren smiled, “That’s when you wash something with an egg!”  
  
Armin pouted. He didn’t reply. He just ran the egg wash over the dough, making sure to not fill in the holes of the toothpick. “Can you open the oven door for me?”  
  
Eren quickly moved and opened it.  
  
Armin shoved it in and then closed the door. He set the timer then smiled. “Thirty minutes and we’re done.”  
  
“Thirty minutes, huh?” Eren smiled a little. “I think I know what we can do for thirty minutes…”  
  
Armin grinned, “Oh really?”  
  
“Uhuh,” he slipped his arms around the blond’s waist.  
  
“Eren,” Armin chuckled. “I have to talk to Levi…”  
  
“Nhgh.” Eren cringed. “Cockblocked by my Dom.”  
  
Armin kissed Eren’s cheek. “I’ll come right back.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin walked to the living room and saw Levi reading a book. He rolled his eyes when he saw the cover and slipped into his Master’s lap. “Nietzsche again? He’s full of shit.”  
  
“Well. Depends on the theorem.” Levi snapped the book closed, tossing it on the coffee table. He moved one arm behind the sofa and tilted his head ever so slightly. “His master and slave morality was right… Although I think he was talking about a different kind of master and slave than we are. He’s still right.”  
  
“No he isn’t,” Armin frowned. “That’s like saying Marx was right about the fall of capitalism.”  
  
“Was he wrong?”  
  
Armin laughed. “You’re not going to convince me on this. We’re still in a capitalist society.”  
  
“You’re looking at it outside of the historical context,” Levi playfully wagged his finger. “When Karl Marx said capitalism would eventually fall, he was right. He thought capitalism would fall and communism would take over. He was wrong about that. But that’s only because Marx never foresaw unions, socialised health care, unemployment benefits, low-income support, family aid, old age security. Sure, we’re still capitalist, we weren’t so dramatic as to become communists, but he was right—He knew a change was going to happen, and it did.”  
  
Armin rolled his eyes. “Come on.”  
  
“What?” Levi chuckled. “You disagree?”  
  
“Yes. Yes I do. Marx published his book in the eighteen hundreds, but the _petite bourgeoisie_ was already alive and well in France at the time.”  
  
Levi smirked, “But they were nothing compared to our modern middle class.”  
  
Armin paused, thinking it over. “Maybe.”  
  
“Maybe?”  
  
“You’re giving him too much credit. All he said was a change would happen and, lo and behold, in a hundred years change so happened to happen.”  
  
“Ever the cynic.”  
  
“Are you one to really comment on someone else being cynical?”  
  
“Point, taken.”  
  
“I think,” Armin spoke in a polite tone, “That we should agree to disagree.”  
  
Levi snorted, then shrugged. “As you wish, Kitten.” He brought his hand up and scratched the underside of Armin’s chin. “I love how you challenge me.”  
  
“I enjoy doing it.” A full smile appeared on Armin’s lips and he dipped his head to kiss Levi’s neck.  
  
“So much better than the common vulgar shit for idiots I have to work with every day,” Levi almost purred.  
  
Armin knew where this would go, so he chuckled and moved away. “You called for me, Master? I think Eren might break something if I make him wait anymore…”  
  
Levi laughed, nodding. “I’m eyeing you, Armin.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“Let me guess what’s on the menu for tomorrow,” Levi mused, “Steak?”  
  
Armin giggled. “Am I that predictable?”  
  
“Only because I’ve known you for so long.” Levi smiled softly. “I caught the pattern when you did it to me. Every time we went to Lolfa, two days later, the best steak I’ve had in my life. You needed to make sure you were my number one cook.”  
  
Armin blushed a bit, unable to hide his smile. He hugged his arm, rubbing it nervously. “It’s just, one of my few hobbies…”  
  
“But what I did notice,” Levi spoke in a dangerous tone, “Is that you don’t do that for me anymore, only because you know you’ll always be my favourite chef. So, I wonder, who are you trying to impress this time, Kitten?”  
  
Armin bit his lip, knowing it was a rhetorical question.  
  
“Tell me… How are things with Eren? I don’t think I’ve seen you get along with a sub so well before.”  
  
Armin took a deep breath, smile fading.  
  
Levi suddenly frowned, concerned.  
  
“I guess… it’s sort of like… It’s nice.” Armin looked down. “I’ve always sort of been… secondary.”  
  
“Secondary?”  
  
“Well,” Armin said, “Every sub that comes here is _your_ sub. They come here for you… and I guess, liking me isn’t necessary. I mean they have to get along with me, have to work with me… but none of them have to really even care if I exist. Maybe a little, because we share chores, but… I keep thinking back to when you made Eren watch us. If another sub had control over my punishment, they’d try not to punish me because they’re not a jerk and it’s probably a selfish reason, like they wouldn’t want me to punish them you know? But with Eren… he actually didn’t want me to be punished because he cared about me.”  
  
Levi listened to every word.  
  
“He’s a good person.”  
  
“He is.”  
  
Armin glanced up to Levi, hugging his knees. “Were you upset when he asked you about your money?”  
  
“Hm,” Levi thought about it. “A little, at first. I quickly realised he didn’t care about my finances or my money.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Levi smirked. “For someone so smart, you sure have your ‘blond moments’.”  
  
“M-Master!” Armin pouted.  
  
Levi snickered. “Sorry. I just meant, he didn’t care what I was doing with my money. He didn’t want to push for me to do what he wanted me to do. He’s just a good person and he wanted to make sure his company was too. He didn’t care about specifics; in fact, I highly doubt it was about money at all, I just think he wanted to know what kind of person I was. I don’t know what his story is, but his parents must have raised him right. He’s got ethics.”  
  
“Morals,” Armin corrected.  
  
Levi’s left eye twitched. “What?”  
  
“Ethics and morals aren’t the same thing,” he said with a smile.  
  
“Oh. Whatever.” He rolled his eyes. “He’s got morals. He figures if someone’s got more money than they could ever use, then they should be doing at least some good with it. It’s common sense, but too many people in this neighbourhood couldn’t be fucked about it. I don’t hold it against him for asking.”  
  
Armin nodded. “Thanks… I’m glad.”  
  
Levi opened his mouth, about to speak when he looked over to the side.  
  
“Uh,” Eren stepped in, eyes shifting from Armin to Levi to Armin to Levi to Armin. “The um, I wasn’t, sorry I didn’t barge in on anything did I?”  
  
“No,” Levi said simply.  
  
“Oh well, the uh, the oven beeped and I don’t know what to do…”  
  
Levi graced them with one of his rare, wide smiles and shook his head. “One moment we’re discussing different philosophies on political systems and theories over a hundred years old, the next we’re dealing with our Pup getting scared by beeping ovens.”  
  
“I, I, I, just don’t want Armin’s food to burn! He works so hard on it!”  
  
Armin slipped off Levi’s lap, smiling. “The beep means there’s only two minutes left on the timer. It’ll beep again at one minute, and then beep like ten times when it’s done.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren watched as Armin walked past him. He glanced over to his Dom.  
  
Levi stood up slowly and walked over to Eren. He grabbed the back of Eren’s head and pulled him down for a quick kiss.  
  
Eren blinked. “Um, Sir?”  
  
“That was a thank you,” Levi explained.  
  
“Uh… for what?”  
  
“Nothing.” He smirked.  
  
“Nothing?” Eren pouted a bit.  
  
Levi brought a hand up, cupping Eren’s cheek. He opened his mouth to say something, but then decided against it. He left for the kitchen.  
  
Eren blinked. He was left alone rather confused.  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin tossed together some raw baby spinach and made an impromptu salad to go along with the main course, and he hummed to himself as he sang, a nursery rhyme of some sorts.  
  
“Hey,” Eren whispered.  
  
Levi took his usual seat, at the head of the table, and he glanced over to Eren, sitting to his right. He wasn’t sure why Eren was whispering, but he decided to go along with the stupid game, so he replied in a low tone as well: “Yeah?”  
  
“That song he’s humming…” Eren motioned towards Armin with a nudge of his head. “Do you know what it is?”  
  
Levi glanced over to Armin, taking the time to listen to the tune. He instantly frowned and sighed.  
  
Eren blinked. “Sir?”  
  
“Nothing,” Levi closed his eyes, shaking his head. “I… Well, yes, I know the tune… I don’t know the song, though. I know his…” Levi glanced sidelong to the kitchen, making sure Armin was out of earshot before he looked at Eren again. “His brother used to hum the same song. I suppose their parents must have taught it to them.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened. “Armin has a brother?”  
  
“Shh.” Levi snarled, glancing to see if Armin heard anything. If he did, he must have pretended not to. The humming still went on, so Levi just assumed he didn’t hear. His eyes moved to Eren and he frowned. “I’m not going to get mad at you, because there’s was no way for you to know, but I’m going to warn you once and only once. When it comes to Armin, certain topics are off limits when he’s around. The biggest one is family. Do, not, ask. Do you understand, Pup? Do. Not. Ask.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard, nodding three times. “Y-Yes, S-Sir.”  
  
“Good boy.” Levi motioned for Eren to lean in.  
  
He did.  
  
Levi moved a hand under Eren’s chin and scratched lightly. “You’re a good sub, Eren. Just listen to my warnings and we’ll all be one big jolly group with tons of sex and God knows what else. Got it?”  
  
“Yes, Sir!”  
  
At that time, Armin came to the table with the Stromboli. It had expanded in the oven a bit and it smelled like a pizza heaven. Armin placed it down and grabbed a rather large knife. He slowly sliced a large piece. When the piece fell from the rest of the large meal, there were gooey cheese strings and several colourful toppings fell out. Armin cut the cheese strings, blue eyes flicking up to Eren to remind him of what they talked about earlier, before he moved the first piece onto his plate. He cut several pieces, each one of them relatively thick and placed them on everyone’s plate. He then tossed the salad once and then served. “There!”  
  
Eren grabbed his fork and knife and poked at his Stromboli slices. He glanced up to Levi and Armin, wondering how they ate it.  
  
Levi cut small pieces with his fork and knife and then brought it to his mouth carefully.  
  
Armin was a lot less proper by just shoving the spiral rings in his mouth and letting his inner soul melt and be happy.  
  
Eren decided to just go ahead and do what Armin did. He scooped up the slice, blew on it several times then popped it in his mouth. He moaned. The warm, gooey cheese was mixed with the flavourful beef and ham and pepperoni, and the crunch of the green peppers and the hint of something else. His eyes closed to half-mast before closing for good. Goodbye world. It was nice knowing you. Eren felt his soul lift out of his chest. He was soaring into the next world. But not before his next bite. He grabbed the next slice and shoved it in his mouth.  
  
“Don’t forget your salad,” Armin teased.  
  
Eren chewed and swallowed, calling his soul back from the next plane of existence so he could talk. “I’m not going to forget!”  
  
Armin just grinned.  
  
“Plus,” Eren pouted, “It’s not like it’s a super complex salad.”  
  
Levi’s eyes flicked up. Either Eren didn’t mean it the way that sounded or, bam, shots fired.  
  
Armin’s left eye twitched. “Excuse you… Spinach salad is one of the healthiest sides. It so happens to be extremely simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad in any way.”  
  
“Well, yeah,” Eren said, “But it’s not like you worked super hard on it.”  
  
“Well at least I know how to cook.” Armin shoved a forkful of spinach in his mouth.  
  
“I,” Levi spoke, breaking the little scuffle, “I just had a wonderful idea.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Sorry, Sir, what?”  
  
Levi looked at Eren, then Armin, then smiled a dangerous smile.  
  
Armin swallowed hard. “We were just teasing each other, Master, it wasn’t an issue.”  
  
“Oh, I know.” Levi nodded, glancing to Eren. “I had a wonderful idea for a game we could play.”  
  
“Game!?” Eren’s eyes lit up. He suddenly remembered Levi’s last game. Look away from Armin and he’ll get punished. Eren instantly deflated, becoming extremely small in his seat. “A g-game?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi laughed. “I’m a fucking genius is what I am.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Despite the heavy air, all it took was a couple more bites of the celestial food to bring the mood up again.  
  
After dinner ended, Levi instructed both of them to put the leftovers in the fridge, clean up, and then get him a glass of water and come back when they were done. He had moved to Eren’s seat and motioned for both of them to sit across from him, where he could see them both at the same time. He tilted his head, ever so slightly, adoring the little glimpses of horror.  
  
The way Armin hugged his arm, the way Eren twiddled his thumbs, the way Armin’s eyes would shift to the side every so often, the way Eren was subconsciously tapping on the floor with his toes…  
  
It wasn’t what he was talking about earlier, but he realised it could be considered a game on its own.  
  
“Well,” Levi crossed his arms, “You two haven’t fucked yet, right?”  
  
“No Sir,” Armin replied.  
  
Levi frowned. “The last time we played a game, when I had Eren watch us, I had been hoping to fix that. I don’t understand. You two get along. You two are obviously attracted to each other. Is there any reason you two want to play Virgin Mary instead of getting down and dirty with each other?”  
  
Armin’s cheeks reddened and he gave a nervous laugh instead of replying.  
  
Levi’s steel eyes moved to Eren. “Answer me. Now.”  
  
“S-Sir!” Eren used his outside voice, “It’s Armin’s fault, Sir!”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“He keeps being a little tease!” Eren blurted out, not thinking about what he was saying, “I’ve wanted to get d-d-down and d-dirty with him for a while, Sir!”  
  
Levi’s eyes shifted to Armin. “Explain.”  
  
“Eren’s fun to tease,” Armin shrugged. “It’s cute.”  
  
Levi paused for a moment, before his lips curved into a smirk. “Well, then let’s play a game. I want both of you to give it your all. I am going to be brutally honest here: If you don’t do your best, I will terminate your contract with me, and I will not renew it. No exceptions.”  
  
Both Eren and Armin tensed.  
  
Levi could tell the fact that he was not horsing around got through to them. “Eren.”  
  
“Y-Yes, S-Sir?”  
  
“Do you remember your first day here, when I asked you not to have sex for a while?”  
  
Eren groaned.  
  
“You were entertaining under forced chastity.”  
  
Armin glanced to Eren, then to Levi… He couldn’t help but wonder what the man was up to.  
  
Eren shrunk a little. “What are you gonna make me do?”  
  
“If you don’t want to be kicked out of this household, you have to abide by these conditions: You must remain celibate and chaste for a week. You cannot have sex with anyone. You cannot touch yourself. You cannot find any form of sexual relief in this week, or our contact will become null and void, and I will not renew it. Do you understand me?”  
  
Eren swallowed hard. “Yes, Sir…”  
  
Levi nodded then turned to the blond. “Armin.”  
  
“Yes, Master?”  
  
“If you don’t want to be kicked out of this household, you have to abide by this condition: You have one week to make Eren sleep with you.”  
  
“Wait!” Eren shouted, “That’s not fair!”  
  
Levi blinked. “Oh, it’s not? Why would you say that, Eren?”  
  
“B-B-Because…” Eren pouted, “If I win, then Armin is kicked out, and if Armin wins, I get kicked out. There’s no way for both of us to win…”  
  
“Oh,” Levi nodded, “I see what you mean. No, it’s not. It’s not fair. Either way, Armin, you have one week to make Eren sleep with you or our contract will become null and void, and I will not renew it. Do you understand me?”  
  
“Y-Yes…” Armin’s eyes widened. “S-Sir… You’re, you’re…”  
  
Levi gave a sweet smile, which looked so unnatural on his face. “This week will be you versus Eren.”  
  
“But!” Eren stuttered, stumbling with his words until he went quiet. He looked at Armin, seeing the fear in the blond’s eyes. He glanced back to his Dom. “Sir, I can’t. I can’t go against Armin… I’m supposed to work with him to fulfil your desires.”  
  
“And my desires, Pup, is entertainment. I’m not getting any younger. Think of it as a death match. Very few things are as fun as a death match.”  
  
“That’s,” Armin mumbled, “Not fair.”  
  
“I think it’s pretty fair, actually.” Levi grabbed his glass of water and sipped slowly. “Would it be any other contest, one of you would have an advantage. This is a fairly even playing field, all other things are decently equal. Unless, of course, one of you don’t want to be my sub?”  
  
“Of course I do,” Eren whispered.  
  
Armin didn’t have to reply. He just glared at Levi for even bothering to ask.  
  
“Then, let’s get down with this. May best bottom bitch win.” He waited then tilted his head, looking to Armin. “And what the fuck are you waiting for, Arlert?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, on the questions from last chapter, you guys were almost all in favour for the prequel and series idea~! So I went ahead and begun it for Femslash February. You can click the little link to see the series~!
> 
>  **Important:** Just because I've had questions about this before, remember to subscribe to the series if you want updates. I know not everyone is a fan of femslash, but after TB I may be adding more to the Eren, Armin, and Levi trio.


	10. The Second Week (3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 8 continues again~!

* * *

 

Screaming, Eren ran down the hall; his arms and legs flailed every which-where as he bolted away from the short blond chasing him.  
  
“Give me your dick, damnit!”  
  
Eren screeched, charging into the kitchen for the third time. He moved from the kitchen to the living room, to the backyard. All the while, he could hear the angry steps behind him and he felt his eyes water. He dashed around the house to the front door and yanked it open. Slamming it behind him, he locked the door and took a deep breath. Taking the short moment to breathe, he was panting hard.  
  
The lock began to jimmy.  
  
Eren’s eyes widened.  
  
Armin had a key.  
  
He screamed like a little girl and scampered up the steps—Armin continuing the chase—He went up to the second floor, then the third.  
  
“Your cock is mine!”  
  
Eren didn’t know where to go when he got to the third floor hallway. He couldn’t go in Levi’s room; that was just a bad idea, so he scrambled in place, socks sliding across the smooth wood floor. He looked at the library and threw himself forward. He quickly turned the corner around a bookshelf and pressed his back against it.  
  
Silence.  
  
Eren could hear his own breathing so he clutched his mouth. He heard the softest of footsteps and tried to follow the direction they were going. Armin was right behind him. Eren had lived most of his life without any beliefs but he decided now was a great time to become religious. He prayed to God or whatever gods were out there, to grace him with the survival of not being attacked by the cute, sexy… blond… His breathing became more ragged and he realised he was imagining things someone in his position should not have been imagining.  
  
Armin’s footsteps moved to the side.  
  
Eren silently slid in the other direction.  
  
Armin paused.  
  
Eren paused. It was only then he noticed how much energy he had spent: They had both broken up quite a sweat. He had never wanted to be surrounded by so many books before in his life.  
  
A thud.  
  
Eren looked to the right, seeing a book thrown on the floor. His eyes widened, realising it was a distraction. He turned around and screamed for the nth time, as a blond slammed him up against the bookshelf.  
  
Both of their breaths ragged, Armin grinding their hips against each other.  
  
“Fuck…”  
  
Armin kissed Eren’s neck, tracing his tongue up the curve to his jawline before nibbling a bit. He slipped a hand into Eren’s brown hair and brought their lips together.  
  
Eren moaned into the kiss, hands moving to the blond’s waist. He pulled Armin closer. Taking another deep breath out of his nose, he broke the kiss and looked away. “You threw a book!”  
  
“Forget it!”  
  
“The pages could be torn!”  
  
“It landed flat!”  
  
“You could have damaged it!”  
  
“The empress of sand was a shitty Mary Sue!” Armin grunted. “I want you.”  
  
“I, I, I, I w-want you too!” Eren was about to say something else, but the feeling of Armin’s hot mouth on his neck made him shiver. Fuck. He needed to think of something fast. He was hard, and so was Armin. “I…” Shit, shit, shit. “I like unicorns!”  
  
Armin backed away a bit. “What?”  
  
Eren took his chance: He broke away and turned the corner. He charged out of the library, but his feet scrambled on the ground. “Levi! Sir!” He suddenly saluted, slamming his fist over his heart, back going straight.  
  
Levi blinked. He had never seen the salute Eren had made before. “You can ignore me.”  
  
At that moment, Armin ran out of the library; upon seeing Eren saluting to Levi, he suddenly saluted as well. “Sir!”  
  
“You’re both idiots…” Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m heading to bed early. Don’t forget your chores. As much fun as this game is, and considering what’s at stake… Well, don’t forget that’s how you earn your keep. Night.”  
  
Armin kept his salute. “Goodnight, Master, Sir!”  
  
“Oh shit!” Eren’s eyes widened, “My chores!”  
  
Levi said nothing as Eren whizzed by him. He glanced to Armin.  
  
Armin dropped the stance and looked at his Master. “Uh… so, I should let him do his stuff, right?”  
  
Levi just smirked and walked past the blond.  
  
Armin bit his lip. He mulled it over in his head then decided to go down two flights of stairs. Back in the kitchen, he glanced over to Eren who was staring at him.  
  
“I’m dusting!”  
  
“Okay.” Armin offered a peaceful smile. “Let me help.”  
  
Eren’s eyes narrowed.  
  
“You helped me with dinner…”  
  
“I don’t trust you!”  
  
Armin laughed. “I have a week. We can make a truce until tomorrow. I’ll still get you.”  
  
Eren tilted his head. “Okay… I guess…”  


⁂

  
  
As they finished the rest of Eren’s chores together, Armin stayed true to his truce. He didn’t try anything. The two of them went up the stairs together and crashed on the bed. Eren stripped his clothes, down to a shirt and boxers, and Armin did the same. After turning off the lights, the two subs slipped in the sheets.  
  
Eren was lying on his side. He stared at Armin, who was looking at the ceiling. Even in the dark, he could see the tenseness. “What is it?”  
  
Armin looked over. “I’m just sort of… Nothing, sorry. It’s just been a long day, I think.”  
  
Eren nodded slowly. “Yeah, it has.”  
  
Armin pouted a bit then rolled so he was closer to Eren. “I want a hug.”  
  
Eren grinned and slipped both arms around the blond, pulling against his chest.  
  
Armin nuzzled Eren’s shirt, taking in the forest-like scent. “Mmm, better.”  
  
Eren tugged the sheets, making sure they were both covered and smiled. He pressed his face against Armin’s soft blond hair. Strawberry Splash, he remembered, grinning.  
  
“Perfect,” Armin mumbled in his sleepy voice.  
  
“I’m so going to lose,” Eren realised.  
  
Armin shook his head. “You’ve been good at evading me so far.”  
  
“Yeah, but… I mean, a week?—And I can’t even fap.”  
  
Armin snickered. Closing his eyes, it didn’t take him long to drift off.  
  
Eren sighed, nuzzling Armin’s cheek. “I’m so fucked.”  


⁂

  
  
The next morning, Armin slipped out of bed with a yawn. While it would be easy to wake up Eren with hot kisses, he decided against it. He quickly dressed, wearing athletic shorts and the shirt he had been wearing before. He slipped a white headband around his head, glancing to the clock. He was a little early so he figured he could take his time.  
  
He stepped out into the hallway, pausing. He listened for any sound, a sign that Levi was awake, and wasn’t surprised when he heard nothing. He skipped down the stairs and eventually made his way out the door.  
  
Choosing an upbeat song, he started running.  
  
He bit his lip as he ran, mind racing with thoughts.  
  
He did, however, slow down as he passed the Reiss house.  
  
A blonde girl was waiting for him on the sidewalk. Wearing short shorts, a sporty shirt, and having her hair tied up in a ponytail, Krista offered her a little wave. “Hey!”  
  
“Hey,” Armin smiled. “Coming along today?”  
  
“Yeah, I need a run. I drank so much last night, it was one of those times I puked and kept saying ‘never again’.”  
  
“Ouch… that bad?”  
  
“Oh yeah.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Well, Marco invited Ymir and me out for a night of drinks, and Jean was convinced he could out-drink me.”  
  
Armin snickered. “I take it you won?”  
  
Krista put both her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. “Undefeated champion!”  
  
Armin shook his head, a huge smile on his face.  
  
Krista’s smile faded and she hugged her arm. “It’s okay if I come along today, right?”  
  
“Yeah,” Armin blinked, “Why?”  
  
“You okay?” Krista tilted her head. “I just noticed, you looked sort of… Well, like you were thinking, I don’t know.”  
  
“Yeah…” Armin ran on the spot a bit to warm up again. “I can use the company. You ready?”  
  
“Mhm!” Krista smiled sweetly and the two of them began running.  
  
All the while, Armin kept thinking, only slightly derailed every once in a while by realising Krista was staring at him. When they made it to the halfway point, they both stopped for the usual break.  
  
“You seem nervous…”  
  
“Nervous… well…”  
  
Krista tilted her head.  
  
And then it all spilled out, every detail of the game Levi had made them play.  
  
Krista just stared, wide-eyed. “Can he, can he even do that?”  
  
“Yeah, he has before. I mean…” Armin smiled. “Even if I lose, I’m sure he’ll let me stay at his house. Part of our contract says he’s going to give me residence for thirty days, but even after that, he won’t throw me on the streets. But, I guess my contract with Levi will be cut.”  
  
Krista blinked. “Not forever, though, right?”  
  
“No. No… I hope not, at least. I don’t know. I’m just…”  
  
“Armin… what is it?”  
  
“Well, I’ve seen him do this before.” Armin’s eyes looked off to the view of the ocean, watching the sun shimmer a path along it. “I feel like this is some kind of game to him.”  
  
“Isn’t it supposed to be a game?”  
  
“W-Well, yeah, but, I think, what I mean to say is… I’m trying to figure out what he wants out of it.”  
  
“You’re trying to find out his reason for doing it?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Krista crossed her arms. “I guess you could always talk to one of his other subs? Marco was with you guys for four months, wasn’t he?”  
  
“Yeah…” Armin rubbed his shoulder. “But, well, he’s never done this kind of thing with me before.”  
  
Krista tilted her head, green eyes focused on Armin. “You said you’ve seen him do this thing befo—Oh, when you were staying with him, before you were his sub?”  
  
Armin nodded.  
  
“Could you ask one of them?”  
  
Armin took a deep breath, shaking his head. “It’s been three years.”  
  
Krista’s eyes never left the blond. She had a feeling that was not the real reason he didn’t want to ask any of them. Still, she played along: “That’s a good point.”  


⁂

  
  
Armin came back from his run. His talk with Krista, as well as another quick chat when they stopped by her place, ate away at the time. He was ten minutes late when he got home. He tugged off his headband and made his way up the stairs. He entered his room and as soon as he turned to the bathroom, the door opened.  
  
Eren stood in front of him, shirtless, towel wrapped around his waist.  
  
Armin eyed him up and down.  
  
Eren, like usual, proceeded to scream like a girl and slam the door shut.  
  
Armin snickered and slowly began to strip his clothes off. “Hurry up, okay?”  
  
“Okay okay!”  
  
He didn’t have to wait long before they switched places. Armin stepped into the shower and the scalding water burned good. The whole bathroom smelled like Eren’s body wash and a huge grin formed on Armin’s face. He gave a happy little sigh. He washed his hair thoroughly, letting the water run over his body. He cleaned himself off quickly. He knew he should hurry downstairs and get breakfast started, but he stayed where he was, lost in thought.  


⁂

  
  
Eren began setting the table. He placed three plates, cutlery for each, and three mugs.  
  
Levi, for the most part, looked well rested. He was scrolling through something on his phone, but he glanced over to Eren. “Armin is taking his time.”  
  
“I held him up this morning by accident, Sir. I’m sorry.”  
  
“It’s fine.” Levi glanced to the kitchen. “Hm. Get me coffee, would you?”  
  
“Okay.” Eren grabbed one of the mugs and walked to the counter. He grabbed the coffee pot and began pouring… and then he realised he was not pouring. He popped the lid. It was empty. He glanced to Levi. “Um, Sir, how?”  
  
“Sorry?”  
  
“Well uh, how do I give you a cup?”  
  
“You’ve done it before, Pup.”  
  
“Yeah, coffee with a bit of the purple milk… but like?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
Eren looked around the kitchen. “Where’s the uh, coffee, um powder thing?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Well you uh, to make coffee you put the powder stuff in the machine, right?”  
  
“What machine?” Levi snapped. “Just pour the coffee.”  
  
“But there’s no coffee in the coffee, sir!”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
Eren lifted the pot. “It’s empty!”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“No one’s made coffee…”  
  
“Oh.” Levi frowned. “Then make it.”  
  
Eren pouted. “How?”  
  
“You just, you do.”  
  
“Sir…”  
  
“You put the coffee powder thing in the funnel paper thing and then put water and press the button. It’s not that hard.”  
  
“Oh. Okay.” Eren looked around. “Where’s the coffee powder thing?”  
  
Levi’s steel eyes glanced to the side. “Good, you’re here.”  
  
Armin walked in, towel drying his hair. “I’m sorry I’m late, Master.”  
  
“You have good timing.” Levi cleared his throat. “Eren wants to know where we keep our coffee powder.”  
  
“Um…” Armin tilted his head. “Sorry, what?”  
  
“Coffee powder… Geez, Armin.” Eren shook his head. “The uh, dust stuff.”  
  
Armin blinked before pinching both of Eren’s cheeks. “Oh you poor thing… Just, just sit down. I’ll take care of it.”  
  
“No.” Levi frowned. “I want Eren to learn.”  
  
“Or,” Armin whispered, “You want to learn yourself…”  
  
“What did you say, Armin?”  
  
“Nothing Master.”  
  
“That’s what I thought.”  
  
Armin snickered. “Anyway, there’s no coffee powder… It’s ground coffee beans. Coffee powder is what you use to make instant coffee.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren looked around. “So where are the ground coffee beans?”  
  
“Well, we don’t have any.” Armin chuckled.  
  
Levi frowned, “Why not? You get groceries don’t you?”  
  
Armin chuckled even more. “We have coffee beans. I grind them myself to keep the freshness, it makes it taste better.”  
  
“Wow.” Eren nodded. “I feel like an idiot.”  
  
“Well,” Armin chuckled, “Don’t feel bad. It’s my kitchen after all.”  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Your kitchen?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“Not Levi’s?”  
  
“Nope, it’s mine.”  
  
“I don’t think so,” Eren chuckled.  
  
Armin’s eyes narrowed before shifting to the side. “Master,” his voice sharp and curt. “Whose kitchen is it?”  
  
Levi looked up from the table, glancing to Eren. “I can’t cook for shit’s tits—it’s Armin’s kitchen.”  
  
Armin stuck his tongue out before turning around.  
  
Eren chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “So let me help with something.”  
  
“Oh, could you grab the thing?” Armin asked.  
  
“Um, what thing?”  
  
“The thing.”  
  
“What thing?”  
  
“The, thing.”  
  
“Armin…” Eren tilted his head. “What thing?”  
  
“The thing.”  
  
“Armin!”  
  
“Okay, okay.” Armin frowned. He grabbed Eren’s hand and then began guiding it. There was the feeling of skin on skin, almost electric.  
  
“Armin, my hand’s going down your pants.”  
  
“Mhm.”  
  
Eren yelped, yanking his hand back. “We had a truce!”  
  
“Last night we did,” Armin stuck his tongue out then swiped it along his lips, before softly nibbling on the corner of his bottom lip, doing his best to look as seductive as possible.  
  
Sinful, Eren realised. That was the only way to describe how Armin looked. He promptly did a one eighty and walked to the table. He took his usual seat and looked at the glass table. He tried to think of unsexy thoughts, like cabbage, or buildings or jellyfish or pollution, or Shrek—“Fuck!”  
  
Levi glanced up and watched Eren smack his own head. He ended up looking at his phone again. “Eren?”  
  
“Yes,” Eren paused, “Sir?”  
  
“Have your balls dropped?”  
  
“U-Um, wh-what!?” Eren’s face suddenly burned and he blinked. “What?  
  
“Have your balls dropped?”  
  
Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Eren shifted in his seat. “U-Uh, yeah… why?”  
  
“No reason in particular, I suppose.” Levi kept scrolling through an email on his phone. “I’m just impressed. You hit some high notes when you were being chased. I was curious. Everything went fine when you hit puberty?”  
  
“Y-Yes, Sir.” Eren cringed. “Everything went fine.”  
  
Levi just nodded.  
  
Armin walked back with two steaming mugs. “Coffee’s ready.”  
  
“That was fast,” Levi looked up then his steel eyes followed the mugs. “I thought the coffee machine takes a while?”  
  
“It does, so I used the French Press. Tell me how you like the taste when it cools, Sir.” Armin’s blue eyes flicked to Eren. “You too.”  
  
Eren’s eyes narrowed on the blond. “Thanks…”  
  
Armin giggled as he went back into the kitchen.  
  
Levi snickered. He saw Eren look at him and a small smile curved on his lips. “I knew turning you two on each other was a good idea. I bet if Armin just sang the alphabet in your ear you’d lose your shit, scream, cry a little, then end up in bed with him.”  
  
Eren frowned. “I have more control than that, Sir.”  
  
“Ayy,” Armin purred, “Bee…”  
  
“St-Stop!” Eren cried out, shaking and shuddering like an earthquake in his chair.  
  
Levi blinked. “Two letters. So much control, Pup.”  
  
Eren pouted. “How about we play a game called let’s not poke fun at Eren.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Armin whispered. He slipped a hand under Eren’s chin and used one finger to turn his head to the side. Armin leaned down, capturing those lips with his own. Slowly, he licked the seam between their lips then slipped his tongue into Eren’s mouth.  
  
Eren moaned into the kiss, eyes rolling to the back of his head.  
  
Armin opened one eye. He glanced down to Eren’s lap then slowly moved his hand and pressed it over Eren’s crotch.  
  
Breaking the kiss with a yelp, Eren smacked Armin’s hand.  
  
“Ow!”  
  
“Oh—Oh shit, sorry!” Eren realised what he did and grabbed Armin’s hand before kissing it.  
  
Armin felt his cheeks warm. He felt stupid (especially since his hand had been on Eren’s dick a second ago) but the fact that Eren was technically holding his hand and kissing his owie better made something deep inside him melt.  
  
“Kitten,” Levi raised his voice, “I think the food’s burning.”  
  
It was finally Armin’s turn to make a loud noise as he zoomed back into the kitchen.  
  
Levi snickered twice before glancing back to his phone.  
  
Eren examined Levi for a moment before frowning. “You’re on your phone a lot. You’re not working, are you?”  
  
Levi blinked. It felt oddly like the beginning of an interrogation. His eyes shifted to Eren slowly. “Sorry?”  
  
Eren kept his frown. “I’m supposed to make sure you’re not working on your vacation.”  
  
Levi paused.  
  
Eren half expected to be yelled at.  
  
Instead, the Dom hit the top button, causing the bright screen to fade to black. He put his phone down on the glass table and leaned back in his chair. He crossed his legs. “I was only checking my emails, Pup. It’ll be exhausting to deal with if I left them all for next Monday.”  
  
“Huh… Well, maybe, but you can always start on Saturday, or something, Sir.”  
  
“Oh,” Levi smiled, “You’re adorable.”  
  
Eren blinked. “H-Huh?”  
  
Levi laughed, loud, almost mocking. “You have no idea how many emails and messages I get every d–” He was cut off by the beep and he grabbed his phone. He scanned the message before rolling his eyes. “Fuck you too. I’m going to fire someone.”  
  
“Not someone I like, I hope,” Armin easily balanced three plates before setting them down.  
  
Eren looked down at his plate. They were scrambled eggs with a dash of dark green parsley on top served with grilled mini tomatoes, bright red, still on the vine. “Wow.”  
  
Levi smiled and grabbed his fork.  
  
The meal went by mostly in silence. The eggs were fluffy and soft, still a little on the moist side, and the tomatoes were warm and juicy. He found the coffee a little stronger than usual but he noticed Armin compensated it by adding more milk to his drink, which is why it was a paler brown colour. The food was too good to really talk through, but after Eren finished his plate, he looked up to see Armin was already done. He offered the blond a smile. “Geez, Arm, you cook so well… How do you do it?”  
  
Armin felt his cheeks warm and he looked away. “It was just eggs.”  
  
“Best eggs I’ve ever had!”  
  
“It’s not that hard,” Armin chuckled. “The trick is to cook on low-to-medium heat. A lot of people cook on high heat, which is fine, but the heat denatures a lot of the proteins, which is why most eggs are a bit more chewier.”  
  
Levi soon finished as well then gulped down his coffee.  
  
Eren grinned. “You’re amazing.”  
  
“Geez, Eren, anyone can learn to cook.”  
  
Levi placed his mug down. “Not everyone.”  
  
Armin tried not to smile too wide. “Screwing up a couple times at first is normal.”  
  
Eren snickered, glancing to the Dom. “You can’t cook, Sir?”  
  
Levi met Eren’s glance with a stare. “I burned water.”  
  
Eren laughed louder than he should have and instantly covered his mouth.  
  
Levi shrugged, not caring. “Without Armin around, I’m sure you couldn’t do better.”  
  
“No Sir,” Eren agreed. “He does most of the work.”  
  
“It’s nice having help though.” Armin laughed.  
  
“So,” Eren tilted his head, “How did you learn to cook? I can see you being a self-taught kind of guy, but you’re so good at it, someone had to teach you right?”  
  
“Uh… yeah…”  
  
Eren paused. He noticed Armin’s expression fade and he tilted his head. “I just meant like, did you take lessons or did…”  
  
Armin froze, shoulder curling inwards, hands clenching into fists.  
  
“More coffee,” Levi muttered, a little more quickly than he normally would have.  
  
Armin didn’t notice the screech of his chair when he stood up. “Yes Sir.” His shaking hand grabbed Levi’s cup before he turned around and headed into the kitchen.  
  
Eren blinked. He watched the blond leave then turned to Levi. “I’m… sorry.”  
  
“It’s okay.” Levi stared at a nonexistent point on the glass table. “It’s not your fault.”  
  
“I…” Eren cringed. “I feel bad. It feels like I keep bringing up bad topics.”  
  
“It’s just bad luck, trust me.”  
  
Eren didn’t look convinced.  
  
“Think of it this way, Pup: You’re taking a stroll on a minefield. You’re fucked no matter what you do.” Levi knew the words were no comfort, though the despairing look on Eren’s face, watching those big puppy eyes beg him for it not to be so, and the way his lower lip almost wibbled, all of it just reinforced what he already knew. “Don’t worry about it, just–”  
  
The home phone rang.  
  
Armin placed the cup of coffee down for Levi before grabbing a grey phone. He checked the caller ID before he answered and brought it to his ear. “Hello?... O-Oh,” his voice suddenly changed, becoming lighter. “Hello, Sir.” His cheeks flushed. “Yes, it has been a while. Two months, was it?... I’m sure, I could do something to alleviate your frustrations, Sir…” A nervous chuckle left his lips.  
  
Eren glanced to Levi, expecting some kind of answer.  
  
Levi frowned, wondering who the hell else Armin would call ‘Sir’.  
  
Armin laughed again. “I would very much enjoy that… Yes, yes he is… One moment.” Armin offered the phone to Levi. “It’s Erwin.”  
  
Levi mouthed the word ‘Oh’ before grabbing the phone. “Of course it’s you, who the hell else would have the indecency to flirt with _my_ slave?”  
  
Eren blinked then looked to Armin.  
  
Armin, doing a complete one eighty, was dancing a bit on his feet, cheeks red, chuckling.  
  
“I’m fine,” Levi muttered, “And how are you old man?... Forty is considered old… Only a couple years, doesn’t matter.” Levi smirked. “Oh, I see. So that’s why you haven’t been returning my calls… No, Hanji did not mention that bit… Yes, she’s useless as ever… Maybe that’s why you love her, but it certainly isn’t why I love her… Say that again and I’ll cut your fucking dick off. Anyway, when will you be back?” There was a little pause as Levi listened. “Fine, be that way… No, fuck _you_ … Fine. I’ll talk to you later. Night night. Don’t let the bed bugs bite, you shit stain.” Levi hung up then offered the phone to Armin.  
  
Armin took the phone and placed it on the charger. “You wished him goodnight?”  
  
“He’s across the globe,” Levi explained.  
  
“Huh,” Armin thought about it, “He did sound a bit tired.”  
  
“Eren.” Levi looked at the brunet, trying not to focus on how cute the confusion made him look (he could just imagine little wolf ears at the top of Eren’s head drooping because he felt left out). “You should watch out. I think Armin’s a little aroused right now.”  
  
Eren gulped.  


⁂

  
  
Breakfast ended later than usual, so Eren got right to his chores. He was amazed at how easy his job was with the broom… that being said, he had a lot of dirt to clean up from his… whatever the hell it could be called when Levi threw him into a flower bed. He looked around the garden, wondering who tended to all the flowers. He couldn’t see Levi getting his hands all dirty, but Armin didn’t mention it. Maybe they hired a gardener? That’s what rich people did, right?  
  
He shrugged, not caring too much as he swept.  
  
A part of him did care, only because as days went on he realised more and more Armin was undertaking far more tasks than he was. He reminded himself to bring it up with the cute blond later. He burst into a smile. Armin was cute, really cute. He was a weird mix of sexy and cute and Eren had no idea how something so adorable could be so tempting.  
  
He shook his head, a vain attempt to shake away the thoughts. He paused his sweeping and frowned.  
  
Levi said he was a good contrast to Armin.  
  
Eren could give Armin something Levi couldn’t, in the same way Eren could give Levi something Armin couldn’t. This death match of ‘bottom bitches’ seemed to invalidate that. Eren blinked, realising invalidate was a big word.  
  
In some ways, Armin gave him contrast to Levi too.  
  
Levi was his Dom, and he was devoted to him. The attraction between them was undisputable, and in some ways it was addictive. Levi’s voice was smooth, but his orders were harsh. Eren thought back to when he was on his knees, feeling Levi’s manhood slide in and out of his mouth, to when his only goal in that moment was pleasure for his Dom.  
  
In his submission, Eren put himself second for Levi.  
  
A shudder ran through him and hardness made itself known between his legs.  
  
But Armin was a contrast.  
  
There were no roles or rules between them. There was cooperation—for Levi’s pleasure—but cooperation all the same. Armin also helped him a lot. In some ways, he would never have been able to feel confident enough to strip around Levi if Armin hadn’t helped him; and, conversely, he would have never met Armin if he had never wanted to enter a relationship with Levi… and with what happened at breakfast, Eren wondered if he could ever get close to Armin without Levi, either.  
  
The cohesiveness between Levi and Armin was visible too.  
  
Eren raised his head, looking to the sky.  
  
It dawned on him.  
  
“I can’t have one without the other.”  
  
Armin couldn’t live without Levi…  
  
And then Eren bit his lip.  
  
Levi couldn’t live without Armin …  
  
“But,” Eren whispered, “One of us has to go, huh?”  
  
Realisation washed over him and he sighed.  
  
He decided not to dwell on it and just get back to work. Sweeping the rest of the backyard took a bit of time with all the dirt thrown around but it was over before he knew it.  
  
Eren glanced to the pool. He half pondered taking a dip to clear his head, but then he realised if he was alone in a swimming pool he’d just end up thinking more.  
  
He headed inside.  
  
He took off his shoes and closed the sliding door behind him, flicking the lock and hearing the little magnetic snap.  
  
Music.  
  
Eren looked around, searching for the source.  
  
There was soft music… almost a little romantic. It resonated through the halls, the sound of a melodious harp and a warm violin, accompanied by the sound of water droplets.  
  
Eren felt his shoulders—which he didn’t even know were tense—relax. A calm feeling spread through his body and he blinked twice, letting out a gentle breath. He realised it was coming from the living room, so he walked over, but what he found was not what he was expecting.  
  
Armin was on the floor, facing the ceiling. His knees were bent and his feet flat on the ground. . He was shirtless, practically naked except for a pair of tight black boxers that may have been a size too tight. He slowly lifted his hips, gently thrusting his pelvis upwards. From his thighs to his shoulder, all along his spine, was a beautiful backwards arc. His head was relaxed and rested on the floor and his blond hair disheveled. He let out a slow, sensual sigh, arms at his side, perfectly straight.  
  
The lights were dim, only at half power, and as the music played Armin rolled his shoulders once.  
  
“Uh… Armin?”  
  
Light blue eyes opened, pupils dilated.  
  
 _‘Lust.’_  
  
The word shot into Eren’s head so fast it broke the sound barrier. He stared. Green eyes fixated on blue, he couldn’t look away if he tried.  
  
“Eren, would you like to join me?”  
  
Eren swallowed hard. He mentally reminded himself not to lose his composure and he took a deep breath before speaking in a firm tone: “A-And wh-what ar-re y-you d-doing?”  
  
Armin smiled a little. “Yoga.”  
  
“Yoga?”  
  
“Yoga, or more properly Hatha Yoga, is a form of physical exercise and purification. It’s based on two main elements: Asanas, the postures, and pranayama, the breathing techniques. It’s quite popular and is used as a form of–”  
  
“–I know what yoga is!” Eren huffed.  
  
Armin pretended to be surprised. “Then why did you ask?”  
  
“I just meant it like,” Eren frowned, “You’re doing yoga in your underwear to slow sex music in the middle of the living room!”  
  
“Well, Eren, I frequently do yoga in my underwear to slow sex music in the middle of the living room.”  
  
“No!” Eren crossed his arms, “You’re trying to seduce me! I’m not that stupid!”  
  
Armin blinked. “That wasn’t my intention.” With an exhale, he relaxed his body and soon stood up. “I can stop, if it’s making you uncomfortable. Sorry.”  
  
Eren blinked. “O-Oh, shit. No, it’s okay. I just thought this was part of the game… I mean if you do yoga then you can do it.”  
  
“But it’s making you uncomfortable,” Armin argued, “So I should stop.”  
  
“Armin.”  
  
“It’s okay.” Armin slipped his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers then slipped them off.  
  
“Wh-What!?” Eren backed away, “Why are you getting naked!?”  
  
Armin flung his undies across the room, standing completely nude. “You didn’t like it when I was doing yoga in my underwear to slow sex music in the middle of the living room, so now I’m not doing yoga in my underwear to slow sex music in the middle of the living room—I’m naked instead.”  
  
With the dim lights and the warm music, Eren felt a blush creep onto his cheeks. He couldn’t help it. His eyes wandered over Armin’s body, noticing the curves, and his hands twitched, fingers tingled; he wanted to touch that soft skin…  
  
Armin turned around, swaying his rear a little playfully before he suddenly bent over, hands on the wall.  
  
Eren bit his lip, then snapped out of it. “Hey! That’s not a yoga pose!”  
  
“No, it’s not yoga.” Armin looked over his shoulder. “I frequently do yoga, tai chi, Pilates, and Nia. There’s an assortment of poses I can take for different restorative, spiritual and physical benefits. This is not a yoga pose. This is an ‘I’m bent over and want to be fucked hard’ pose, Eren.” His ass wiggled a bit in the air.  
  
Eren took a step forward. His hands moved without his mind and he cupped Armin’s ass. It was damn soft. Without thinking, he moved one hand back then smacked the skin.  
  
Startled by the spank, Armin tensed, letting out a soft noise. A feverish smile formed on his lips and he chuckled. “Wanna have your way with me?”  
  
“Fuck yeah…”  
  
“Come on, Eren…”  
  
“But I can’t…” Eren mumbled.  
  
Armin pouted, “For me?”  
  
“I uh, I…” Swallowing hard, “I like unicorns?”  
  
“Not gonna work this time,” Armin purred. “Give me a little kiss, would you?”  
  
Eren’s hands gripped Armin’s hips. He pressed his clothed hard on against the soft ass and leaned over. He brought their mouths together for a short kiss before he broke away. “I like unicorns…”  
  
“Even if that did work, you’re not running away.”  
  
“I don’t want to…”  
  
“Then come on, Eren, have your way with me… I want you.”  
  
Eren took a deep breath through his nose, accidentally letting Armin’s scent entice him. He kissed the blond shoulder, then scraped his teeth on it.  
  
Armin shuddered. He softly took one of Eren’s hands by the wrist and guided it slowly. He moved it to his chest, letting the fingertips graze along his body before he moved over his stomach, and eventually between his legs.  
  
Eren curled his hand around the warm length, hard in his hand. The way it twitched was almost a silent plea. He looked Armin in the eye before he shook his head, letting go.  
  
“Eren… am I not, good looking enough?”  
  
“You know you are.” Eren leaned in, kissing Armin’s neck. “It’s just…”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“It’s just…”  
  
Armin suddenly tensed, “Yeah?”  
  
Moving a hand back, Eren smiled. “I really like unicorns.” His hand moved forward, smacking Armin’s ass again, hard, creating a loud noise that probably echoed in the small room.  
  
In that moment of pain and pleasure, Armin closed his eyes, biting his lip to suppress his moan. But when Armin opened his eyes again—“Shit!” he turned around.  
  
Eren was already running down the hall.  
  
“Did he just…?” Armin’s brows furrowed. “Seduce me?”  


⁂

  
  
Luckily, Eren managed to avoid Armin for the rest of the day. In truth Armin was actually plotting his next move. He put on his clothes again, which consisted of his tight black boxers, dark blue jeans that hugged his body and a light pink shirt that was a little loose on him.  
  
Armin already attempted being overly forward, that didn’t work, but seduction didn’t work either. He pondered what to do until he glanced at the clock. Taking note of the time, he quickly moved to the back yard. He opened up the barbeque, making sure everything was fine before he twisted the four handles, watching fire shoot out from the four burners underneath. He closed the top of the grill, letting it heat up to kill any possible germs or whatnot.  
  
It wasn’t really a big deal, but knowing Levi…  
  
Armin ran back inside and made his way to the fridge. He opened the door, grabbing the glass tray where the steaks had been marinating. A mix of piquant Worcestershire sauce with a glaze of teriyaki was always his favourite way to marinate. Once again outside, he placed the glass tray down next to the grill and checked the temperature. Happy with it, he opened the lid and backed away as the heat flashed across the surface of his skin.  
  
He grabbed the tongs and, one at a time, placed the meat on the grill. They crackled and the sound of light snapping was heard. He closed the lid and put the tongs down. He stepped away and pulled out his phone. Quickly tapping in his password, he clicked the clock button and set a timer. He closed his phone again and waited.  
  
Minutes flew by; his phone beeped.  
  
He opened the grill again and flipped each steak once, more crackling ensued. He saw the black grill marks on the cooked side of the meat and smiled. The smell was fantastic. He closed the lid once again and set another timer.  
  
This time, however, Armin skipped back inside.  
  
He had a smile on his face.  
  
He almost asked Eren to do something, but remembered he was working alone.  
  
Armin stirred the pot on the stove and hummed a little. He twisted a knob, causing the blue fire from the gas burner underneath the pot to grow. It had a low hum as it burned. Armin found it comforting, for whatever reason. His phone beeped once again.  
  
“Going back and forth?”  
  
Armin paused, glancing to the table. “Sorry, Master, I didn’t see you. Yeah.”  
  
Levi just offered a small smile.  
  
“Oh, Master,” Armin swayed from side to side a bit. “Could you tell Eren dinner will be ready in a couple minutes?”  
  
Levi tilted his head. “You can’t do it yourself?”  
  
Armin chuckled. “I’m afraid not… He’s too afraid to even listen to me right now.”  
  
Levi snickered, rolling his eyes. “Fine.” He watched Armin leave as he grabbed his phone. He quickly found ‘Eren Jaeger’ (and he was still upset that it was spelled with a ‘J’ and not a ‘Y’) and quickly sent a message. It only took a couple minutes before he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.  
  
Eren scratched the back of his head. “Hi.”  
  
Levi didn’t bother replying. He just checked his phone again.  
  
Eren pouted. “You shouldn’t be working, Sir.”  
  
“You should mind your own business.”  
  
Eren winced. “Well, my job is to take care of you, right? Telling you to not work is a part of my job.”  
  
Levi paused, then looked at Eren. He was deciding between saying thanks and throwing his phone at Eren’s head, but decided to do neither. He put his phone down and sighed. “It’s hard to let go, I guess. You can’t just turn off what you’ve been doing every day for fuck knows how many years.”  
  
Eren took a seat and smiled. “Well, yeah, but you should relax when you get the chance, or else it’s kind of a waste, right?”  
  
“Maybe.” Levi shrugged. His steel eyes glanced to the side, watching Armin come in with three plates.  
  
Armin set them down with ease, a finely seared twelve ounce steak on each plate. He skipped over to the kitchen.  
  
Eren instantly stood up. “Let me help with something.”  
  
“No, it’s okay!” Armin practically sang. Next thing they knew, he came back with a bowl of golden mashed potatoes and a dish of baked vegetables. He quickly began serving, giving generous amounts of each to all three of them, and took his seat. “Let’s eat!”  
  
It was the meal to end all meals.  
  
If Eren never ate another thing in his life—if he starved to death twenty years from now, it would be okay because at one point in his life he had Armin’s steak.  
  
Juicy and seared brown, with the lightest chars of black at the corners, the steak was perfectly seasoned—the two sauces married in holy matrimony and consummated their love for each other. Soft and easy to slice, it was at a medium rare.  
  
Eren had always been more of a rare steak guy but it was physically impossible to complain. If he made a comment, the universe would bitch slap him.  
  
It was the truth.  
  
Eren half wondered if he had died.  
  
One moment he was sitting at the table with Levi and Armin and eating deliciousness incarnate, the next he was lying down on the couch, rubbing his belly and whispering prayers to whatever higher spirits existed. “Armin?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“You’re my favourite chef, ever.”  
  
Armin snickered in victory.  


⁂

  
  
Eren guessed Armin was a supporter of the ‘don’t exercise thirty minutes after eating’ regime; because, while he found himself quite vulnerable and melty over the yummies, Armin didn’t go after him. But thirty minutes turned to an hour, turned to two hours, three and eventually four. Eren sat up from the couch, and realised Armin must have been done for the day. Levi mentioned heading to bed early, again, so Eren walked around the large house, turning off the lights in each room before heading up the stairs.  
  
He noticed the third floor was entirely dark, so he stayed on the second.  
  
Eren walked down the hall with care, making sure that each step was light and quiet. The only light left on in the entire house was their bedroom. He could see the bright glow from under the doorway. He slowly turned the handle and pushed open.  
  
Armin was in bed, eyes closed, hugging a pillow.  
  
Eren made a little ‘aww’ noise. He stepped in and slowly closed the door behind him, doing his best to silence the noise.  
  
Armin rolled a little, tugging the blue bed sheets.  
  
Eren wasn’t that tired but he decided if everyone else was sleeping he might as well. But he suddenly paused. A shiver ran down his spine and he backed away from the bed. “You’re not asleep are you?”  
  
One pale blue eye opened and Armin smirked. “Nope. I was ready to pounce you, though.”  
  
“Well!” Eren used his outside voice, “I’m going to sleep in the guest room, thank you!” He walked over to the desk and grabbed his laptop and the charger. He stuck his tongue out at Armin before leaving the room. He walked across the hall and entered the guest bedroom.  
  
It was more or less the same, just with a window facing the other side of the house and a double bed instead of a king sized one. He closed the door behind him; noticing there was a lock, he flicked it, knowing he would now be safe from Armin Arlert’s attacks. He sat on the bed and tossed the charger to the floor. He opened his laptop and hit power.  
  
It took a couple seconds as the machine booted up, then the screen went bright blue. He typed in his password and then waited for his desktop to load. He realised it had been nine days since he really used his laptop. He used to be glued to the thing. He opened up his browser and opened about four tabs, each one going to a different usual site.  
  
He checked a couple social networking sites and blinked as he saw two friend requests.  
  
Levi Rivaille.  
  
Armin Arlert.  
  
He hit accept on both. He softly bit his lip before moving to the search bar on the site. His fingers twitched, but eventually they moved on keyboard, typing in ‘Arlert’.  
  
The first result was, of course, Armin, but the second one caught his eye.  
  
Dieter Arlert.  
  
He clicked on his name and opened up his page. He had blond hair, a shade darker than Armin, but there was some resemblance. He was a bit of a shaggy looking guy. Eren remembered Levi mentioning something about Armin having an older brother, so maybe… He scanned the page, finding no family on the guy’s page. Or maybe he just couldn’t see it since he didn’t add him as a friend yet.  
  
He did, however, notice a relationship status: In a relationship with Gunther Schultz. He clicked on the guy’s boyfriend and tilted his head. “Cute… Well, more hot. Yeah, hot.”  
  
Short black hair, tanned skin, a nice body for sure.  
  
Eren whistled.  
  
“Shit.” He stopped. “I’m prying…” He sighed, realising what he was doing with a frown. He decided to not go through shit he shouldn’t and ended up on Armin’s profile. He tilted his head. A small smile formed on his lips.  
  
Armin’s profile picture was him in an oversized sweater, on a swing, reading a book. Armin was clearly unaware anyone was even taking a picture of him at the time.  
  
Eren clicked the image then hit right on the arrows. He started going through his images. Surprisingly, he saw Annie quite a bit, as well as Krista. He paused, wondering if he should add Krista as a friend. Would that be weird? He decided to wait until they talked one more time before doing it.  
  
Eren eventually got curious and ended up on Levi’s profile.  
  
The profile picture was him glaring at the camera.  
  
Eren snickered. He started going through Levi’s pictures, all the while he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Doesn’t he _ever_ smile?” Eren stopped at one image where Levi had a knife against Hanji’s throat, while Hanji was laughing. He blinked twice and decided he probably had enough of that for one day. “Levi really doesn’t smile… Well, he smiles at me…”  
  
Butterflies warmed his tummy and Eren chuckled, knowing his cheeks were probably pink.  
  
“Damn, I’m such a loser…”  
  
Eren glanced to the clock on the bottom right of his screen. It was five minutes to midnight. He might as well sleep. He closed his laptop then looked to the side. He didn’t really want to sleep in this bed, but next to Armin was a bad idea on its own and he didn’t want to bother Levi either. He thought of Levi’s game and then sighed.  
  
“I’m not going to win this one…”


	11. The Second Week (4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had a dream last night somebody changed the title of this fic to "Blentative Tits" and I couldn't change it back and I was so sad. Anyway, that aside... Enjoy!

* * *

 

 

Long black hair curled in a massive mess over white linen bed sheets and their thicker ivory duvet. Face was pressed into a pillow, the sounds of birds chirping outside didn’t make themselves known to her.  
  
“Mikasa.”  
  
“No.”  
  
Annie put a hand on her hip, small smile curving on her lips. “Mikasa, wake up.”  
  
“No,” she grumbled, wiggling a bit as she shifted to her side. “It’s Thursday. We sleep in on Thursdays.”  
  
“It’s Friday. We have our exam.”  
  
“Huh?” Mikasa opened her eyes. Then it registered. The duvet was thrown aside and she jumped to her feet; the long shirt she slept in went halfway down to her knees and she looked from side to side frantically, jolting awake.  
  
“Kidding.” Annie chuckled. “It’s Thursday.”  
  
Mikasa’s black eyes narrowed. She stomped across the room, yanking her riding crop off the wall then swiped horizontally.  
  
Annie took a couple steps back, dodging it with ease. She brought two hands up, craning her knee outwards: She had taken her fighting stance.  
  
Mikasa blinked, suddenly noticing something white in Annie’s left hand. Rubbing one of her eyes, “What’s that?”  
  
Annie paused, realising she forgot all about it. “Oh, right, Krista’s on the phone. She said it had something to do with Eren?”  
  
Mikasa took the phone, bringing it to her ear. “Hello?” She suddenly smiled. “No, it’s alright. I should be awake anyway… I’m fine, how are you?... Levi?”  
  
Annie figured Mikasa wouldn’t go back to sleep so she turned around and left the room. She walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She grabbed four eggs, placing them on the counter, then grabbed the carton of orange juice. She closed the fridge door and placed the carton at the table. For a downtown apartment, it was a rather quiet morning.  
  
She quickly put four pieces of bread in the wide toaster and pressed down the handle.  
  
She oiled up a pan and placed it on the electric stove, turning the dials to heat it up. She left it and grabbed two plates so they would be ready when she was done. She cracked four eggs over the pan. Using a spatula, she broke the yolk of two eggs, making scrambled eggs for her while making sure the two sunny-side ups didn’t attach. She flipped them over, turning them into over-easies then waited.  
  
The toaster popped.  
  
Annie walked over, grabbing the hot pieces and placing two on each plate. She then did the same with the eggs and brought the plates to the table. She quickly poured two glasses of orange juice, put the carton back in the fridge, then placed them on the table as Mikasa walked in. “Good timing.”  
  
“Food’s done?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Thanks.” Mikasa put the phone on the charger before taking a seat.  
  
“So,” Annie spoke as she took a seat across from Mikasa, “She seemed worried, what did Krista call about?”  
  
Mikasa looked up. “World domination.”  
  
Annie’s fingers twitched as she grabbed her fork. She looked up, looking for some kind of sign that Mikasa wasn’t being serious then sighed. “You need to tell me when you’re joking.”  
  
Mikasa let the smallest of smiles appear on her lips before it faded. “She called because she was concerned about Armin and Eren.” That got Annie’s attention. “Levi’s playing a new game with them, and Krista is a bit, I guess turned off by the idea.”  
  
Annie broke up her eggs with her fork, putting some on a piece of toast. “So what’s the game?”  
  
“He’s pitted Eren and against Armin, and the stakes are quite high.”  
  
“Sounds, interesting.” Annie took a bite of the toast with the scrambled eggs on top. Even with her mouth closed, the crunchy bites were audible.  
  
“Yeah.” Mikasa nodded, “Armin told Krista, Krista told Ymir, and Ymir just laughed. She told me the details. I’m not worried.”  
  
Annie chewed and swallowed. “No?”  
  
“No.” She shook her head. She grabbed her glass of orange juice and took a small sip before placing it down. “Well… I am, a little. But… I think I understand, what Levi is really after.”  
  
Annie tilted her head. “And what would that be?”  
  
“I’m not sure,” she admitted, “It’s just speculation.”  
  
Annie chuckled. “You’re not going to share your speculations, are you?”  
  
“No…” Mikasa examined her face. “You’re disappointed.”  
  
“Well?” Annie shrugged. “Levi’s hard to read. Even Hanji and Erwin have trouble…” She thought about it for a moment. “Honestly, I think you and Ymir are the only ones who are any good at it.”  
  
“Oh.” Mikasa took a small bite of her toast. She chewed and then swallowed, then followed it with a sip of her drink. “Do you want to know the real intention of his game?”  
  
Annie leaned forward. “Yeah.”  
  
Mikasa also leaned forward.  
  
Annie waited.  
  
“World domination.”  
  
Annie threw herself away, slamming her back against her chair. “Shut the fuck up.” She pouted, crossing her arms. “You got my hopes up.”  
  
“Payback,” Mikasa mused with a tiny smile.  
  
Annie’s face scrunched up before going flat. “Okay,” she sighed, “I deserved that one… world fucking domination, why would—Oh.” Annie groaned. “It’s a pun, because he’s a Dom.”  
  
Mikasa wiped her mouth with a napkin. “I was wondering if you’d catch it.”  
  
“Disgusting pun.”  
  
Mikasa actually laughed. She brought a hand up and moved some hair out of her eyes.  
  
“Your humour’s weird, like Levi’s.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“It wasn’t a compliment, bitch.”  
  
Mikasa smiled. “I’m still going to take it as one, cunt.”

  
  


⁂

  
  


Levi closed the door behind him as he stepped into the guest room. He saw Eren sleeping on his side, lips slightly parted, and Levi shook his head. He walked over to the bed and took a seat. He glanced to the window, glancing to the road the room overlooked. Soft sunlight, birds chirping, Levi figured it was a good enough reason to crack a smile. He looked down to Eren; he slipped a hand into his dark brown hair.  
  
Eren slowly turned his head until Levi’s hand was cupping his cheek.  
  
Levi blinked, but then he leaned forward. He brought his lips softly against Eren’s other cheek and planted a tiny kiss. He moved his head back quickly, thinking about what he did. Affectionate gestures… they just weren’t him. “Damn, Pup, if you’re rubbing off on me, you better stay.”  
  
“Hm?” Eren nuzzled Levi’s hand. “Sir?”  
  
“Nothing.” Levi kissed Eren’s cheek one more time.  
  
Eren grinned and kissed Levi’s hand in return. “Sir?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Hug me…”  
  
Levi’s lips tugged into a frown. “No.”  
  
“Please?”  
  
“No…”  
  
“I’m a good boy, though,” Eren slowly opened his eyes. “I’ve survived two days of Armin being a gay.”  
  
Levi couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Fine. Maybe.”  
  
Eren sat up and moved the covers away. From the side, he wrapped both arms around Levi and nuzzled his shoulder.  
  
Levi looked away as his arm hooked around Eren’s waist, tugging him closer. He eventually caved and turned to kiss Eren on the forehead. “You’re an adorable sleepyhead.”  
  
Eren took the compliment with a smile. He closed his eyes, “This is nice.”  
  
Levi didn’t bother replying.  
  
“It’s nice, right?” Eren backed away a bit. “If you don’t like it, I’ll stop, Sir.”  
  
“It’s fine.” Levi shrugged.  
  
Eren grinned then smooched Levi on the cheek.  
  
The very corners of Levi’s lips curved upwards.  
  
“You’re smiling.”  
  
“Yes,” Levi turned his head, “I am. Your point?”  
  
“I was going through your pictures,” Eren mumbled, “You never smiled.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “You went through my pictures?”  
  
“Oh,” Eren realised his mistake, “I meant online, because I got your friend request.”  
  
“I see. No, I… I don’t smile often.”  
  
“Are you… sad?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Well,” Eren broke the hug and began rubbing his eyes with his palms, trying to rub out the sleepiness. “If you’re smiling, then you’re happy, but that doesn’t mean just because you’re not smiling you’re not happy.”  
  
“Denying the antecedent,” Levi muttered.  
  
“Huh?” Eren moved his hands away.  
  
“Nothing, Pup.” Levi leaned over, kissing the corner of Eren’s left eye. “No, I’m not sad.”  
  
“Good,” Eren mumbled as he hugged Levi again.  
  
Levi cringed inwardly. He didn’t like being this close to someone, even if it was a sub. It was a little unnerving. Still, he didn’t find himself pushing Eren away at all; in fact, when Eren moved away he almost willed him back.  
  
“Sir… I locked the door last night. How did you get in?”  
  
Levi snickered. “It’s my house. I know a couple tricks.”  
  
“Oh, okay…” He moved back a bit and moved his legs, “Criss-cross, apple-sauce.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Applesauce…” Eren sat cross-legged, “When you sit like this, it’s called applesauce.”  
  
Levi blinked. “Okay. Whatever you say.” He kissed Eren’s forehead.  
  
Eren grinned, and began rubbing his face to wake up.  
  
Levi realised Armin really wasn’t exaggerating. Waking up Eren was indeed first class tickets to the adorable show. “Did you sleep well?”  
  
“Mhm.” Eren paused. “Levi, Sir?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Kiss me.”  
  
Levi felt his cheeks heat up and he blinked. He swallowed hard and leaned over—He was a Dom, after all, he wasn’t supposed to feel… He gently brushed his lips against Eren’s before he kissed him, slow and gentle.  
  
Eren made a little noise and it was muffled into the kiss. He broke his lips away and then kissed Levi’s cheek.  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
  
Levi was thankful for it and he turned away. “Yes?”  
  
Armin opened the door and stepped in. He glanced to Eren with his messed up bedhead and he ‘aww’d a little. “I’m ready whenever.”  
  
“Alright,” Levi nodded.  
  
“Ready?” Eren looked at Armin, then Levi, then Armin, then Levi. “For what?”  
  
“I figured I was cooping you two up in here,” Levi explained, “So we’re going out for breakfast. It’s a nice place, I think you’ll like it.”  
  
“But,” Eren pouted, “The food won’t be as good as Armin’s…”  
  
Armin couldn’t help but laugh. He stepped into the room and took a seat on the bed, near the pillows so Eren was between them. He leaned over and kissed Eren’s cheek.  
  
Eren instantly smiled.  
  
Levi smirked, crossing his legs over the side of the bed and leaning back a bit. “Sure. But I think Armin should take a day off, considering how often he does it.”  
  
“But,” Armin blinked, “I enjoy it.”  
  
“I know.” Levi nodded, “But you don’t enjoy cleaning the kitchen. So let it be a day off that. Plus, besides Lolfa on Monday, you two have been stuck here for as long as Eren’s been here. After breakfast, if weather permits, we could take a walk around town.”  
  
“Sounds nice,” Eren agreed with a nod, “But I don’t mind being here for days. I mean, if it was the small little apartment I was sharing with Mikasa, then maybe, yeah, but that things not that big. This place is awesome, it’s nice and homey.”  
  
“Glad to hear it,” Levi admitted. “But,” he glanced to them, “There’s a world outside these walls, you morons.”  
  
Armin took the hint and got up. “I’ll be ready whenever.”  
  
“Good.” Levi watched him leave then glanced to Eren.  
  
Eren leaned over and kissed his cheek.  
  
Levi blinked. “What was that for? Actually, what are all these kisses for anyway?”  
  
“Do I need a reason to kiss you?”  
  
Levi paused, thinking about it for a moment. “No, I guess not. Get ready.”

  
  


⁂

  
  


Eren’s face was pressed against the glass. “Holy shit, I can see the whole city!”  
  
The three of them had gone to a restaurant by the name of Cloud Ten; it was at the top floor of a fifty storey office building in the heart of downtown. It was a revolving restaurant, meaning the top floor (which was shaped like a circle) was slowly turning. It took an hour to make a full three-sixty, which gave the customers plenty to see.  
  
Armin, sitting at the table near the window, looked over to Levi. “He really is a puppy, huh?”  
  
“I can practically see his tail wagging,” Levi snorted. “At least he’s awake now.”  
  
Armin chuckled.  
  
“Eren,” Levi called out. “Sit.”  
  
Eren backed away from the window and turned around. He was about to protest when he saw a waitress approach. He took his seat; it was a circular table and they were evenly spread around.  
  
The waitress came to the table and placed a plate down in front of Levi, then she kissed his forehead.  
  
Levi frowned. “Fuck you.”  
  
“I’m your mother,” she reminded him, “I have the right.”  
  
Levi sneered, cocking his head away.  
  
Eren blinked. His green eyes looked at the woman more closely.  
  
She was a blonde, hair parted down the middle, with dull blue eyes. She appeared calm and only a bit taller than Eren, herself.  
  
“You’re…” Eren cleared his throat and sat up. “You’re Levi’s mom?”  
  
The woman turned to him, then set a plate down in front of him. “One of many. Hello again, Armin.”  
  
Armin smiled, dipping his head politely as she placed a plate in front of him as well.  
  
Eren looked at Levi. “One of many?”  
  
Levi smiled. “I have three and a half moms and two dads, but yes this is the bitch that took care of me for less than a year.” He glanced over to her. “Why the fuck are you here anyway? You’re more than just a waitress. You want tips that bad?”  
  
Her face was still. “I figure I’d greet you personally, considering you never reply to my emails.”  
  
“Well, learn to text, old hag.”  
  
She looked at him. “I’m not that old.”  
  
“Fifty,” he sneered.  
  
“Forty-six,” she corrected, “And that’s only forty-six in a month, thank you.”  
  
Levi crossed his arms. “Old, crusty bitch.”  
  
She just smiled as she began to place several forks, knives and spoons for everyone. “How are you, Armin?”  
  
“I’m good,” Armin grinned. “And you?”  
  
“I’ve been better,” she admitted. “You might go down to three moms soon, Levi.”  
  
“What?” he frowned, “You two got into another fight?”  
  
She nodded. “I think we just want different things. We’re at that stage of our life,” she grabbed a rather sharp knife and put it to Levi’s throat. “Don’t call me old.”  
  
Levi just smirked.  
  
She just placed the knife in front of Levi. She glanced to Eren. “Where do you find the cute ones?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Levi adjusted his cutlery, “Maybe they just like marrying rich.”  
  
She snorted then offered her hand to Eren. “Nanaba.”  
  
“Eren,” he said as he committed the name to memory. “Nice to meet you.”  
  
“I like him,” Nanaba said in her usual calm voice. “At least more than your last sub.” She examined him for a moment then offered a small smile. “Is it your first time here?”  
  
“Yes,” he nodded politely.  
  
She glanced to the side. “It’s a buffet style, all you can eat. I’m sure you can find your way around it; one side is mainly full breakfast items, pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausages, and so forth, while the other side is more sweets and pastries. Some people miss the omelette station, which I recommend. They’ll throw anything you want in it. We’ve also got some nice seasonal stuff imported today. It’s all the same price either way, so you might as well indulge. Do you have any allergies? Are you a vegetarian? Vegan?”  
  
“Nope,” Eren smiled.  
  
“Alright,” Nanaba dipped her head. “Enjoy, if you need anything just ask—Oh, Levi.” Her blue eyes shifted to him. “Call your father, would you?”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow.  
  
“He broke his hip, apparently it’s quite bad. We’re getting old. I know all he did was knock me up, and gave me one _hell_ of an orgasm while doing so, but that’s not the point. He’s a jerk, but we’ve been talking again.”  
  
Levi was now genuinely interested. “You have?”  
  
Nanaba gave a little nod. She seemed pensive about her words. “I think he regrets saying what he did. I’m not asking much, but one phone call won’t hurt.”  
  
Levi shrugged. “I’ll consider it.”  
  
Nanaba looked to the other blond. “Armin?”  
  
Armin gave a silly salute. “You can count on me.”  
  
Nanaba leaned over and kissed the top of Armin’s head. “Always can.” She gave one more nod before she left.  
  
Eren watched her go. There was no resemblance, except for the eyes, but there was something so… Levi about her. “So uh, what did you mean by three and a half moms and two dads?”  
  
Levi smiled softly. “Remember how I said I grew up in a small religious little town? Well, Sex Ed was non-existent, so when Nanaba was fifteen she fucked her boyfriend and got pregnant—that’s mom number one and dad number one. They were kids, so they put me up for adoption. An infertile couple took me in and raised me—mom number two and dad number two. Then dad number one got married—mom number three. Then Nanaba has been with the same woman for four years, but they’ve been avoiding all marriage talk—so she’s mom number three point five because I don’t think she’ll ever really be mom number four.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren blinked.  
  
Armin chuckled. “Come on, I’m hungry, let’s eat.”

  
  


⁂

  
  


Upon his way through the buffet, Eren found out that a couple had waited three weeks for their reservation. A group of men were arguing over who should pay because they “wouldn’t be human to let one man pay for it all”.  
  
Although, he understood why. There truly was an assortment. Eren had gotten bacon—actual bacon, properly fried but a lean cut of meat so there was more bacon per slice and practically no fat, but still juicy and tender. He also got turkey bacon because why not. He grabbed two chocolate chip fluffy pancakes, and an omelette with onions, green peppers, red peppers, spinach, basil, thyme, broccoli, carrots, turkey breast in cubes and cheese. Then he filled the rest of his plate with hash browns, a slice of toast, and a couple sausages. He went with a mixed fruit juice for a drink. When he placed it down at the table, he chuckled.  
  
Armin had prompted for mostly fruits, and a bunch of cream puffs.  
  
Levi mostly had strawberries on his plate. What wasn’t strawberries themselves was strawberry yogurt, bread slices with strawberry jam, and a couple strawberry pastries.  
  
“Wow,” Eren sipped his drink. “I feel like a savage.”  
  
“Don’t,” Levi said quickly. “Enjoy what you enjoy. I’d rather have someone who enjoys everything than nothing.”  
  
“Mhm,” Armin nodded, glancing to Eren’s food.  
  
“Armin,” Levi used a stern voice, “Don’t do that?”  
  
Armin blinked and looked up. “Huh?”  
  
“You’re making note of what he’s eating,” Levi explained, “And now he thinks you’re staring at his food because you think he eats a lot.”  
  
Armin’s eyes widened. “Sorry!”  
  
Eren grinned. “It’s okay… Now I know.”  
  
And then round two happened.  
  
Eren actually filled a quarter of his plate with fruits. He grabbed another pancake before heading to the pastry section. Sure enough, there was Armin at the cream puffs and Levi at the strawberry filled triangles. Eren chuckled but didn’t say anything. He grabbed an almond croissant with the provided tongs and put it on his plate. He also went for some jelly doughnuts, and… after Armin made a noticeable dent in the supply of cream puffs, he grabbed a couple of those too.  
  
When he got back to the table, Armin used a knife to spread a diminutive amount of margarine on a slice of baguette. As soon as he noticed Eren, a smile formed on his lips and he offered it.  
  
Instead of taking the bread with his fingers, Eren just snatched it with his teeth.  
  
Armin burst into a laugh, watching Eren devour it.  
  
Eren eventually put his plate down and took a seat.  
  
Armin quickly made another and offered it.  
  
Eren, still chewing on the first one, took it with his hand. After swallowing he looked at the bread. “I don’t usually like margarine.”  
  
Armin smiled as he prepared a third. “It’s all about ratio.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Well I can believe it’s not butter but, not bad.” He stuffed the second piece in his mouth.  
  
“It’s never butter,” Armin whispered.  
  
Eren paused.  
  
“Margarine doesn’t taste anything like butter,” Armin went on in his whisper voice, “I prefer it to butter, myself, it’s also convenient for some baking recipes that ask to smooth the butter, but it taste nothing like butter. Nobody would ever mix them up. Butter and margarine are apples and oranges.”  
  
Eren swallowed and chuckled. “Geez, you’re opinionated on food.”  
  
Armin blinked. “S-Sorry…”  
  
“No, it’s okay!” He grabbed a napkin, quickly wiping his mouth with it before he smooched Armin’s cheek.  
  
Armin kept blinking, but eventually settled for a smile. “Thank you.”  
  
Levi came back at the table, with more strawberry everything. He heard both his subs laugh and his eyes narrowed. “Don’t judge me.”  
  
“No Sir,” Armin said defensively.  
  
“I’ll judge you,” Eren grinned, “I’ll judge you delicious.”  
  
Levi glanced at him. “Eren.”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“It’s a shame you have vocal cords.”  
  
Eren deflated, lower lip wibbling.  
  
Armin cracked up.  
  
Nanaba eventually returned to the table. “Everything going well for you here?”  
  
Levi nodded. “Splendid. Oh, actually could—”  
  
Three different beeps went off.  
  
Everyone blinked.  
  
Armin, Eren, and Levi all pulled out their phones.  
  
Levi looked at Eren, then Armin. “And why is Mikasa asking all of us to text ‘World domination’ to Annie?”  
  
Nanaba raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to do it?”  
  
Levi thought about it, then shrugged. “Might as well. Sent.”  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
“Me too,” Armin smiled.  
  
“Actually,” Levi tilted his head, “I should ask Mikasa if she’s working today. We could stop by.” His steel blue eyes glanced to his birth mother. “Nanaba. I want a café au lait, and I swear to God if someone gives me a latte instead, again, I will not clean up the corpse I leave behind.”  
  
Nanaba nodded. “Sure. Anything else?”  
  
“That’s all.”  
  
She turned and left.  
  
Levi looked at Eren, who was still pouting and he sighed. “I was kidding. I like your voice.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Really?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Really really?”  
  
Levi sighed, placing his hand over his face. “Really really.”  
  
Armin covered his smile with his hand as he looked away.

  
  


⁂

  
  


“She seemed nice.”  
  
“Who?”  
  
“Nanaba, your mom.”  
  
Levi shrugged as they stepped out of the building. He glanced up to the sky and saw the sun was behind clouds, but it didn’t look like it was going to rain. He looked left, then right. “Which way are we going?”  
  
“Where are we going?” Armin asked as he stepped behind them. “Going to see Mikasa?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Well, we’re…” Eren looked around, “That’s the art gallery right?” He said pointing to the side of the building. “So we head that way,” he pointed to the side, “Until Thurlow, then we take a right to get to the Waterfront place thingy, plaza.”  
  
Levi nodded and turned. “That’s right, you lived around here, with Mikasa and Annie?”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren nodded as the three of them began to walk.  
  
Being the afternoon of a Thursday, the streets were rather quiet despite it being downtown. As they walked down Thurlow Street, the smell of the ocean slowly became stronger, and then weaker as they passed a bright red all-beef hotdog stand, and then stronger again. Far off sound of waves hitting the rocky shore got their attention as they turned into the plaza.  
  
It was a large open square with an assortment of shops, two floors with the wooden patio as the walkway for the second floor.  
  
Levi noticed Armin looking to the side so he smiled. “You can head off on your own if you want.”  
  
“Heh,” Armin rubbed his nose. “Am I that obvious?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Armin grinned, giving them a small wave. “Text me.”  
  
Eren watched Armin skip up the steps. “Where’s he going?”  
  
“Don’t worry, you won’t be interested.” Levi looked around. “A bookstore.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Of course he would.”  
  
Levi rubbed his forehead. “I’m having one of those days I can’t remember anything. Where’s the store?”  
  
“Oh, this way, Sir.” Eren offered a smile before taking a lead. They walked to the thing alley opposite of the exit and eventually got to the store.  
  
Leather Bound.  
  
It was exactly what it sounded like.

  
  


⁂

  
  


When a virus infects a cell the most common bodily response is to kill that cell to prevent spread. In a sense, a single cell commits suicide to save the other thirty-seven trillion cells. It is not a problem since, with mitosis, new cells can be formed easily. There is, however, one exception. Neurons (brain cells). Although the human brain has more neurons than anyone would ever need, we do not form new neurons.  
  
Our body and immune system are aware of that fact; and, it is for that reason, that brain cells—even when infected with a virus—rarely die to preserve the others.  
  
However, neurons have their own defense mechanism: the blood-brain barrier.  
  
Mikasa crossed her legs as she sat on the stool. She flipped the page of the overpriced, colourful textbook that was placed on the glass store counter which doubled as a display case. Today was Thursday, so she only worked half a day; luckily, she also didn’t have any classes. Unluckily, she had an exam and would most likely spend the entire night studying with Annie.  
  
The brain, like all organs, is given nutrients by the bloodstream. The blood-brain barrier was (as the name suggest) the defensive barrier between the blood and brain. Semi permeable, allowing some molecules to enter the brain and not allowing others…  
  
Mikasa closed her eyes and pushed both hands against her face. She reached in her pocket and checked her phone. A message from Annie and another from Levi. She checked Annie’s first, which was pretty much her reminding Mikasa how much of their relationship was made up of hate. A small smile curving on her lips, she sent a little pink heart in return. Before she could check the second message, the door at the end of the store opened and the little bell chimed.  
  
Two people walked in.  
  
Mikasa looked up, as she always did. She needed to make sure the customers were over eighteen. A bigger smile formed on her lips and she closed her textbook, deciding she was done with it. She slipped off the stool and walked towards them; she didn’t notice that she was doing the smallest strut in her black leather pants. “Hey.”  
  
Eren smiled and walked over. They wrapped their arms around each other. “Hey.”  
  
Mikasa closed her eyes in the embrace before moving away. She glanced to the side and dipped her head. “Levi.”  
  
“Ackerman.” Levi looked off to the side.  
  
Mikasa looked back at Eren; her black eyes drifted to his neck and she tilted her head. “Hickeys?”  
  
“Oh?” Eren’s eyes widened and sparkled as he adjusted his head, trying to look at his neck. “Where? Where?”  
  
“Here,” she poked the spot where his chin and neck met, then again further down the neck on the right side. “Quite a few.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
Levi almost seemed sad. “They’re a bit faded now, though.”  
  
Eren grinned, “Then you’ll just have to put more.”  
  
Mikasa smiled. “Don’t forget about your game.”  
  
Eren gawked, taking several steps back. “Who told you?”  
  
Levi seemed equally as curious, but not surprised.  
  
“I have my ways,” she said simply. “That aside… How are you, Eren?”  
  
“I’m good,” he nodded. “You?”  
  
“Not bad. I wish I got more sleep, but I got a call from Krista this morning. Not that I really mind, though. She’s… endearing.”  
  
Eren raised a dark brow. “You have the hots for Krista? She doesn’t seem like your type.”  
  
Mikasa crossed her arms, shrugging. “It’s not a romantic attraction. I suppose it’s just playful.”  
  
Levi tilted his head. “You know Ymir and Annie get along. Are you going to organise a little swap?”  
  
“I would like to,” she admitted, “But…”  
  
“But?” Levi repeated, then made an ‘Oh’ face. “Right. Ymir.”  
  
Mikasa nodded. “Honestly, it’s nice to see her get so protective around her sub, especially considering how she treated her last couple ones. But I don’t think she’d let someone with my reputation around her little angel… Not that she would really let anyone near her, anyway. Plus, I have no idea if Krista would even be interested, so there’s no point.”  
  
“She is,” Eren blurted out.  
  
Mikasa and Levi both looked at him.  
  
Feeling somewhat abruptly prompted he made a couple nonsensical sounds before speaking, “Well, uh, she mentioned to me how like being broken by you is practically a rite of passage in the community, or something.”  
  
Levi thought about and gave a nod. “That’s pretty accurate.”  
  
“Is it?” Mikasa blinked.  
  
“Yes.” Levi snorted. “Everyone in the community, except Eren and Krista, have been your bitch at least once.”  
  
“Really?” Eren blinked, “So you’re like the sub torture machine.”  
  
“Not just the subs,” Mikasa corrected. “I break Doms too. I made Levi cry.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened, “Really?”  
  
“I did not cry,” Levi sneered. “A single tear does not count as crying, Ackerman.”  
  
“Don’t rain on my parade,” Mikasa spoke in her usual expressionless voice, “It was an achievement.”  
  
“Only took you two hours,” Levi reminded.  
  
Eren blinked. “So, you just whip ‘em all?”  
  
“Yeah,” Mikasa shrugged. “It’s not sexual, there’s no penetration or danger of fluids, so I don’t have to worry about a condom breaking, anything of that nature. It’s safe… for me.” She mused a little smile, then looked to Levi. “So, what did you come here for? Anything specific?”  
  
“Hmm,” Levi looked around. “I was thinking a whip, for Eren.”  
  
Eren blinked, eyes widening. “Really?”  
  
Mikasa didn’t seem surprised. She began walking to where they had the crops and floggers, knowing the other two would follow. “What you’re looking for? I’m not sure I can give you something you don’t have. You have an assortment of your own.”  
  
“I want something weaker, believe it or not,” Levi explained.  
  
“Oh,” Mikasa glanced over her shoulder, “For the contract?”  
  
Levi nodded. “I can’t break skin, and my tools are too extreme for that.”  
  
Eren’s ears perked up. He liked where this was going…  
  
Mikasa stopped walking at the array of strikers. “Can’t break the skin? Then, what are you looking for? A crop or a flogger? You should avoid whips.”  
  
“Hm.” Levi breathed through his nose. “I was hoping you’d have a wide cracker, actually… but I might as well get a crop. Eren,” he looked at his sub, “Do you prefer single tails or flogs?”  
  
“Uh…” Eren looked at Mikasa, then Levi. “What’s the difference?”  
  
“Well,” Levi began but then paused. “Everything.”  
  
Mikasa smiled. “Do you want it to thud or to sting?”  
  
“Sting,” Eren said quickly.  
  
“So I suppose single tail would be better,” Levi sighed. “Well, what would you suggest?”  
  
Eren looked between them. “I’m not following.”  
  
Mikasa offered a smile. “A single tail is the usual whip. It makes the whip cracking noise, it stings, but it’s more likely to break skin. A flogger, a whip with multiple tails, still stings but it usually has a more ‘thudy’ feeling to it. Depending on how many tails, it can break skin. Floggers are the most… I guess customisable would be the word, so they vary quite a bit. You can still find single tails that are thuddy, but because they focus all the force at a single tip it’s hard. That’s sort of a very… basic, rundown. It’s a lot more complicated than that.”  
  
Eren nodded slowly. “Okay, so basically stingy means skin might break, and that’s a no?”  
  
“Not necessarily,” Mikasa turned away from them. She walked to a square glass table, a display case, and pulled out her key. Opening it up, she pulled out a riding crop—a black rigid whip, with a strong handle on one side, and a small white belt curved in a loop on the other end. “Ignore the name, it’s good.”  
  
Levi took the riding crop. He balanced it carefully between two hands and then glanced to the price tag where he saw the name. “Really?”  
  
“Hate that book all you want,” Mikasa said with a touch of disdain, “But the merchandise is good.”  
  
Levi pursed his lips then shrugged. “If it’s good, it’s good. I like this. Light weight. What’s it like?”  
  
Mikasa shifted her weight onto one leg. “It’s twenty-three inches, fifty-eight centimeters, it’s long, maneuverable and… satisfying. It has a wrist strap at the end, which is always a bonus. More control the better. The tip is good. It’s a belt, so it will give that sort of feeling. The belt is also smooth leather, and it smells like it, so perfect for teasing or anticipation.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. He grabbed the handle more firmly with one hand and ran his fingertips along the rod. “Is it worth the price?”  
  
“Probably a steal. It’s durable, sturdy, powerful, and reliable.”  
  
Levi stared at the crop for several more seconds before glancing to her. “Can I try it?”  
  
Mikasa nodded. “We have one in the back room. It’s quite popular.” When Levi offered her the crop, she put it back in the display case and locked it. She turned and headed towards the back room.  
  
Eren blinked as he followed. “Try it? On a wall or something?”  
  
Levi laughed. “No, on you.”  
  
“Wait, what?”  
  
Mikasa just snickered as she passed by another employee. “I’m taking these two back, can you cover the front?” She got a nod and then pushed open the door with an ‘employees only’ sign.  
  
The next room was a perfect square. Wooden walls were decorated with every possible toy there was. Whips, chains, cuffs, even large pieces of furniture like an ‘X’ shaped wooden structure that had cuffs at the ends for wrist and ankle attachment.  
  
Levi stepped in and pointed to the centre.  
  
Eren gulped before moving to where Levi was pointing.  
  
“Good Pup,” Levi snickered. “Take off your shirt.”  
  
Mikasa was a little amused by the word ‘Pup’, finding it probably fit Eren quite well. She grabbed the crop Levi had been looking at and offered it.  
  
Levi nodded.  
  
Eren stripped his shirt and nervously looked at Levi.  
  
“I’ll,” Mikasa smiled, “I’ll leave you two alone for a couple minutes.”  
  
“Please do,” Levi purred. He heard the door close behind him and he stepped forward. “On your knees, hands behind your back.”  
  
“Yes, Sir…” Eren instantly did as he was told, dropping to the floor and moving his hands back. He was a little more comfortable now that Mikasa was gone, but…  
  
Levi swiped the rod, cutting through the air fast enough to make a sound. He practiced a couple times with it before nodding. He turned to Eren and then pushed the belt at the end under Eren’s chin and forced him to look up. “You mentioned liking a bit of pain play.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Eren nodded.  
  
“What would you say your tolerance is?”  
  
“Uh,” Eren felt his cheeks warm. “Rather high.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. He moved his hand back then walked around Eren. He saw the brunet’s shoulders tense instantly. He smirked.  
  
Eren couldn’t see Levi and he didn’t dare turn his head to look. He figured he’d just be told to face forward. Not seeing Levi meant not being able to anticipate when he was going to be struck.  
  
Levi traced the end of the crop down Eren’s spine, watching his sub shudder with fear and excitement. He moved his hand back, then swung—hard.  
  
The belt made a cracking noise and Eren gasped; the burning sting hit him right under the shoulder blade and his back arched. He cried out, giving a little whimper, before biting his lip.  
  
“Say thank you.”  
  
“Th-Thank you, Sir!”  
  
Levi brought the crop up and examined it. He smiled a little. “Impressive. How did that feel, Pup?”  
  
“Well…” Eren swallowed hard. “I have a boner.”  
  
“Already?” Levi chuckled. “Don’t forget, you can’t have any sexual release for a week.”  
  
Eren whined and whimpered, lowering his head and pressing his forehead to the ground. He suddenly perked up. “Mikasa will be back in a couple minutes, though.”  
  
“Dog,” Levi spat out. He smacked the crop hard against Eren’s side, the loud smack echoing in the room. “You’ll be amazed at what I could do in a couple minutes.”  
  
Eren shrieked.

  
  


⁂

  
  


Armin, meanwhile, was at the bookstore. He was in the fantasy section, tracing his fingertips along the spines of books as he read their titles. He walked down the aisle slowly, taking his time to view each row. He hummed to himself and paused for a moment. The book he had been reading, about the Empress of Sand, was a book he probably would never finish. It wasn’t worth being finished… Which was probably a harsh thing to say, but maybe he’d pick it up later… at some time… eventually… yeah.  
  
He paused at one book. The name was of Latin origin, _Tintinabulum_ , so he pulled out his phone, quickly searched up the translation. It meant doorbell, or cow bell or some kind of signal bell. He gave a little pout, wanting something more interesting.  
  
He decided to search up the name of the book and he saw the reviews. The average rating was three stars. He checked the next book, four stars, but after reading the spill on the back it didn’t look too appealing, the next one was one star, but the one after that was five stars. He grabbed the book, turned it around. He read the synopses and sighed.  
  
It was about Good Guy Vampires going against the Evil Christian Church.  
  
He put it back and rolled his eyes.  
  
He found that one cliché, and he hated how it was becoming the new thing. Making religious people sinful was as an old and overused twist—because it was the opposite of what it was supposed to be, yeah, he got it. It was the same as the smart blonde girl or the smart jock. He probably wouldn’t have minded it if it wasn’t such so popular to make fun of religious people.  
  
Then again, he knew he was probably biased.  
  
Privileged, even.  
  
His parents were very religious, but when he told them he was gay they just smiled and said they know and his mom told him to bring home a cutie, and his dad told him not to just go for a man because he was well-endowed—that was his aunt’s mistake. To which she smacked him on the back of his head and grumbled about something he didn’t quite hear.  
  
Armin smiled as he remembered the moment.  
  
He thought about it for a moment. When it came to the hate and intolerance that so many people gave to religious people (or gave _back_ as some would argue), he wondered if it had to do more about the society people learned religion in, rather than the actual religion itself.  
  
His own parents were religious, but they openly called the ones down south nutjobs.  
  
His own parents were…  
  
His own parents…  
  
Armin lowered his head, blue eyes flicking to his feet. His vision began to blur and he shook his head. “I miss you guys… I—I–ah!” Two arms wrapped around his waist and his spine went straight. A sudden kiss to his cheek made him look to the side.  
  
“Sorry,” Eren chuckled, “I didn’t mean to scare you, I just…” He paused. Blinking twice, Eren’s eyes widened. “You’re crying.”  
  
Armin shook his head, “Just a little. I was actually just thinking of the ending of a book. It was sad.” He wiped his eyes with his sleeves.  
  
Eren waited before smiling. “You’re so sensitive.”  
  
“Sorry…”  
  
“No! That’s a good thing… Too many people aren’t sensitive enough.”  
  
Armin smiled and tried to look behind them. “Where’s Levi? Did you guys buy anything?”  
  
“Oh, yeah,” Eren winced. “We bought a crop.”  
  
“Ohhh,” Armin grinned. He grinded his hips so his ass rubbed against Eren’s crotch.  
  
“H-Hey!” Eren whispered a hiss, “We’re in public!”  
  
“Hehehe,” Armin chuckled. “That’s what makes it more fun…”  
  
“Armin!”  
  
“Okay, okay…” Armin stopped. “So what else?”  
  
“Oh, he wanted to buy something else for me… but he told me to leave. I guess it’s a surprise, maybe? I don’t know. I’m scared… also my back hurts… but good hurts, like that nice after sting…”  
  
“Mmm, yeah,” Armin nodded. “Lucky.”  
  
Eren grinned, leaning in to smooch his cheek.  
  
Armin turned his head and captured Eren’s mouth with his own before the brunet moved his head back. “I wonder what kind of sounds you make when he whips you.”  
  
“Anyway!” Eren frowned, although he was dying to smile, “Anything you like?”  
  
Armin looked back at the books and eventually broke away from Eren’s embrace. “Hmmm,” he took several steps, “Not really.”  
  
Eren looked up, noticing the sign that said the genre, and he looked back at Armin. “So, uh, do you read a lot of fantasy?”  
  
“Sort of? I usually buy fantasy books, since that’s the only thing Levi doesn’t have… Well, fantasy and sci-fi. He’s not really a fan of either.”  
  
Eren looked around before he picked one up. “Oh! This one looks cool, look!”  
  
Armin glanced and shook his head. “Not that one.”  
  
“But, but there’s a cat on it!”  
  
“Don’t judge a book by its cover, Eren.”  
  
“Oh come on,” Eren purred, “Kitten.”  
  
Armin’s shoulders jolted and his face went red. He turned to Eren, “Shush!”  
  
Eren just snickered. “Kitten.” He turned around to put the book back.  
  
Armin walked over; knowing exactly where Levi would have struck, he smacked Eren’s back right where the sting was.  
  
“Ngh!” Eren’s knees quivered as he brought a hand up to cover his moan.  
  
“Oh,” Armin smiled, “That was a nice sound.”  
  
A third voice spoke: “Is everything okay?”  
  
They both straightened up.  
  
She was an elderly lady with a gentle smile that was missing one tooth near the bottom and to the right. Her eyes were blue and a little cloudy and her hair was a white mess. Although her back was hunched over, it was obvious she would have been a ten in her youth. “I heard a noise, is everything okay.”  
  
Armin smiled. “Yes ma’am.”  
  
The lady blinked, eyebrows going up. “Ma’am? That’s surprising coming from a boy your age.”  
  
Eren snickered. “Armin’s just very polite.”  
  
She smiled at him and looked to the bookshelf. “What were you looking for?”  
  
“Oh,” Armin looked around. “Just something new to read, either fantasy or sci-fi.”  
  
“My granddaughter is huge into sci-fi,” she smiled. “I try to read it but I need her next to me to explain all the big technology words. Have you heard of the Blue Lights Out series?”  
  
“I actually have it,” Armin chuckled as he scratched his cheek. “It’s fantastic.”  
  
She nodded. “But such big books for those… five hundred pages, that last one.”  
  
“Yeah, I’m glad I went for the eBook version of that book.”  
  
“Those electronic books?” She made a face, shaking her head. “But they read so much better on paper.”  
  
Armin stiffened, rubbing his arm. “I prefer the electronic versions, actually. I still buy many paper books, I like having a balance, but with the exception of small and local publishing houses… I can find more things.”  
  
“But, no,” she opened her mouth, as if to ease her distaste. “A book is not a book unless you can feel the pages and smell the muskiness. What does your device smell like, metal?”  
  
“It doesn’t have a smell,” Armin defended, “But I usually can smell my tea when I curl up with it.”  
  
She didn’t seem very impressed. “But you can’t read a kindle or an eReader when you’re in the bathtub, if you drop it it’s gone.”  
  
“I think…” Armin used a very different tone of voice, “That if you dropped a paper book in a bubble bath, it would be beyond repair, ma’am.”  
  
Eren curled his toes. He had never heard that tone before, and he was scared because he didn’t know what it meant.  
  
She shook her head. “But you would lose far more money if you dropped a device in the water.”  
  
“Well, personally, ma’am,” Armin’s eyes narrowed, “I think the reason why you would lose more money is because it’s worth more. One device can house hundreds of books. Honestly, I wouldn’t take either in a bathtub with me in the first place. If you want to read in a bathtub, go for it, but I’m not going to do it even if I had the Blue Lights Out series in physical.”  
  
“Kids nowadays don’t know money…”  
  
Armin’s eye twitched. “Well, you’re right, maybe I don’t. But money’s not a problem for me. I don’t own a small bookstore that’s having a liquidation sale, so I can afford to drop things in the bathtub, should I please to do so.”  
  
Eren looked between the two of them frantically.  
  
“But,” Armin continued, “I think everyone has their own preferences, and that’s okay. What makes a book worth reading is the content—not the medium. Any book that makes the charts generally has both physical and digital sales, and people can choose what they prefer.”  
  
She frowned, and the many wrinkles on her face knit together. “But it ruins the experience of reading.”  
  
“For a crusty old bitch like you, maybe!”  
  
Eren’s jaw dropped.  
  
She blinked a hundred times.  
  
“Now, like I said before—Ma’am—a book will only sell if it’s written well for its intended audience. If that’s that, people will read it either way. I’m not making fun of you for wanting black printer ink on dead trees, so don’t shame me for liking my eBooks _thank you_ , you cunt.” When she didn’t reply, he looked to Eren. “We’re leaving.”  
  
“O-Okay,” Eren quickly followed as Armin started walking to the exit.  
  
The old lady frowned. “Such foul language! Your parents must hate you!”  
  
Armin froze.  
  
Eren almost walked into the blond but stopped. He realised what she said—The _one_ topic no one was supposed to bring up around him—and felt his chest squeeze in on itself. He saw tenseness in Armin’s neck and shoulders and he was about to speak, but…  
  
Armin looked over his shoulder, past Eren to see her. “Considering you look like an over-ripened apple, I hope your hips haven’t deteriorated like your face.” He looked to a tall, white spinning rack that held at least sixty books. He tipped it over.  
  
The books crashed to the ground, toppling over each other.  
  
Her jaw dropped and she looked at him.  
  
“Judging from your craning posture, your back is a fucked up mess,” Armin said simply, “So enjoy putting those in order again, you wrinkled old dried-up used tampon.”

  
  


⁂

  
  


“H-Hey! Armin!”  
  
Armin ignored his heavy breathing as he stomped down the stairs, threatening to break the wooden steps with his fury, before he stepped on the plaza. He got to the center before he felt something tug his hand and he paused.  
  
“Armin,” Eren took his hand and tugged.  
  
Armin let himself be tugged and the next thing he knew was he was pressed up against Eren’s chest. “I hate it… when people do that… When people make me feel bad about liking something.”  
  
“She was a bitch,” Eren agreed.  
  
“Yeah.” Armin went quiet. A minute passed by, two. Eren’s arms were nice around him and he smiled. “We didn’t have a lot.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“We didn’t have a lot… growing up, I mean.” Armin backed up just enough so he could look at Eren. “We didn’t have much money, or even food… We didn’t have anything, but… we had some books. One of them was actually written by my great grandmother. I never knew her, I didn’t even know any of my grandparents, they all died before I was born. But, yeah, she wrote a book… and when I was a kid, I tore the pages out. I was four, I had no idea what I was doing but it made a fun ‘rippy’ sound.”  
  
“Oh…” Eren blinked, not sure what to say.  
  
Armin smiled. “My mom found it hilarious… She said she had read the book so many times, she memorised it, and she would tell me when I turned eighteen because it wasn’t, suitable, for children. Growing up, I thought about that book for a while, but I never read it. I couldn’t find it.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Couldn’t find another copy?”  
  
“It was out of print, years out of print.”  
  
“Oh… that’s, a shame.”  
  
“It’s okay.” Armin grinned. “When I moved in with Levi… well, I saw his library,” he chuckled, “I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. It took me three days to work up the courage to ask him if I could take something. He said yeah. I spent all day reading, and reading, and reading and reading… And, when it was my birthday, they all got me presents. Levi got me a tablet, and he linked it to his account… He said, any book I wanted, I could buy it. So, I searched up my great grandma’s name—and there it was!”  
  
Eren blinked before a smile formed on his face. “Really?”  
  
“Yeah, I searched it up, the old publishing house in England figured they could make some money by putting old manuscripts up online. And not just that one book I tore, all her other ones too!”  
  
Eren grinned, “That’s awesome!”  
  
“Yeah…” Armin slipped away a bit and rubbed his eyes. “My brother didn’t really care, but I did.”  
  
“Brother,” Eren blurted out.  
  
“Oh, yeah, I have an older brother.”  
  
Dieter Arlert.  
  
Eren winced.  
  
The one thing Levi told him not to bring up.  
  
“He used to be Levi’s sub before I was.”  
  
Eren blinked, “Really? So, is he in the community?”  
  
“Not anymore,” Armin’s eyes swiped down before back up. His smile looked a little forced. “Levi actually kicked him out. He let me stay, though.”  
  
“So… Levi kicked your brother out?”  
  
“There’s…” Armin pursed his lips, tilting his head to the side, “A rather long story behind that… All I’m going to say is he did something that warranted what Levi did, and I agree with what Levi did. He kicked Dieter out of the community and told him not to come back for another five years. When my brother left… I was the only one, and that was when Levi…” He cut himself off. “Sorry. That’s not my story to tell… Um, but yeah, six months after that, Levi and I signed our contract.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren thought about it, “So–”  
  
“There you two are.” Levi walked up to them with a black bag in his right hand. “Armin…” His eyes narrowed. “You’re crying…”  
  
Armin turned to his Dom and smiled. “It’s okay.”  
  
Levi looked at Eren.  
  
Eren smiled as well. “He called someone an old crusty bitch.”  
  
Levi blinked, then frowned, then looked for some kind of indication that it was a joke, before finally turning to Armin. “You did?”  
  
“Uh…” Armin chuckled nervously, scratching his nose. “I… Well, I… couldn’t really think of anything, and you used that insult this morning, so I just kind of blurted it out.”  
  
“Wow.” Levi whistled. “I missed it… What was it like?”  
  
“Honestly?” Eren felt his cheeks warm. “It was kinda hot… He was so upset I almost pissed my pants, but damn… it was erotic.”  
  
Armin’s face flashed red, “Wh-What?”  
  
Levi snickered. “Well, as long as you two remember the game you’re playing.”

  
  


⁂

  
  


The car ride home was quiet. Armin tugged Eren’s arm and the brunet ended up sitting in the back with the blond. Eren half expected Levi to get angry like he did last time, but he didn’t. Eren remembered when Armin mentioned being a Dom was about reading people, so maybe… Armin was resting his head on Eren’s shoulder, and when they drove over the bridge that connected downtown to a more residential area, Armin became tense.  
  
Eren wondered if Armin had some fear of bridges or something…?  
  
But it was over before it really began.  
  
When they got to the residential area, they stopped by a coffee shop to eat a couple sandwiches. Armin looked a little excited, but upon seeing a lack of a certain barista he pouted. They ate in mostly silence and Eren made sure to make note of the place.  
  
It wasn’t long before they got home. Levi told them to ignore the chores for the day and just unwind.  
  
Even though they just ate, Armin went ahead and began making dinner preparations. He mentioned it was going to be a slow-roast, so it would take a while. Eren offered to help but Armin said he just wanted to be alone for a bit. Eren was a little concerned, but left him alone—then proceeded to send him cute little hearts and bad puns every ten minutes.  
  
Dinner, too, passed in silence.  
  
But a comfortable silence.  
  
And that comfortable silence ended around eight in the evening.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
Eren looked up, glancing to the kitchen doorway. “Just dusting.”  
  
Armin crossed his arms, a little smile forming on his face. “And why are you dusting if Levi said we have a day off?”  
  
“Well…” Eren turned around and leaned on the kitchen counter. “I figure, you dust in the mornings, I do it in the evening, so if we both skipped the dusting, you’d end up having a bigger job, and you do most of the work around here so I figured if I could lighten your load, just a little, I should…”  
  
Armin stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. “You’re considerate. You don’t have to.”  
  
“I want to,” he corrected.  
  
Armin walked over and took Eren’s hand. He took a step back, effectively taking Eren with him, until his back was pressed against the fridge. His big blue eyes looked into Eren’s green ones.  
  
With some kind of silent communication, Eren smiled and leaned in.  
  
They kissed.  
  
It was slow and gentle and everything Armin needed. His hands traced over Eren’s chest, discovering the outline of the sculpted body as they worked their way down. He grabbed Eren’s zipper and the kiss broke. He was expecting some kind of freak out, but…  
  
Eren just sighed. “Sorry, I’m not in the mood.”  
  
Armin frowned, looking down. “Why?”  
  
“I’m just not, sorry.”  
  
“I mean… why can’t I… why won’t you? Why not me?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Am I not, good looking or…?” Armin cringed, “Are you not attracted to me?”  
  
“You are.” Eren kissed his cheek. “I just… I want you, it’s just, I’ve been thinking.”  
  
“About…?”  
  
“Well…” Eren took a deep breath. “Where would you go, if you lost the game?”  
  
“Same as your contract,” Armin looked up, “I have thirty days, and I can request for him to help me find a place.”  
  
“Oh,” Eren realised. “Thirty days, right… He’ll do that?”  
  
“Yes. He’s only, only ever nulled those thirty days for one person… my brother…”  
  
“He won’t do that to you?”  
  
“No.” Armin smiled, “Don’t worry. I’ll still live here, and even if he voids our contract I’ll still live here.”  
  
Eren frowned, pressing his forehead against the fridge, feeling the cool metal on his heated skin. “I can’t win.”  
  
“Eren…” He blinked. “What are you talking about? You’re doing great so far.”  
  
“No, I mean…” Eren took a deep breath. “What happens if you don’t have sex with me, but I jack off. We’d both lose, right?”  
  
“Then he’d just terminate both of our contracts.”  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow, then sighed. “There really is no way around this game.”  
  
“I’ve hypothesised seven potential strategies,” Armin admitted as his eyes dropped to the floor, “But I… believe none of them have a high success rate. They’ll all end in failure.”  
  
Eren nodded slowly. “You and Levi… You’re so close to each other. You’ve been with each other for years. Armin, I’m sorry… I can’t divide you two.”  
  
Armin looked up.  
  
Eren closed his eyes.  
  
Armin’s eyes examined every bit of Eren’s face, trying to find an answer.  
  
“Honestly, it’s… I can’t do it.”  
  
Armin shook his head, blond hair flying with the movement. “N-No, you can’t get it up right now… and that means you can’t have sex with me, so you’ll win.”  
  
“I…” Eren took a deep breath. “I planned on telling Levi I forfeit, actually.”  
  
Armin frowned. “Why?”  
  
“Because… it’s just, better.”  
  
“Eren…”  
  
Eren smiled, opening his green eyes and staring into Armin’s blues. “You’re happy with Levi, and Levi’s happy with you.”  
  
“No,” Armin corrected, “It’s you… you’re the one that’s been making Levi…”  
  
Eren took a step back and rubbed his neck. “It’s okay… Maybe I can work something out.”  
  
“No, he… Levi, won’t… He won’t like his game ending early.” Armin clasped both hands over his face. “At least, forfeit later.”  
  
Eren shook his head. “Sorry, but this is best… I’m not putting myself through this game, and I’m not putting you through it either.”  
  
Armin moved his hands away and he took a deep breath. “So, you’ll end your contract with him? But, you… You’re so… Levi’s been so… with you, because of you.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Armin closed his eyes and sighed.  
  
Eren smiled and kissed his cheek. “I’ll go talk to him now, okay?”  
  
Armin wanted to scream, wanting to tell Eren that he better not move his ass, but instead he just whispered, “Okay.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
Armin watched Eren leave the room. When he heard the footsteps go up the stairs, he slid down the fridge door until his ass hit the floor. “Eren…” The footsteps were too far to hear; all the sound there was was the low hum of the fridge. The cold on his back made him shiver. “Eren… you idiot… Don’t you get it? You… you’re the one making Levi happy.”


	12. The Second Week (5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope I'm not bugging you guys with this housekeeping stuff, XD, but I just realised it's been a while since I've thanked everyone for all the support, all the comments here and all the anons on Tumblr... You really have no idea how much it means to me. I really do cherish every single one. When I posted last chapter, I hit quite a few milestones. I broke 100 bookmarks, 500 kudos, and 10,000 hits... I'm still in shock, LOL. I'm so glad you're enjoying this, Q.Q. I'm not the type to pine over stats, but I can appreciate them for what they are, and I can't deny how happy it makes me and its thanks to you guys~! So, yes, thank you. Please enjoy the chapter. 
> 
> With this chapter, Tentative Bliss breaks the 100k word mark, LOL. This also makes TB my longest story so far... and we're not even 1/3rd of the way through it. But, just the fact that you guys have read 100k of my writing is just, on its own, such a compliment, so thank you. Ah I probably sound all sappy and stupid, XD, but I'm just really happy and I really do appreciate all the support you guys have given me. 
> 
> Thank you, and enjoy~!

* * *

 

 

Eren stood before the double doors to Levi’s study. These double doors were perpendicular to the double doors of Levi’s bedroom. The study was opposite to the library, which meant Eren was now surrounded by a bunch of scary double doors. He huffed and crossed his arms. “Oh geez… Okay, come on.”  
  
Eren started running on the spot for half a second before he took a deep breath. He grabbed the door handle and pushed it open slightly. “Sir?”  
  
Levi was at the far end of his room, sitting at the expensive black walnut desk, leaning back in his matching chair. His legs were crossed and he held the crop in his hand. He looked up to Eren and stared.  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
Levi… at a desk… crop in hand…  
  
“Oh sweet silverware…”  
  
His mind was running wild.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry?”  
  
Eren blinked. “Huh?”  
  
“You said something about sweet silverware.”  
  
“Sorry!”  
  
Levi smiled a little, then tilted his head. “You’re nervous.”  
  
“Uh, yeah…” Eren took his first step in the study and closed the door behind him. It made an abrupt and loud noise and he awkwardly looked at Levi. He rubbed his neck. “Well, uh… I want to say something.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
Eren wanted to roll over and hide, but he stayed where he was. “It’s about the game.”  
  
Levi looked him over one more time then glanced to the crop. “Yes, Eren?”  
  
“Um… I… I don’t think I can do this?” He wasn’t sure why he inflected his voice but he rubbed his throat, wondering if it was a voice crack.  
  
“Ah, I see.” Levi nodded. “You slept with him.”  
  
Eren shook his head. “N-No.”  
  
“You masturbated?”  
  
“No, Sir.”  
  
Levi frowned. “Did you cum in your sleep?”  
  
“No,” Eren sighed. “I’ve stayed true to my goals… I just can’t…”  
  
Levi snorted. “You want Armin that bad?”  
  
“No, Sir!” Eren huffed angrily, then realised what he did. “I’m sorry. It’s just, it’s not about the sex, Sir. I just can’t do this. I can’t play this game… I can’t win just to make him lose.”  
  
Levi paused. He didn’t react, only stayed silent.  
  
“I’m sorry…” Eren looked at his feet. “I enjoy being your sub, Sir… I really do. I’ve had so much fun, I’ve learned so many things about everything, but if staying here means kicking out Armin, then, I just, I can’t do that.” He looked up. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“So,” Levi pursed his lips. He smacked the crop down on his other hand and frowned. “What you’re telling me is you’re putting Armin above me, is that right?”  
  
“No…” Eren shook his head. “Sir, it’s not like that.”  
  
Levi cocked his head to the side. “Is that so?”  
  
“Not at all,” Eren insisted.  
  
“Then explain it, Mutt.”  
  
Eren cringed. He took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay… It’s just, look, I’ve been here for less than two weeks. I get nervous about all sorts of things, and there are tons of chores, and I can’t deny that I’ve only probably been doing thirty percent of it… maybe less than that.”  
  
“I’m aware.” Levi smiled. “Your point?”  
  
“What I want to say… what I’m _trying_ to say, Sir, is that I can’t fulfil your desires without Armin.” Eren grabbed his wrist, fumbling his hands together. “So… for Armin, yeah, but for you too. I can’t break you two apart. This is his home, and even if you give him thirty days… even if you gave him thirty years, I couldn’t break his contract with you, no matter what is at stake.”  
  
Levi blinked. He raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Look,” Eren sighed, “I know this sounds weird… but a relationship with you, without Armin, isn’t something I can do.”  
  
Levi’s brows came down and knitted together in a frown. “And why is that?”  
  
“Because… you two are so, compatible.” Eren smiled. “You’ve got the perfect Dom and sub companionship going. As much as I wish I could… I could never replace Armin for you. I wouldn’t even know where to start. And, I could never be a Levi for Armin either.”  
  
Levi gave an amused smile and glanced to his crop. “Keep going.”  
  
“I guess…” Eren felt a little weirded out that Levi was suddenly focusing on the crop instead of him, but he had been building momentum so stopping would have been a bad idea. “I guess what I want to say, Sir, is that… what I want is, well, sort of… I want to be a part of the household. You rely on Armin, and Armin relies on you, and… truth be told, I rely on both of you for different things… and, what I want… is, maybe… one day… you two could… rely on me.”  
  
“I… see.”  
  
Eren took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Sir. I can’t go through with this game. I still want to serve you. You’ve been the best Dom I’ve ever had, and I’ve tried to do my best for you as much as I can. You’re sweet, and you’re caring–”  
  
“—Excuse me?” Levi coughed. “What?”  
  
“Well, don’t get me wrong… You’re an asshole, but you care about us, in your own way. About me, about Armin… You fulfil your role as a Dominant perfectly.”  
  
Levi pursed his lips and frowned. “Apparently not too perfectly. The game was supposed to be fun for the three of us, mainly for me, of course, but it wasn’t supposed to distress. I’ve noticed you two have become more and more depressed lately.”  
  
“Well, you know… our contracts would have been cut.” Eren took a deep breath. “The stakes were too high.”  
  
“Are,” Levi corrected. “It’s not that the stakes were too high, they are too high.”  
  
Eren jumped a little. “You’re going to cut our contract?”  
  
“Maybe.” Levi stood up, slapping his crop over his hand again, enjoying the little mini hops Eren did in fear. “I planned to base it on effort, really. I needed to know both of you tried, and tried your hardest. Did you ever wonder why I started the game, Eren?”  
  
Eren blinked. “Why? I just figured you had a fucked up sense of humour.”  
  
Levi snickered. “That too. But what is my job as a Dom?”  
  
“To take control of the situation.”  
  
“No.” Levi frowned. “What is my job? You serve me, that is your job, so what is my job? What do I do for you?”  
  
“Uh…” Eren thought about it. “Oh! You help us achieve pleasure in submission, and… to guide us to be a better sub.”  
  
Levi smirked. “Look at that. The gears in your small little head are turning. Yes, you,” he stuck the crop out, putting the silver belt under Eren’s chin and pushing it up, “You, little Pup, need to learn restraint.”  
  
Eren blinked. He wasn’t sure what Levi meant but if he was supposed to learn restraint, he figured shutting the hell up would be a good idea.  
  
“Regardless of what situation we’re in, you don’t think before you speak. Your desires are always shown.” Levi offered a small smile. “I… like it. You’re honest. You show what you want. You make your desires known. But, should I need you to contain yourself, I don’t know if you could.”  
  
Eren frowned. “I don’t understand, Sir.”  
  
Levi sighed. “I’ll break it down for you: Should we proceed with our contract, you will be put in situations that will test you and your ability to restrain yourself. I will expect nothing but a stellar performance, you understand what I’m saying, Mutt? I need you to learn a skill you don’t have.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren thought about it. “So avoiding Armin, avoiding temptation, that was basically trying to help me control myself. But, then… why drag Armin into this?”  
  
“He’s the opposite.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Armin…” Levi removed the crop from under Eren’s chin and frowned. “Armin has a very hard time telling people—even me—what he really wants. I’ve seen it hundreds of times. He’ll eye something in a store window, but he’ll never tell me he wants it. Similarly, he wants you to fuck him into a wall, but he’s never going to ask, and he will never initiate it.”  
  
Eren pouted. “Well then why is he teasing so much?”  
  
“He wants you.” Levi crossed around the desk and cupped Eren’s chin. “As I want you.”  
  
Eren felt a little thrill move down to his pants and he frowned. “But, wait—then why does he tease?”  
  
“He doesn’t tease,” Levi corrected. “He has every God-damn intent of sleeping with you, Eren. He just gets nervous, scared, then backs out at the last second. Armin’s not simple to get along with.”  
  
Eren suddenly smiled. “You’re not either.”  
  
Levi blinked, before a small smile formed on his lips. “Fair enough.”  
  
“So…” Eren turned his head, looking at his Dom. “So… you never wanted to kick either of us out?”  
  
“I was more than willing—even Armin. A Dom teaches a sub how to be a better sub. Any sub that doesn’t want to listen has no right to be mine.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard. “I want to be yours.”  
  
“Even now?”  
  
“Even now… Especially now.”  
  
Levi smirked. “Well, that’s optimistic.” He suddenly whipped the crop against Eren’s ass, watching his sub jolt up. “Strip.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Strip.”  
  
Eren blinked. “What?”  
  
Levi frowned. “Don’t hesitate to follow orders. “  
  
“Y-Yes Sir!” Eren pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the side; he quickly undid his pants and took them off, along with his boxers and socks, until he was naked.  
  
Levi chuckled.  
  
Eren pouted. “There was no proper transition!”  
  
“I know. I find it funny.” Levi used his hand this time as he smacked Eren’s ass. “Well, since you don’t want to play that game, let’s play another.”  
  
Eren meeped.  
  
Levi frowned. “What _is_ that noise you keep making?”  
  
Eren bit his lip and felt his face heat up.  
  
“Not going to answer? Good. Since that’s the game we’re playing.” Levi smirked. He ran the leather belt at the end of the crop against Eren’s side, teasingly slow. “We are practicing restraint, so you will refrain from making any noise. You will deny your voice, for me. Do you understand?”  
  
“Yes,” Eren nodded.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
He suddenly slapped his hand over his mouth. “Practice round!”  
  
Levi smirked. “Fine. Put your hands on the desk.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard and did as he was told, putting his palms on the edge of the wooden desk.  
  
“A Dom controls the situation,” Levi explained, “But a sub controls his needs and wants. He controls his body, so that he may change himself at the whims of the Dom.” He ran the leather over Eren’s spine.  
  
Eren was about to gasp, but he quickly moved his hand to his mouth.  
  
Levi frowned. “Hands. On. The. Desk.” He swiped his arm, slapping Eren’s side.  
  
Eren muffled a cry into his hand before putting it on the desk. He felt another slap to his back and he whimpered.  
  
“Hmm. I should punish you for that…” Levi tilted his head to the side.  
  
Eren closed his eyes; those couple slaps were enough to get him a little excited, and his manhood twitched to life.  
  
“I planned on exercising your self-control over seven days. I expected you to cave eventually. Armin dances around what he wants, but when he finally reaches for it, he will grab it.” Levi was given no response and he smiled. “Instead of seven days, which I figure is more fair, I’ll give you this little fucking moment. Not one noise, Eren. If you succeed, the game is called off. If you fail, well, the stakes are the same: Your contract is at risk. Not. One. Noise. Did you hear me?”  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
“Good,” Levi put the crop down and walked around his desk. He opened a drawer and shuffled the contents inside until he pulled out a small bottle of lube.  
  
Eren’s eyes widened.  
  
“Don’t look so hopeful, Eren.”  
  
Eren pouted.  
  
Levi smiled. He walked around the desk again and popped the lid. He smeared some of the thicker, cool substance on two of his fingers and rubbed it around, letting the lube coat his fingers, as well as letting the lube warm up a bit. “Spread your legs.”  
  
Eren did so, leaning over a bit to raise his ass.  
  
Levi slowly began humming ‘The London Bridge is Falling Down’, repeating the chorus over and over again.  
  
Eren bit his lip. Was that song always so eerie? Or was it just Levi?  
  
Levi ran his coated fingers over Eren’s entrance. He watched the brunet shiver and he gave a sly smile. Slowly, he pushed a finger in.  
  
Eren kept his lower lip between his teeth and tried not to whimper.  
  
Levi wasn’t too surprised by the lack of vocals yet. It was only one finger. He pushed in the second. He moved those fingers forward and back, forward and back. Nothing, yet. He smirked. He pushed in, a bit deeper this time, and reached for the prostate.  
  
“Hmm,” Eren tried to hold back, his toes curling.  
  
Levi put the bottle of lube down and used his free hand to wrap around Eren’s waist. He grabbed Eren’s cock, feeling the soft warmth hard in his hand, and squeezed.  
  
Eren pursed his lips, eyes snapping shut.  
  
Levi started stroking Eren, moving the skin back and forth, rolling it over the sensitive head. His fingers worked the brunet’s prostate, moving slow circles around the gland.  
  
Eren brought a hand up to cover his mou—  
  
“—Desk!” Levi hissed into the shell of Eren’s ear.  
  
Eren’s hand slammed on the desk. Unable to cover his mouth with his hand, Eren lowered his head so his lips were against the back of his hand on the desk.  
  
Levi smirked. “Usually I’d get upset… but, you have no idea how great you look bent over, Pup.” Levi could feel his own length hard in his pants. Eren’s body was so willing for him. He leaned down, kissing Eren’s shoulder, then his neck.  
  
Eren cringed, not knowing how much of this he could take. His knees wiggled and his toes curled. He couldn’t even touch himself when the game began, and now he had Levi’s hand on his dick, fingers inside him, and mouth on his shoulder.  
  
“You’re so easy to dominate,” Levi whispered in his sub’s ear. “Are you enjoying yourself, Pup?”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened. He wanted to scream yes as loud as he could, but he forced his lips shut.  
  
“Good, good Pup.” Levi half considered fucking Eren right there, but… He smirked. He’d get his chance for that later.  
  
Eren muffled a noise, closing his eyes again. His hips moved from left to right. His breathing became heavier.  
  
Levi continued to please the brunet. His eyes dilated with lust as he watched his sub come undone for him. Still, he couldn’t just let Eren get pleasure. This was a test, after all. “Turn around,” he ordered, “Sit at the edge of my desk, legs up.”  
  
Eren took a large, shaky breath before nodding. He was so desperate to do something, he jumped at the action. He hopped up on the desk and raised his legs, resting his heels also on the edge.  
  
Levi could see the position wouldn’t last long so he took a step forward. “Hold on to me.”  
  
Eren quickly did so.  
  
Levi resumed his previous action; one of his hands grabbed Eren’s cock and stroked it, while the other moved inside, moving deep to stimulate that one spot. Levi smirked; he was face to face with Eren, and he could see how the brunet’s neck had turned red from all the tension of suppressed noises. He couldn’t help himself; he moved his tongue over Eren’s collarbone, all the way up to his chin.  
  
His knees were visibly shaking as the pleasure began to build up. He couldn’t help but notice how Levi’s grip felt so gentle and firm at the same time. Eren quickly covered his mouth with his hand and closed his eyes.  
  
Levi snickered. He leaned forward, biting one of Eren’s fingers that covered his mouth.  
  
Eren stifled a squeal.  
  
Levi moved his mouth away and lowered himself to Eren’s neck. “Your hickeys have faded… I’ll give you new ones.”  
  
Eren inhaled sharply from his nose as Levi’s mouth sucked on his neck. His toes curled and he whimpered. His breathing became heavy and the muffled noises rose louder.  
  
Levi leaned Eren back a bit and smirked. “Cum.”  
  
Moving a hand away, Eren let out a loud noise as his whole body shuddered.  
  
Levi felt Eren’s cock twitch as white strands shot out. He watched, watched the flush on Eren’s cheeks, the ecstasy on his face, the shaking of his whole body as he came all over himself… Levi was a little impressed by the load, but he figured after being chaste for a few days and getting worked up, it wasn’t too much of a surprise.  
  
Eren rolled his shoulders, bathing in the aftershock waves.  
  
“You can speak now, Pup.”  
  
Eren lifted his head, biting his lip. “How did I do, Sir?”  
  
“We can keep our contract?”  
  
Eren sighed out of relief and closed his eyes, “Thank buckets…”  
  
Levi’s lips curved into a little smile but he chose not to comment. He leaned down, kissing Eren’s jawline. “Don’t move. Let me clean you.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
Levi reached over his desk and grabbed several tissues. He cleaned his hand first, then Eren. “You were great.”  
  
“But…” Eren pouted. “I could have done better.”  
  
Levi stopped, glancing to him, making eye contact.  
  
“I want to be the best I can be, for you, Sir.”  
  
Levi smiled. “You should always aim for flawlessness, Eren…” He leaned down and kissed his lips softly, “But don’t be afraid to celebrate how well you did either. You exceeded my expectation of you.”  
  
Eren’s cheeks warmed. “Thank you.”  
  
Levi captured those lips again for another short kiss before he moved away.  
  
“Sir…” Eren smiled. “What about you?”  
  
“I’ll have my chance tonight,” Levi smirked. “But, for now… Take your underwear and go to my room. I should tell Armin the game is over… I never wanted to distress either of you. I’m sorry.”  
  
“It’s okay,” Eren grinned. He shouldn’t have, but he leaned up and kissed the tip of Levi’s nose.  
  
Levi instantly frowned, but his facial expression eventually melted away. “You really do bring out the worst in me.”  
  
“Well,” Eren grinned, “That’s saying a lot, considering how much of a jerk you are.”  
  
“What did you say, Pup?”  
  
“Nothing Sir!”  


⁂

  
  
Armin didn’t know how many minutes had passed since Eren left him in the kitchen. He was still sitting on the floor, back against the stainless steel refrigerator. He was cold, shivering, but he didn’t notice. He was hugging his knees, glancing to the clock. It read that it was half past ten, and he was feeling tired. Usually he’d be up until one or two in the morning, but this week everyone had been sleeping early and sleeping in late.  
  
Though he didn’t mind too much… Usually he had Eren with him, which was probably not going to…  
  
“It’s all my fault,” he whispered.  
  
Why didn’t he stop Eren?  
  
Armin frowned.  
  
Why didn’t he go with Eren?  
  
Maybe, together, they could have convinced Levi, but alone…  
  
A week ago, none of it would have mattered, so why—  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
Armin jolted in place. He looked to the entrance of the kitchen and scampered to his feet. “Levi, Sir?”  
  
Levi sighed, taking another step in. “I never wanted to make either of you sad.” He waited for some kind of reply, but all he heard was the low hum of the fridge. “It’s my job to take care of you. Physically, psychologically, and spiritually.”  
  
“Sir…”  
  
“I failed you,” Levi stated. “Both of you.” He reached forward and grabbed Armin’s hand. He hesitated for a moment before pulling the blond close; and, soon, both of his arms wrapped around him.  
  
Armin’s eyes widened as he hugged back. He felt his cheeks warm and he didn’t know why. If it had been Jean or Erwin or even Ymir—any other Dom—he would have been okay with it, but Levi? Levi had never been a fan of affection. Even though Armin was taller, by three small centimeters, he slouched a bit as he hugged back, so he could press his forehead against Levi’s neck.  
  
“Forgive me?”  
  
Armin smiled. “Is that an order?”  
  
Levi snorted. “You have the ability to be a cheeky little shit, even now?”  
  
“Forever and always, Sir.”  
  
“I hate you.”  
  
Armin grinned and kissed Levi’s cheek.  
  
Levi frowned.  
  
“What?” Armin shrugged. “Eren does it all the time… it looks fun.”  
  
Levi shook his head, still frowning.  
  
Armin laughed, but the laugh died quick. “Eren…”  
  
“He’s staying with us.”  
  
“Good…” Armin nodded.  
  
 _I want to be a part of the household,_ Eren had said, _You rely on Armin, and Armin relies on you, and… truth be told, I rely on both of you for different things… and, what I want… is, maybe… one day… you two could… rely on me._  
  
Levi thought about those words. “Maybe.”  
  
“Maybe?” Armin backed away instantly. “He’s maybe staying with us?”  
  
“No, no,” Levi attempted to correct himself.  
  
“He’s not staying with us!?”  
  
“He’s staying!” Levi raised his voice before sighing. Much calmer, he repeated the words: “He’s staying. I’m sorry, I said maybe to something else.”  
  
“O-Oh…” Armin looked at his feet. “Oops.”  
  
Levi chuckled and moved some of Armin’s blond hair out of his face. “He’ll be spending the night in my room… Are you fine with sleeping alone? I can send him over if you want.”  
  
Armin grinned. “Take him tonight.”  
  
“You sure?”  
  
“I’ll have him tomorrow night, then.”  
  
Levi smirked. “Or he’ll have you, Kitten.”  
  
Armin’s reply died on his tongue as he whimpered and his cheeks went red. “Master…?”  
  
“Yes?” Levi tilted his head.  
  
“Why did you play the game?”  
  
“Because it was entertaining. Why else?”  
  
Armin pouted. “No… You always have a reason—always. Some kind of goal, a motive.”  
  
“You’re right,” Levi smiled softly. “You’re too perceptive for your own good. I wanted Eren to learn restraint, and I wanted you to learn to take what you want.”  
  
Armin blinked. “I’m sorry? Learn to take, what I want?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi nodded. “We can talk about it tomorrow, but for now… I need to finish my lesson with Eren.”  


⁂

  
  
Eren was sitting at the foot of Levi’s bed, only in his brown boxers. He found himself a lot more comfortable in the man’s room than he was the first few times. He looked around, and it was pretty much the same as always—except a little white box on his desk. He shouldn’t have, but he got up and examined it. It was a medium sized box with a black little ribbon tying it together. A gift? He tilted his head. A part of him wanted to open it, but…  
  
The door opened.  
  
“Sir!” Eren saluted.  
  
“You need to stop doing that,” Levi muttered.  
  
“Sorry!”  
  
Levi closed the door behind him then glanced to the box. “That’s actually for you.”  
  
Eren’s eyes sparkled, anime style, and he looked at it, then back to Levi. “Me?”  
  
“I bought two things today at the store, both were for you.” Levi stepped closer and cupped Eren’s face. “You really are a puppy. Don’t worry, you’ll get it. I planned on giving it to you if you succeeded. Armin will get one too—if _he_ succeeds as well.”  
  
Eren blinked and looked at the box. “What is it? Can I open it?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Aww!” Eren dropped to his knees. “Please? I’ll do anything!”  
  
Levi’s expression stayed expressionless. “You’ll do anything either way.”  
  
“Exactly why I should open it!”  
  
Levi’s lips curved into a small smirk. “Your lesson on restraint isn’t over yet.”  
  
Eren kept pouting.  
  
Levi sighed. “Fine.”  
  
Eren bounced up and grabbed the box. He held it up to his ear and shook it. It didn’t make much noise so he frowned. He put the box down and tugged at the black strings. He popped the top and, paused. “Oh… What is it?” He picked up a rectangular sheet of smooth, dark brown leather and tilted his head. “I don’t get it.”  
  
Levi took the leather strap slowly. “Give me your right arm.”  
  
Eren blinked and offered it.  
  
Levi slowly wrapped the leather around Eren’s wrist, making something between a bracelet and a short wrist guard.  
  
“Oh,” Eren perked up, “It’s comfy.”  
  
“It’s not real leather,” Levi mused, “The fake stuff is getting popular. Supposedly it’s a higher quality too. Waterproof.”  
  
“So…” Eren looked at it, then glanced to Levi. “It’s like a collar?”  
  
Levi blinked, notably surprised. “Yes… It’s your collar. You said you don’t like collars, so I found another way to make you mine. You have too nice of a neck to cover up, anyway. So… wear it. Always. For me.”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks warm and he nodded. “Thank you, Sir.” He ran his finger over the smooth leather. He was a little surprised to hear it was faux; it was soft, but tough. He could feel the little grainy lines running over the surface on his fingertips.  
  
“Armin will get one too,” Levi repeated. “His will be on his left hand.”  
  
Eren looked away from his wrist guard and turned to Levi. “Why left?”  
  
“He’s left handed. You’re right handed. You make a pair.” Levi shrugged. “It’s kind of cute, I guess.”  
  
Eren grinned. “What about you?”  
  
“I’m ambidextrous, I can use both just fine—as I’m sure I showed you in the study.”  
  
Eren grinned and looked to his wrist again.  
  
“You like it?”  
  
“Yes!” He suddenly kissed Levi’s cheek. Then he gave a short kiss to Levi’s mouth, then pecked more kisses on Levi’s other cheek, forehead, chin, cheek again, c–  
  
“–Enough!” Levi hissed.  
  
“Sorry.” Eren dipped his head, a full smile still on his lips. “I’m just happy.”  
  
“Well, I’m glad one of us is.”  
  
Eren chuckled.  
  
Levi gave a wry smile. “Then, are we going to proceed with the lesson? You haven’t really earned that gift yet.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened and he nodded. “Yes, Sir. Whenever.”  
  
“You’ve already showed me a decent performance of restraint,” he admitted. “Armin’s also told me what he’s been doing this week to get you in his bed. So, this time, I want you to deny yourself, for me.”  
  
“Deny myself?” Eren suddenly realised he was talking and he covered his mouth.  
  
Levi smirked. “You can speak, Pup. You’re just going to deny yourself pleasure. You won’t touch yourself, you won’t even grind against the bed for some kind of feeling. My pleasure is top priority, and yours is the last on the list. Can you do this for me?”  
  
Eren nodded. “Of course.”  
  
“Good.” Levi glanced to the bed and nudged his head. “Strip.”  
  
Eren understood; he slipped off his underwear and got on the bed.  
  
Levi unbuttoned his shirt, rather quickly, before tossing it aside. Once again, they were revealed: Two thin gashes, slightly open like a valley, on the right side of his stomach. Only one shade pinker than his skin, peaking outwards. One started below his navel and curved downwards along his side before moving up to his back. The second was on his rib and much shorter, only a couple inches long.  
  
Eren swallowed hard. He tried not to let his eyes drift to those scars, but they were so…  
  
Levi took off his belt, then quickly removed the rest of his clothes. He got on the bed as well, putting his hands on Eren’s shoulder and forcing the younger man down.  
  
Eren moved his legs so Levi was between them. His knees were in the air, wiggling a bit with anticipation.  
  
Levi leaned down and brought their lips together.  
  
Eren instantly closed his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Levi’s neck. Feeling skin against his skin again, and those lips against his lips, he practically melted. He moaned into the kiss. He felt Levi’s tongue poke his lips, so he parted them.  
  
Levi ran his hand down Eren’s side as his tongue glided along Eren’s.  
  
Eren inhaled the scent of Levi’s cologne and felt a flutter in his chest.  
  
Levi broke their mouths apart and took a deep breath. “We’re probably going to need more lube.”  
  
“I’ll probably be fine.” Eren looked up to the man. “Unless we go really rough or something?”  
  
“Then,” Levi thought about it, “Maybe.”  
  
“Maybe?”  
  
Levi smirked. He leaned down and kissed Eren’s jaw. “I don’t plan everything out. Certainty is boring… Not knowing what’s going to happen, to take one thing at a time, feel your way into the next move… that’s fun.”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks flush and he shivered.  
  
“Cold, Pup?”  
  
“N-No,” Eren shook his head. “I’m all hot and bothered.”  
  
Levi kissed Eren quickly before shifting to the side. He grabbed the bottle of lube on his bedside and noted he was running out. He would have to get more later, but now was hardly the time to even think about that. He smeared more lube on his fingers and then pushed two inside Eren.  
  
Eren gasped. His toes curled and his cock twitched. He badly wanted to touch himself, but knew better. He reached his right hand down and grabbed his Dom’s cock and began stroking it.  
  
“Such a good Pup,” Levi purred. He looked down to Eren’s wrist guard and smiled. “I can feel the leather against my dick.”  
  
Eren looked down as well, then bit his lip. Green eyes flashing up, he smiled. “Do you like it?”  
  
“Mhm.” Levi captured Eren’s mouth with his own for a short moment then smirked. “Whose pet are you?”  
  
“Yours,” Eren whispered.  
  
“Whose?”  
  
“Yours, Sir,” he said a little louder.  
  
“Come on, Pup. I can’t hear you.”  
  
“I’m yours, Sir!” Eren closed his eyes, “I’m yours, yours, I’m yours Sir, yours.”  
  
“Good pet, good Pup.” Levi applied some lube to his cock and stroked himself before brushing the head of his cock against Eren’s ass. “Ready?”  
  
“Always,” Eren nodded.  
  
“Always?” Levi cocked his head. “Be careful what you say.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Stop trying to sound scary, Sir… You have me. All of me.”  
  
Levi bit his lip.  
  
Eren felt a thrill in his chest and he grinned. Levi pushed in. His knees wiggled and he moved his head back; he sucked in through his front teeth and closed his eyes. “Ah.”  
  
“It was a shame to keep you quiet,” Levi purred, “The noises you make are hot as fuck.”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks burn, but he opened his eyes and smiled. “They’re for you.”  
  
Levi brought his lips to Eren’s ear. “Good Pup.”  
  
Eren felt his whole body quiver as the smooth voice slipped into his ear. He wrapped his legs around Levi’s waist, pulling him closer until the man was completely buried inside him.  
  
Levi hissed and growled. “Eager little dog, aren’t you?”  
  
Eren smirked. “I’ll do anything to give you pleasure, Sir.”  
  
“Just the way I want you.” Levi moved his hips back, before pushing in again.  
  
Eren opened his mouth and a moan slowly escaped his lips. He moved his head back. His own cock was twitching, begging to be touched but he ignored it. Instead, he squeezed on Levi’s manhood deep inside him.  
  
Levi breathed heavy and his steel eyes glared into Eren’s green ones. It was too easy to lose control, to let Eren take over… He needed a way to stay the dominant one. He adjusted his hips and started making short thrusts, aiming for something inside.  
  
Eren pursed his lips when he felt the head of Levi’s cock brush against his prostate. His cock twitched and he wiggled his knees. He was sure if Levi hadn’t started hitting that spot he would have been able to do the task just fine. He pouted a little and wrapped his arms around Levi’s neck, just to make sure they were away from his member.  
  
Levi kept eye contact as he sped up.  
  
Eren rocked his body, or rocked as much as he could on his back. He pushed his hips towards the man every time Levi thrust against him, feeling the man’s hips against his ass. “Mmm,” he moaned. “Please Sir, faster.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “I thought this was about my pleasure?”  
  
“It is!” Eren whined. “I want you to use me… I’m yours, so please… please fuck me.”  
  
Levi slammed hard into Eren.  
  
Eren cried out, pulling himself up with his arms around Levi’s neck. “Like that… please. You’re all that matters to me, Sir, so please…”  
  
Levi thrust hard again, then again.  
  
Eren brought his mouth to Levi’s neck, pressing his teeth against the skin as he bit, hard.  
  
Levi winced; pleasure mixed with pain and he let out a shaky noise. “Good fucking Pup.” The tight heat hugging his cock was addictive and he thrust in once again.  
  
Eren’s own cock was twitching, leaking precum. His mouth moved to Levi’s shoulder and he took another bite. He could taste salty skin. The cock moved inside him and he shuddered. “Please Sir.” He so badly needed to do something, _anything_ , but he didn’t know what.  
  
Levi could sense Eren’s desperation and he revelled in it. He kissed the brunet’s neck—that fucking neck—and he kept moving inside him, thrusting hard and deep. The arms around his neck, the small feel of leather from the wristband, the mouth on his shoulder, the thighs around his waist… “This is how I want you, needing me.”  
  
“I need you,” Eren blurted out. “Please, Sir, I need you, Sir.”  
  
“That’s right,” Levi whispered, lust spilling from his lips through his words, “You need me… Fuck, I love the way you call me Sir.”  
  
“Sir!” Eren gasped. “Sir,” he mewled.  
  
Levi’s whole body shivered. He grabbed Eren’s hips and then turned them over, so he was on his back. “Ride me, you slut.”  
  
Eren instantly moved his hips, raising his body and lowering himself—fucking himself—on Levi’s cock. He moved his arms away and straightened his spine. He raised his body up, then slammed down on Levi’s hips.  
  
Levi hissed; his hands were at Eren’s waist, squeezing his sides. “Just like that, Pup.”  
  
“Yes Sir!”  
  
Levi watched Eren moved up and down, watching as the brunet’s hard cock bounced up and down, occasionally smacking down on his stomach. “Fuck, keep going damnit!”  
  
Eren grabbed onto Levi’s shoulders for support, leaning his weight onto him, as his ass moved up and down, the cock moving deep inside him. He cried out, screwing his eyes shut.  
  
Levi smacked Eren’s ass. “Faster.”  
  
“Yes Sir!” Eren instantly complied. His knees were shaking, his hips were shaking, but the feeling of that manhood sliding in and out of him made him moan loudly. “Sir, Sir!”  
  
Levi closed his eyes, biting his lower lip. He began thrusting up every time Eren slammed down, and moving back every time Eren raised his hips. “Fuck, I’m going to cum.”  
  
“Please, Sir!” Eren begged. “Please cum inside me, Sir!”  
  
“Little fucking slut,” Levi smacked his ass again, seething his words. “Faster, you dog.”  
  
“Yes Sir!”  
  
Levi threw his head back, feeling his body coil and tense. He grit his teeth, rolling his shoulders back as he growled. “Fuck!” he shouted. His whole body quivered and shook as he erupted, letting out a weak noise as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He came, deep inside Eren and he let out another noise. “Fuck…”  
  
Eren felt the cock twitch inside him and he smiled. “Did you enjoy me, Sir?”  
  
Levi took a moment to catch his breath. His lungs felt like they were about to collapse as he took deep, ragged breaths. “Yes,” he said between pants. “I enjoyed you, Eren.”  
  
Eren smiled. He leaned down and kissed the corner of Levi’s mouth.  
  
Levi smirked and breathed through his nose.  
  
“Did I succeed, Sir?”  
  
“Yes,” Levi finally opened his eyes. “Give me a moment, and I’ll take care of you.”  
  
“Take as long as you like, Sir…” Eren purred, “I serve you.”  
  
“Who knew,” he panted, “Such a dork,” another pant, “Could be so fucking sexy?”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks redden and he bit his lip, giving a little shrug.  
  
Levi slowly rolled them over and kissed Eren’s neck softly.  
  
Eren gasped and smiled.  
  
Levi grabbed Eren’s hands and moved them over his head.  
  
Eren closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure why Levi wanted his hands, but—Click!—he opened his eyes and looked up. He felt two rings of cold metal around his wrists and blinked. Handcuffs. “Huh? Sir?”  
  
Levi snickered and kissed Eren’s neck again. “I’ve already asked you to restrain your voice and your pleasure… now we’re going with a very literal version of restraint.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
Levi moved his hips back, slipping his soft manhood out of Eren. He kissed Eren’s neck again, then moved down: He kissed his collarbone next, then his chest, then his stomach, navel, then right above his cock. He grabbed Eren’s manhood, giving it a teasing stroke.  
  
Eren wiggled a bit.  
  
“Beg me, Eren.”  
  
Eren bit his lip. “S-Sir…”  
  
“I can’t hear you.”  
  
“Sir…”  
  
“I’m not going to install hearing aids so you can get a blowjob—Beg me, Eren. Now.”  
  
“Please Sir!” Eren shouted, “Please!”  
  
“Good Pup,” Levi whispered. He stroked the cock a couple more times before he slipped the head into his mouth and then took the entire length into his throat, until he was nuzzling the hairless base.  
  
“Oh sweet soy sauce!”  
  
Levi coughed, moving his mouth back. He looked away and coughed into his elbow.  
  
Eren cringed. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! It just sort of came out!”  
  
Levi glared at his sub then shook his head. “You’re one of kind.”  
  
Eren did his best to give a sweet smile.  
  
Even though his throat hurt from choking on a cock, Levi found it entirely too difficult to be upset. There was something so fucking endearing about Eren that he couldn’t understand. He slipped the cock into his mouth again and sucked on the head.  
  
“Ah,” Eren moved his arms, but the handcuffs stopped him. He felt the cool metal right above his leather wrist guard. He curled his toes, looking down.  
  
Levi began to bob his head on his sub.  
  
“Mmm,” Eren closed his eyes. He sucked in a breath as the warm wetness moved up and down his cock. He moved his head back and let out another moan. “Levi, Sir…”  
  
Levi took the entire length into his mouth again and sucked hard. His hands were at Eren’s sides and he moved one down to feel Eren’s ass. He gave it a little spank.  
  
Eren gasped and the sound of the handcuffs being tugged against the metal headboard reminded him of his position.  
  
Levi moved his head up and the cock slipped out of his mouth. He ran his tongue over the side and kissed the head. “You’ve got such a nice dick, Eren.”  
  
“Th-Thank y-you, Sir!”  
  
“That’s a good boy.” He smacked Eren’s ass again. “You’ve got a nice ass too.”  
  
“Thank you Sir!”  
  
Another smack.  
  
Eren winced, biting his lower lip.  
  
Levi’s other hand grabbed Eren’s cock and gave it a squeeze. He made eye contact, watching as pleasure traced Eren’s face. He started stroking the manhood, rolling the skin over the head and back down again. He kissed Eren’s inner thigh, never once looking away.  
  
Eren felt his eyes glued to Levi’s steel orbs. His breathing became audible, “Sir… please.”  
  
“Please what, Pup?”  
  
“Please,” Eren whimpered, “Please suck me off, Sir.”  
  
Levi let the smallest of sly smirks form on his lips before he ran his tongue over the side of Eren’s cock again. He noticed how red the head had become and knew it wouldn’t be too much longer. Even though he could tease Eren into the next century, he knew his toy had limits. He pushed the head into his mouth and sucked on it.  
  
Eren closed his eyes, letting out a faint whimper. His thighs quivered and he bit his lip. “Please, Sir…”  
  
Levi bobbed his head on the cock, swirling his tongue around it.  
  
“Ngh,” Eren cringed. The sound of metal confined his arms and his toes curled. “Please… I’m so close, Sir, please.”  
  
Levi stared at Eren, mesmerised by how the face morphed to desperation under pleasure. He sucked, hard, and watched.  
  
“Ah!” Eren raised his chest, arching his back, before crashing back on the bed. “Levi, Sir… I need to cum, please… please let me!”  
  
Levi wrapped his lips tight around the cock. He focused on the head before diving down, taking the whole cock again.  
  
Eren gasped and his thighs quivered; his body quaked and he let out a desperate whimper. Eyes snapping shut, he cried out, knees shaking in the air, arms begging to be freed, and his toes curled. “Ngh—”—He came.  
  
Levi swallowed the load with ease and let the cock slip out of his mouth. “Was that satisfactory, Pup?”  
  
Eren just whimpered, not daring to trust his voice at the moment.  
  
Levi smirked. He gave his sub time to recover.  
  
Eren’s legs eventually went straight and his arms flopped at his sides. He was spent. “Sir…”  
  
“Yes, Pup?”  
  
“Am I…? A good, sub?”  
  
“Yes,” Levi smiled. He raised himself and moved up the bed.  
  
Eren kept his eyes closed. He felt the cuffs let go of his wrist and he brought his hands to his stomach. “You’re not… mad, are you?”  
  
Levi frowned as he lay next to Eren. “Why would I be?”  
  
“I mean…” Eren rolled onto his side. “I’m sorry for bringing this up now.”  
  
“No,” Levi hushed him. “Speak your mind.”  
  
Eren smiled softly, then frowned. “I mean, you’re not mad, that I ended the game early?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“I have my reasons.”  
  
“I would like to know.” Eren received no reply and he sighed. “It’s important to me, Sir.”  
  
Levi stared at Eren for a moment before sighing. “Fine. You put the household before yourself. That’s what I want from my subs. You did what I wanted you to do… unlike some.”  
  
“Are you…” Eren hesitated, but feeling those eyes on him he eventually caved. “Are you talking about, um… Dieter?”  
  
Levi frowned. “How do you know about Dieter?”  
  
“Armin told me,” Eren muttered. “I didn’t pressure him or anything, I know you told me not to bring it up… but he told me a little about him.”  
  
Levi’s expression softened and he paused. “How much did he tell you?”  
  
“Not that much.”  
  
“Hm,” Levi nodded, “It’s a story we’d rather not remember. But, yes… He put himself before everyone else. He was, as dramatic as it fucking sounds, he was poison. He wasn’t the only one, either… Actually, that brings up something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about. Dieter has a bit of a habit of trying to talk to my new subs. I scared him off, threw a knife at him, but… He’s a persistent fucker. If you see him, just ignore him.”  
  
“Just ignore him?”  
  
“He talks big, but he’s a wimp.”  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
“Well,” Levi moved onto his back. “That went off topic.”  
  
“Sorry.”  
  
“Don’t be.” Levi rolled over and kissed Eren’s cheek. He grabbed Eren’s hands and kissed his wrists.  
  
Eren grinned. “Levi…”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“What are you looking for? I mean… in this Dom sub stuff… What’s your goal? Your actual objective?”  
  
Levi pursed his lips, taking a moment to consider how to reply. “That’s… complicated. I promise I’ll tell you, but another time.”  
  
Eren smiled.  
  
Levi got up and moved to the edge of the bed. He reached for the light switch and soon the room flashed into darkness. He tugged at the sheets and eventually got inside. He felt Eren lay his head on his chest. Usually he’d push off a sub, but he wrapped an arm around Eren’s waist and smiled softly.  
  
“Levi… Sir?”  
  
Levi paused. The unusual quietness in Eren’s voice made him tense. “Yes, Eren?”  
  
Eren kept quiet.  
  
“Eren?” He kissed the top of his pet’s head. “What is it?”  
  
Eren took a deep breath. “Don’t ever put me against Armin again.”  
  
“Okay,” Levi whispered.  
  
“Don’t do it.” Eren frowned. “Ever.”  
  
Levi wrapped his other arm around the brunet and pulled him closer. “Okay. I was wrong. I didn’t think you cared as much as you did… I’m sorry.”  
  
Eren sighed, relaxing. “Please, just don’t put me against Armin again—or you, or anyone. I don’t want…”  
  
“I understand,” Levi kept his voice low and gentle, something so unlike him. “I never expected you to get so attached to the household, as a unit, so soon. Most subs don’t understand the meaning of cooperation until their second month. I won’t do it again.”  
  
“Never again?”  
  
“Never again.”  
  
Eren smiled, relaxing as he nuzzled Levi’s chest. “Thank you… You’re great.”  
  
“Great,” Levi repeated with a snort. “When did you lower your standards?”  
  
“You kidding?” Eren chuckled. “If my contract ends with you, I’ll be ruined. No Dom will ever make me happy.”  
  
Levi smirked. “Poor you.”  
  
“Poor me,” Eren smiled, “Give me sympathy kisses.”  
  
“Eren, I ran out of sympathy years ago.”  
  
“So? Just pretend… you get free kisses.”  
  
Levi brought their lips together and smiled. “You’re horrible.”  
  
“Just like you, Sir.”


	13. The Second Week (6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Hold Up!** I got a mini ficlet based on Tentative Bliss, hehehe, I am so happy! I adore getting any kind of fanart or fanfic. Just to know that something you did inspired someone else is such an amazing feeling, holy buckets! Heichofied wrote a NSFW drabble which you can find here: [Click Me](http://heichofied.tumblr.com/post/78017247496/ereri-nsfw-fanfic), do check out her [Blog](http://heichofied.tumblr.com/) and her [AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/heichofied)! And if anyone else writes or draws or does anything for TB, please let me know!
> 
> Anyway, it’s been two weeks since I’ve last updated, _two weeks!_ March and the start of April is a generally tougher time at work, so I don’t know how many updates I’ll have this month. I should mention this update is a long chapter, roughly double the usual amount. I would have split it in half but this is sort of the “Armin Chapter”, so it just didn’t feel right dividing it. I usually don’t like giving too much away before you read, but I will say this: It is the Armin Chapter, which means there’s lots of cooking and lots of food talk. If you are not in a good place to get hungry (like in bed or whatever) I highly recommend not reading this right now, LOL. Don’t do this to yourself. The chapter’s not going anywhere. It’ll be here for you when you’re ready.
> 
> Last thing I want to say, I have gotten three comments about this now: There will be _no_ Original Characters in Tentative Bliss. Attack on Titan is just filled with minor characters to choose from so I don’t have any need to do so. I have gotten a lot of comments about Nanaba and Dieter: They are both in SNK. XD
> 
> Geez, this author’s comment is a fic on its own. Sorry for making you read it all, pleeaaase enjoy the chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it!

* * *

 

  
  
It was then that Eren Jaeger realised he was a burrito.  
   
A true burrito.  
   
Green eyes looked around, finding his arms were confined at his sides. His first thought was that Levi must have used some kind of bondage technique to hold him down. More lessons on restraint, maybe? He wiggled a bit, left and right and blinked about a hundred times. His eyes were still getting used to the light, his mind still waking. He realised, however, that he was not a burrito by his Dom’s accord.  
   
He had made himself a burrito.  
   
He was rolled up in Levi’s bed sheets. And quite excessively rolled up too.  
   
He wiggled a bit, trying to find out which way he had rolled himself. He ended up deciding just to unroll clockwise and eventually the sheets loosened around him. He wiggled free and sat cross-legged (or “criss-cross apple-sauce” as far as he was concerned) and looked around.  
   
He was in Levi’s room. Alone. He moved his hand over Levi’s side of the bed and found it wasn’t warm. He figured Levi must have left a while ago. He slipped out of bed and glanced to the bedside table. His clothes from yesterday were neatly folded. He grabbed them, hugging them with his arm as his other hand grabbed his phone. He hit the button on the top and the screen came to life.  
   
‘10:07’ it read.  
   
He checked the battery, ‘34%’ and hit the top button again, watching the screen fade.  
   
Eren headed towards the double doors and slipped out of the room. Being naked, he felt a little chill, but he didn’t mind it. He walked down the hall and eventually went down the stairs. He turned right and walked to the room he shared with Armin.  
   
He slowly pushed open the door and peeked inside.  
   
Armin was burying his face into a pillow he was hugging tight.  
   
“Awww,” Eren mumbled as he stepped in. He put his clothes down on his bedside table and grabbed the white cord of his charger. He plugged it into his phone and put it down. He turned to the bathroom and stepped inside, slowly closing the door behind him as to not make a noise.  
   
He walked over to the shower and paused. He glanced to the leather wrist guard around his right arm, his collar. He figured leather (or faux leather) plus water was a bad idea, so he scanned it for a way to take it off. He found metal buttons, the type one would just push into place. He undid it and put it on the counter.  
   
Eren quickly turned the water on. He played with the knobs, finding a decent temperature before he slipped in. He washed himself quickly, with his forest scented body wash and his shampoo. He hummed a little in the shower as the warm water glided over his skin. He made sure to wash every bit of himself, too. He took a deep breath, remembering last night.  
   
Levi bending him over, handcuffing him, pleasuring him…  
   
He snickered.  
   
But he also remembered something else…  
   
The game was over.  
   
That made Eren smile. He breathed in the steam, feeling it open him up, and sighed out of relief. He washed his hair a second time, just because he forgot he had already done so, and eventually stopped the running water. He stepped out and grabbed a green towel. Drying himself off quickly, he tied the towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom.  
   
He grabbed a pair of grey boxers, dark jeans, a light blue shirt, and a dark brown vest. He paused at the vest, wondering if Levi would make fun of it… But he really liked it, so he put it on. After that, he went back to grab his wrist guard and popped the buttons on again.  
   
He glanced to Armin, who was still a sleepy face.  
   
He chuckled and leaned in. He kissed Armin’s cheek, then turned and grabbed his phone.  
   
Eren stepped out of the room and walked down the hall. He went down the stairs again and heard the sound of some kind of spring. He stepped into the kitchen and smiled. “Morning, Sir.”  
   
Levi frowned as he stared at the kitchen counter. “Good morning, you fuck up. How do I make the toaster work?”  
   
“Huh?” Eren blinked. He chuckled. “You just pull the thing down and then it’ll pop up when it’s done.”  
   
Levi kept frowning and he crossed his arms. “I put the toast in and it toasts it but it’s not toasted.”  
   
“What?”  
   
“I want the toaster to make it… toastier. More like toast. It’s not toast enough. Just fucking fix it, Eren!”  
   
Eren fought back the urge to chuckle as he stepped in. He looked at the toaster and smiled. “See these knobs here? That says how… toasted the toast will be. It’s set to one, so it’ll just be a little toasted, but if you put it up to seven it’ll probably burn. Probably go with four.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi pursed his lips. “I see.” He looked at Eren. “Do you want toast?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
“Good, I put jam out on the table. Get us some juice or something, I need to wean off caffeine. Is Armin still asleep?”  
   
“Yes, Sir,” Eren nodded respectfully as he moved to the fridge. He opened the door and grabbed the orange juice carton. “I figured I’d let him sleep.”  
   
“That’s fine.” Levi nodded. He was about to say something else but he was cut off by the home phone. “Get that.”  
   
Eren put the orange juice on the table and grabbed the ringing phone. He hit the green button and brought it to his ear. “Hello?”  
   
 _”Hello.”_  
   
“Uh, hi…”  
   
 _”Eren, right?”_  
   
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Who is this?”  
   
 _”Nanaba.”_  
   
“Oh!” He smiled. “Hi, sorry!”  
   
 _”It’s fine.”_ There was a chuckle. _”Remind that grumpy shit to call his father, would you?”_  
   
“Sure thing!”  
   
 _”Alright. Thank you, bye.”_  
   
“Bye!” Eren moved the phone away and hit the red button. He put it on the charger and turned to Levi. “It was your mom.”  
   
Levi made a face. “Don’t call her that.”  
   
Eren blinked, “Huh?”  
   
“We’re on a first name basis for a reason,” Levi said simply. He took a seat at the table with the properly toasted toast and looked up. “What did she want?”  
   
Eren walked over to the table and poured the two cups of juice. “She uh, asked me to remind you to call your dad.”  
   
Levi grabbed the glass that was for him and sipped it. He instantly coughed and moved it away. He glared at the glass then blinked. “Oh, right… it’s not coffee.”  
   
Eren fought back the massive grin and took a seat. “Sir… I have a question, if that’s okay?”  
   
“No. It’s not.” Levi put his glass down. “I’ll admit, I’m surprised Armin told you a bit about his family, and now you know a bit about mine. In fairness, I do know a bit about yours, too. But Armin’s parents are dead, while I have three and a half to spare. You have a normal number. It’s lovely because we even out. I know it’s going to piss you off, but we’re going to leave it at that. It’s not really a topic I want discussed in this house. We all know as much as we need to.”  
   
Eren felt his shoulders tense. He just gave a nod. “I see… Understood, Sir…” He looked down at the piece of charred toast and then his green eyes flicked up again. “What if… What if Armin brings it up?”  
   
“That’s up to you,” Levi shrugged. “Like I said, I’m surprised to hear he’s been comfortable enough around you to open up, but you’re easy to be comfortable around.”  
   
Eren smiled. “Thanks… Can I ask, another question? It’s not about family.”  
   
“Go ahead.”  
   
“What do… What do you, want… out of our contract? Like, what’s your… actual objective, sort of?”  
   
“That’s…” Levi actually seemed hesitant as he opened his mouth, then closed it. His eyes drifted off. “It’s personal. I’m sorry.”  
   
“That’s okay!” Eren insisted.  
   
Levi opened up a jar of jam and grabbed a knife. “What day is it?”  
   
“Friday, Sir.”  
   
“The number?”  
   
“Oh, uh,” Eren pulled out his phone and checked. “The eleventh. Why?”  
   
Levi breathed out an aggravated sigh. “I’m back to work on Monday.” Levi glanced to Eren and saw the way he practically whimpered. A snicker left his lips. “Sad?”  
   
“But!” Eren pouted. “That’s not even a full week! That’s just four days off, since you worked on Monday!”  
   
“I take what I can get, plus… I can’t trust those idiots with anything. Annie’s going to kill one of the executives if I don’t go. Fuckers.”  
   
Eren knew there was no way around it but he still slumped his shoulders. “So… how did you end up in fashion, anyway?”  
   
“I don’t know.”  
   
“Huh?”  
   
Levi shrugged. “I don’t know. I never planned it. One thing just led to another. It started when I got a manager job at the old store. I was the only thing keeping it from going under, but it was scraping by. The owner just up and vanished, so I took over, renovated it, renamed it, changed everything and people liked it I guess.”  
   
Eren smiled. “I guess you’ve just got a good sense for fashion?”  
   
“No, not really.” Levi placed some strawberry jam on his piece of toast. “Well, maybe, but that has nothing to do with it. It’s all about marketing, psychology. You have to know what people want—not what looks nice. If your customers want to wear dog shit then that’s what you sell. I could care less if any of the stuff looks nice by my understanding of fashion – it is a bonus when it does, but not all the time. Most of the spring clothes remind me of dog shit anyway. But… yeah, it just happened. I got the hang of it. It’s about risk, I think.”  
   
Eren tilted his head. “Risk?”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi nodded. “You have to wonder how willing would your customers be to buy something? There’s about a hundred different things to consider. The look itself, the material, the price, the sizing… At the end all you have is a risk factor. You have to realise that even if something sells, that doesn’t mean it’s going to sell enough to cover the cost. I luckily don’t have to design anything. I just choose clothes that tailor to my customers. It’s the designers that have the tough job.”  
   
“Oh,” a third voice called out.  
   
Eren and Levi both turned.  
   
Armin was standing at the doorway, rubbing his face. “I totally forgot. Marco called last night, asked me to let you know he did. Said something about the rough designs for his new pants or whatever, wanted your take on it.”  
   
Levi sipped his drink and nodded. “Good to know. I’ll give him a call eventually.”  
   
Eren just smiled. “Morning Sunshine.”  
   
Armin chuckled and walked over to the table. “Morning.” He took a seat. “Toast… and jam.”  
   
Eren grinned. “What a dull life we live without you.”  
   
“Excuse you,” Levi hissed. “Strawberry jam isn’t dull at all.”  
   
Eren and Armin just snickered together.  
   
Levi frowned, but his expression softened. “How did you sleep?”  
   
“Good,” Armin nodded.  
   
“You’ve been sleeping a lot lately,” Levi noted.  
   
“Yeah… I’ve been tired.”  
   
“You’re not sick, are you?”  
   
“I don’t think so.”  
   
Levi thought about it. He glanced to the kitchen. “Do we have any multivitamin things?”  
   
“Mmm…” Armin pursed his lips, tilting his head. “No, I think we ran out. I’ll buy some when I go out.”  
   
“Okay,” Levi nodded.  
   
Armin looked at the toast and stood up. “I’m going to make breakfast for myself, anyone want?”  
   
“Sure,” Eren nodded.  
   
“I’ll pass,” Levi said as he bit into his toast.  
   
“Eren,” Armin grinned. “Wanna learn how to make a crepe?”  
   
“Sure!” Eren stood up as well, “That’s just like a flat pancake, right?”  
   
“Yeah, way easier than pancakes too, but we can wrap it up and put things like chocolate and whipped cream and strawberries d–”  
   
“-Strawberries,” Levi repeated.  
   
Armin snorted, then instantly covered his nose. “I’ll make a couple for you too, Sir. Don’t forget to call Marco, and your dad.”  
   
Levi just sneered.  
   
Armin pouted. “At least your sister.”  
   
Levi opened his mouth but paused.  
   
Eren blinked. “Sister? Wow, you have a large family.”  
   
“Only one sister,” Levi corrected. “She’s my only sibling, half-sister. My birth father, dad number one, married mom number three and they had a daught…” He stopped himself. “They had a kid. She doesn’t talk to them anymore, and she shouldn’t care even if her father’s in the hospital. He’s a sack of shit.”  
   
Armin sighed. “You know she’ll be stressed over it. A call couldn’t hurt.”  
   
When Levi didn’t reply, Eren tilted his head. “So… how old is she? Are we talking your age or a teenager or?”  
   
“Around your age,” Levi explained. “She’s not the type who handles these things well.”  
   
Armin nodded. “Krista didn’t mention anything, so…”  
   
“Hmm,” Levi bit his lip.  
   
“Wait!” Eren blinked. “Krista’s your sister!?”  
   
Levi frowned. “No you fucking idiot, not even close!”  
   
“Oh,” Eren closed his mouth.  
   
Armin chuckled and shook his head. “Come on, let’s go make crepes.”  
   
“Okay!”  
   
Armin moved to the sink and washed his hands. “Can you get the eggs?”  
   
“Sure,” Eren walked over to the fridge. “How many?”  
   
“Eight.”  
   
“Eight eggs?” Eren grabbed the whole carton and placed it on the counter. “That’s a lot, isn’t it?”  
   
“We’re making a lot,” Armin explained. “You can keep crepes in the fridge for like two days, and there’s so much you can do with them too. Just, let me go crazy.”  
   
Eren glanced to the table to see Levi give him a nod and he chuckled. “Well, okay. What else?”  
   
“Milk, the purple milk.”  
   
Eren snickered and pulled it out.  
   
Armin grabbed the flour, sugar, and the salt. “Can you get the butter? It’s in the freezer.”  
   
“Freezer?” Eren closed the fridge door and opened up the freezer. He grabbed a wrapped stick and read the label. “Unsalted butter. This one?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
Eren put it on the counter. “So why’s it in the freezer?”  
   
“I don’t usually cook with butter,” Armin shrugged. “Just healthier to use margarine or some kind of cooking oils. It depends because of the trans-fats and saturated ones, and all that. But I always go for the healthiest since we can afford it… But some recipes just need real butter. Can you get the blender? The big one. It’s in the pantry.”  
   
“Pantry?”  
   
“Yeah, the pantry.” Armin looked up. “The little room with all the kitchen stuff.”  
   
Eren blinked. “There’s a little room with the kitchen stuff?”  
   
Levi snorted from the table.  
   
Armin grinned and pointed to a door. “In there.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren looked. “Whoa! There’s a door!” He ran over to it and looked for a handle. “How do I open it?” He put both hands on it and slid it to the right, “Never mind! I got it!” He stepped in the small cubic room with many shelves and found the light switch. “Armin! There’s a whole room in here!”  
   
“I know, Eren.”  
   
Eren looked around and eventually found a rather large blender. He had to hug it to bring it back to the kitchen. He put it on the counter and unwrapped the power cord before plugging it in.  
   
Armin had already cracked eight eggs into a small bowl. He used a small fork to take out a small eggshell piece and then poured the eggs into the blender’s bowl. He measured two cups of flour then sifted it inside the bowl as well. Following that was two and a half cups of milk, two tablespoons of maple syrup and a bit of salt. The butter had warmed a little, so he chopped off a bit. “That should be about three tablespoons of butter, right?”  
   
“Three tablespoons?” Eren tilted his head. “Isn’t that a lot? How many crepes are we making?”  
   
“Hmm, probably just under twenty,” Armin looked up.  
   
Eren just stared at him.  
   
Armin smiled. “I just really like crepes, okay?”  
   
“Okay!” Eren raised both hands defensively. “You can make as many crepes as you want.”  
   
Armin put the block of butter in a small cup and gave it to Eren. “Microwave this, ten seconds.” His little manservant did as he was told and Armin snickered.  
   
Eren soon came back, “Pour it in?”  
   
“No,” Armin shook his head. “The butter’s too hot. There’s not really enough to make a difference, but sometimes hot butter can end up cooking the eggs or messing up the chemical process.” He poured about half a cup of milk into the butter, slowly, then used a fork to whisk it together. “Now pour it in.”  
   
Eren did as he was told. “Now what?”  
   
“Now we mix.” Armin put the lid on the blender and hit the buttons. The loud noise made both of them wince as the mixture smoothed and puréed. Armin pressed another button and it paused. He opened the lid and removed the blender pitcher from the rest of the machine. He stirred it a couple times then handed it to Eren. “Put it in the fridge.”  
   
Eren blinked. “We’re not going to use it?”  
   
“We are! But, you have to let the batter rest. That’s the French secret.”  
   
Eren chuckled. “Okay.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin made coffee while they waited and Eren served Levi a cup. Eventually, Armin announced the batter was rested. He gave it a very gentle mix with a spoon then prepared the pan. “Now,” Armin said in a very serious tone, “There are two secrets to crepe. One, the first one always sucks; and, two, the batter can sense fear.”  
   
Eren blinked, “What?”  
   
“Batter can sense fear.” He poured some of the mixture into the pan then tilted it to help it spread. “If you ever hesitate with batter, it will know and it will mess you up. Stay calm and you can do it.”  
   
“Um…” Eren kept staring. “Okay.”  
   
Armin chuckled, “Just watch.” He gave it a minute or two then he shook the pan. The half-cooked crepe wiggled. The underside was solid but Armin waited a little more. He shook the pan again and this time he leaned it towards him. With his fingers, he grabbed the edge of the pancake and flicked it; it landed perfectly on the other side and Armin grinned. “Ta-daa!”  
   
Eren blinked about eight times. “You used your hand?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“But…” Eren swallowed hard. He couldn’t help but notice just how perfect the crepe looked. It was thin and golden. “I can’t do that.”  
   
“Oh hey, I didn’t screw up the first one.” Armin moved the pan, putting the crepe flat on a plate and then poured more of the mixture into the pan. There was a sizzling sound and he swished the mixture around. After a minute he shook the pan and brought the edge of the crepe near the side of the pan. He grabbed it with two fingers and flicked it. “Oh I’m on a roll today.”  
   
Eren shook his head. “No way. I can’t.”  
   
Armin let that side cook for a minute before he slipped it onto the plate with the other. “It’s not too hard. Just stack ‘em. If you can’t do it with your hands you can always flip it, but,” he poured more of the batter into the pan. “I recommend going with smaller crepes. Like this.”  
   
Eren watched: Armin had put about two-thirds of what he usually put and spread it around. It didn’t reach the edges but when Armin moved the pan it wiggled a bit.  
   
Armin thrust the pan forward; the crepe moved along the curve of the pan and flipped in the air before landing on the uncooked side.  
   
“Holy shit,” Eren whispered. “That was awesome!”  
   
Armin’s cheeks warmed and he grinned. “Thanks! It takes a bit of practice, but it’s not too hard. Wanna try?”  
   
Eren bit his lip.  
   
Armin moved the crepe onto the plate and applied a bit more oil. “Come on, just grab the handle. I’ll pour the batter.  
   
“Um, okay…”  
   
Armin let go of the pan and watched Eren grab the handle. He picked up the blender cup and looked at Eren. “Remember. It can sense fear. Just be confident.”  
   
“Okay.” Eren nodded. “I’m ready.”  
   
Armin poured.  
   
The sizzling sound made Eren bite his lip but he kept calm. He moved his wrist to make the pan lean to the sides, spreading the batter. He let it cook for a couple seconds and looked at Armin. Armin didn’t look afraid, so Eren calmed down  bit. He waited as the underside cooked. “So when do I flip it?”  
   
“Little more.”  
   
“Okay… Now?”  
   
“Little more.”  
   
“Now?”  
   
“Shake it a bit?”  
   
Eren moved his wrist and watched the crepe move. “Now?”  
   
“Yep.” Armin nodded. “Just sort of throw it forward.”  
   
Eren tensed. He closed his eyes. He took a deep breath then opened them again. “Ah, ah, ah, uh, ah, uh… Tuna salad!” He jerked his wrist with force and watched the crepe flip and land perfectly flat. “Holy shit! I did it!”  
   
Armin clapped his hands together. “Awesome! But, what was that about tuna salad?”  
   
“Nothing…” Eren felt his cheeks redden. He remembered that his tendency to blurt random things out had only really come out near Levi before. He moved the crepe over the others, stacking it. “Another?”  
   
“Sure!”  
   
The second one didn’t go as well. When he flipped it ended up folding and looking like a half circle. Armin quickly leaned in with a fork and flipped it open. Eren tried again and it ended up working.  
   
Armin smiled and leaned on Eren a bit. “Wanna try a third?”  
   
“Yeah, I think I’m getting the hang of this.” He watched Armin pour and he moved his wrist as usual. When Armin told him to, he shook the crepe to make sure it wasn’t stuck to the bottom.  
   
“Just remember to flip with more force this time.”  
   
“More force,” Eren nodded. “Okay. Here we go!”  
   
Too much force.  
   
The crepe flipped in the air, flipping over and over, flying higher and higher.  
   
Blue and green eyes widened as the crepe suddenly stopped. They both looked up at it expectantly but it didn’t budge.  
   
“Eren,” Levi’s voice was smooth and dangerous, “Did you just get a pancake stuck on my ceiling?”  
   
“M-M-M-Maybe!” Eren turned around and started laughing.  
   
Levi sighed. He pulled out his phone. “I suppose I should make a phone call anyway. When I’m done, I want it cleaned. Do you hear me?”  
   
Eren and Armin both swallowed hard. “Yes Sir!” they said at the same time.  
   
“Good,” Levi nodded. He went through his contacts and hit call.  
   
“Shit,” Eren whispered. “What do we do?”  
   
Armin looked up at the crepe and bit his lip. “Well maybe we could—Ah!” Armin threw both hands over his head as the crepe let go of the ceiling and shot down between them.  
   
Sizzling.  
   
Eren looked at the pan. “Oh hey! I caught it!”  
   
Levi cleared his throat. “Throw it out. Don’t even think about eating ceiling flavoured pancake, if you do I– ” he cut himself off, “Hey. It’s Levi… That’s fine, she’d lie to me anyway. I was wondering how she was?”  
   
Armin grabbed a short ladder and then some paper towels. “You clean up the batter still on the ceiling and I’ll wash the pan.”  
   
Eren nodded.  
   
Levi bit his lip. “She lost her job?… How much do you need?… Don’t fight me. I’ll give you a blank check, put whatever amount you want on it… Fair enough, but I’ll give you one nonetheless… You made your message clear, you don’t need it, but I’m still going to give you one… So you can save it for when you do… No, this is the least I can do for her… I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”  
   
The two of them managed to clean everything up in time. Eren expected Levi to make some comment about the kitchen but the older man just stared forward. Eren swallowed hard, wondering just why the call made him so… defeated. “Hey,” he whispered to Armin.  
   
“Don’t pry,” Armin whispered back. “It’s a sour story.”  
   
Eren stared at him then nodded. “Okay.”  
   
“Sorry.” Armin looked down. “It’s just… family’s not a topic we talk about in this house. If he wants to tell you, he will. If he doesn’t…”  
   
“That’s okay,” Eren smiled. “That’s fine.” He leaned in and kissed Armin’s cheek. “Same for you.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks reddened and he smiled. “Thanks.”  
   
  


⁂

  
  
   
Armin ended up making seventeen crepes. While they were all extremely thin, they stacked up quite high. Armin was proud of his creation and began melting chocolate, whipping cream, cutting strawberries and all sorts of fruits.  
   
Eren tried to help but he eventually took a seat at the table and looked at Levi. “I can’t keep up.”  
   
Levi snorted. “You’ll be saying that again tonight.”  
   
Eren blinked. “What?”  
   
“Nothing,” Levi sipped his coffee. He just couldn’t do the whole juice thing. He needed the bitterness. He sipped the drink and eventually glanced over to the kitchen.  
   
Armin brought a large tray of sliced fruits onto the table and then moved to the kitchen once again; he came back with a fondue pot of chocolate and a bowl of freshly whipped cream.  
   
Levi eyed the strawberries. “A little better than toast, I guess.”  
   
Eren chuckled. “Wow. This is awesome Arm’.”  
   
“Thanks,” Armin put a crepe on each one of their plates and then put some bananas on his, covered it in chocolate sauce, then threw a big whop of whipped cream on his. He folded it into a neat triangle and then looked up. “Don’t be shy.”  
   
Levi poured all the strawberries onto his.  
   
Eren went with chocolate and whipped cream, because fruit was healthy and healthy for the body was unhealthy for the soul. He wasn’t sure how to roll it up into triangles like Armin was doing so he just kind of rolled it up in a tube and cut it with a knife. He put it in his mouth and purred. The warm chocolate with the cool whipped cream was wrapped in a fluffy but thin crepe.  
   
Levi bit into his strawberry crepe and nodded. “Delicious.”  
   
“Thank you,” Armin danced a little in his seat.  
   
The three of them ate until they were all full. There were still about nine or ten crepes left and they were put in the fridge for later. The fruits were all gone, and the whipped cream was practically finished. Armin, being the little devil he was, scooped up the cream and dropped it in the liquid chocolate. He mixed it up, creating a thicker and creamier chocolate. He began eating it with a spoon. He looked between Levi and Eren, half expecting one of them to get jealous.  
   
But Levi sat back, too posh to eat chocolate with a spoon like a fucking savage.  
   
Eren on the other hand just watched Armin eat with a smile. “Don’t look so guilty. You deserve it, considering you pretty much made everything.”  
   
That was all Armin needed to hear. He began eating it more aggressively, suggestively moaning as the creamy chocolate glided over his tongue.  
   
Levi just watched. “I can’t tell if I’m disgusted, jealous, or maybe turned on. You eat like a mutt, pathetic… but it’s giving me ideas. I wonder, if I dripped chocolate over Eren’s body… would you lick it off that aggressively?”  
   
Armin paused with his mouth open, spoon hovering over his tongue.  
   
Eren felt his cheeks burn and he mumbled something before looking away.  
   
Levi sighed. “I don’t understand why you two pretend to be blushing virgin saints. The only thing you two can be saints of is blowjobs, and they don’t have saints for blowjobs, and probably for good reason too.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks were red but the chocolate hovering over his mouth made him close his lips around the spoon and make another moan.  
   
Eren’s throat tightened at the sound of Armin moaning.  
   
Levi snorted, shaking his head. “You two woke up late this morning, but don’t forget your chores.”  
   
“Oh,” Armin went to grab another spoonful but realised he ate it all. “I have to get the paper… but…”  
   
Levi looked at him. “But?”  
   
“Well…” Armin pouted. “I don’t wanna move… I’m so full and happy.”  
   
Eren chuckled, “I can go get it.”  
   
“No,” Armin whined. “It’s my job.”  
   
“It’s okay, you rest.”  
   
Armin pouted.  
   
“You don’t have to move this way.”  
   
“Oh!” Armin’s head perked up. “Give me a piggyback ride!”  
   
  


⁂

  
  
   
After a couple hours, the three of them moved to the living room, where Eren rested his head on Levi’s lap. Armin found it adorable. He, himself, took a seat on the sofa across from them and watched with a smile. “You know,” Armin said slowly, “I’m… glad, that the game is over.”  
   
Levi just laughed.  
   
Armin blinked.  
   
Levi cocked his head to the side. His fingers were laced in Eren’s dark brown hair and they paused. “Who said the game is over, Armin?”  
   
“H-Huh?”  
   
Eren looked up to Levi, tensing.  
   
“I saw you eying Eren’s bracelet earlier. Do you like it?”  
   
Armin glanced to Eren’ right arm then back to Levi. “I do, Master.”  
   
“It’s Eren’s collar.” Levi’s hand played with the dark brown strands again. “I want to give you one too, on your left hand.”  
   
Armin seemed to understand the implication and he smiled. “Really?” A smile appeared wide on his face and he suddenly paused.  
   
“Yes,” Levi silently chuckled. “If you succeed. If you fail, of course, the consequence is the same: Our contract is permanently terminated.”  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
   
“I see.” Armin stayed calm. “And what are my tasks?”  
   
“I gave Eren three, so I will give you three. One at a time. I’ll tell you after lunch what your tasks are.”  
   
Armin was about to reply but the doorbell went off. It was obvious from Levi’s expression that he wasn’t surprised, so Armin got up and dusted off his pants. “I’ll get it.”  
   
Eren watched him go and eventually looked at Levi. “You’re not… going to set him up for failure, are you.”  
   
Levi patted Eren’s cheek and smiled. “What kind of Dom do you think I am?”  
   
“Sorry.” Eren looked away. “I’m just… nervous.”  
   
Levi took a small breath and closed his eyes. “I guess I deserve losing your trust after what I did, it was only normal.”  
   
“You didn’t lose my trust!” Eren sat up and turned around in a blur. “I trust you.”  
   
“Not entirely.” Levi looked at him. “The damage’s been done, but I’ll prove myself to you again, don’t worry.”  
   
Eren wanted to shout a reply but his green eyes caught sight of three people enter the room.  
   
Armin smiled, “We’ve got a couple guest.”  
   
Levi turned his head. “Hey.”  
   
Annie stepped in and shifted her neck to one side, then the other. “Hope you don’t mind. Marco wanted a ride, so I figured I’d drop by, check in on you.”  
   
Marco gave a little wave.  
   
Levi smiled and got up. “Can I get you two anything to drink, tea? Coffee?”  
   
“Whatever’s convenient,” Marco insisted.  
   
“Everything’s convenient for me,” Levi reminded, “I have two subs.”  
   
Annie snickered and crossed her arms. Her ice blue eyes drifted to Eren and she gave him a little wave.  
   
Eren smiled back.  
   
Marco turned to Eren and smiled. “Oh, hi!” He offered his hand, “Eren, right?”  
   
Eren got up and took the hand, shaking it. “Yeah. You were my driver, right?”  
   
Annie raised a blonde eyebrow. “You used Marco as your driver?”  
   
Levi smiled. “Like I said, everything’s convenient for me. What time is?”  
   
“Two,” Marco replied.  
   
“Oh,” Levi glanced at them. “Have you two had lunch?”  
   
“Uh, nope,” Annie shrugged.  
   
“No,” Marco smiled, “But Levi, I don’t want to be-”  
   
“—Shush,” Levi scowled. “You know Jean won’t mind me putting a gag on you.” He watched Marco’s cheek flushed and he ignored Annie’s laughter. He looked over his shoulder. “Eren, help Armin prepare lunch.”  
   
Eren nodded, “Sure.”  
   
Armin smiled and walked past them.  
   
  


⁂

  
  
   
“What are we going to do?” Eren asked as they stepped into the kitchen.  
   
Armin grabbed a very wide cookie tray. “Well, it’s a good thing we made all those crepes, could you bring them out?”  
   
“Sure!” Eren opened the fridge and grabbed the plate of stacked crepes. He brought it to the kitchen counter and placed them down. He glanced to the side, watching as Armin covered the tray with a spray oil. “What else do you need?”  
   
Armin paused, thinking about it. “The cold cuts—all of them, cheese, eggs, peppers, mushrooms, leek – no,” he corrected himself, “Marco doesn’t like leek. And spinach.”  
   
Eren chuckled.  
   
Armin glanced up. “What’s funny?”  
   
“Nothing, just…” Eren grinned. “The way you multitask, you’re so into it. It’s awesome.”  
   
Armin smiled shyly and looked at the tray. “Thank you.”  
   
“Just don’t give yourself a mental breakdown or anything.” Eren turned to the fridge and grabbed the tub of grated cheese, what was left from the Stromboli, and grabbed the cold cuts and the rather light carton of eggs. He placed them on the counter then went back for the mushrooms and spinach. “Red or green peppers?”  
   
“Both. Mostly red, for colour.”  
   
“Okay.”  
   
Armin placed a crepe on the tray. “What cold cuts do we have?”  
   
“Uhhh,” Eren looked down and read the labels, “Black forest ham, smoked chicken, turkey breast, roast beef and salamis.”  
   
“Hmm.” Armin considered it then nodded. “Sorry, could you put the beef and salami back in the fridge?”  
   
“Sure,” Eren did as he was told then closed the fridge door. “What now? What are we making?”  
   
Armin’s smile turned wide. “Can you wash the peppers and mushrooms and cut them super small? I’ll show you my favourite thing to make.”  
   
“Your favourite?” Eren raised an eyebrow. “Oh this must be the good stuff then.” He turned on the water and chuckled. He washed his hands quickly before grabbing the mushrooms.  
   
Armin opened up the packets of cold cuts and placed two slices of ham in the center of the crepe. He garnished some cheese and spinach. He folded the sides of the crepe to make a square then he reached into the carton and grabbed an egg. He tapped it against the corner of the counter and cracked the egg over it. The yolk stayed in the centre while the egg white was carefully held inside the folds of the crepe.  
   
Eren watched. “Are we going to cook that?”  
   
“Mhm, we’re going to bake it.” Armin grinned. “Think of it like, a crepe ham-and-cheese omelette.”  
   
“Damn,” Eren began chopping the peppers, “That sounds good.”  
   
“Tastes even better.” He put another crepe down and put a couple cuts of the smoked chicken in the center. He folded the crepe into a little square again then grabbed some of the chopped peppers. “They’re all going to be unique, so it’s kind of fun to eat them since you don’t know what’s under the egg.”  
   
Eren kept chopping but a smile formed on his lips. “Food really means something to you, huh?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin’s hands stopped. “My dad taught me.” He said nothing after that. The only sound was Eren chopping before he shook his head, “Sorry.”  
   
“It’s okay,” Eren said quickly.  
   
“It’s… also sort of important to me for another reason. It’s something I’m really good at. Well, I’m good at a lot of things; everyone has things they are good at and things they are bad at, but this is… Cooking is one of the few things I’m good at that can really mean something to someone else.” He grabbed another crepe and placed the turkey inside it before making a square. “When I moved in with Levi, he had a lot more people living here: Olou, Petra, Eld, Gunter, and Dieter—my brother…”  
   
Eren finished chopping the peppers and he began chopping the mushrooms.  
   
“They all had their chores and they all did different things around the house. When I moved in… Well, I mean, Levi and the others never asked me to do anything. I was still in mourning, too, so they were all… they were so good to me, you have no idea Eren. But,” he suddenly laughed, “With Olou and Petra burning dinner every few nights, we constantly ordered takeout. One time Diet’ was hungry so he asked me to make the crepe squares mom used to make, what we’re making now. So I made a couple and then Gunter and Eld wanted more so I decided to make enough for the seven of us. Levi begged me to take over dinner duty.”  
   
Eren snickered. “ _That_ good, huh?”  
   
“More like Olou and Petra were that _bad_.” Armin grinned from ear to ear. “I guess, in some ways…” He folded another crepe, his sixth one. “It was a way of me being useful. I went to school, but I didn’t do much else… besides reading. It also got me talking more with Petra and Olou and eventually Eld and Gunter. I think…” His cheeks flushed, “That was probably when I had a crush on Levi.”  
   
Eren handed the cutting board with the chopped mushrooms to Armin. “Really?”  
   
Armin looked up, making eye contact. “He’d stare at me and say thank you and he’d give me compliments and I just remember my face getting red hot and I felt these tingles in my boy parts.”  
   
“Boy parts?” Eren snorted.  
   
Armin giggled and nodded. “It probably didn’t help that he was the like Dom of the Doms, okay? With the six of them there was a Dom, three subs, one slave and Levi was the Master of the house. He was top dog. So every time he looked at me I wanted to just run and hide. But, after that, he started looking at me in a way that just…” He took in a warm breath and let it out with a shudder. “I wanted him to dominate me so bad, Eren.”  
   
“I don’t blame you—He’s just got that presence around him. Makes you want to just get on your knees for him, doesn’t it?”  
   
“Mhm,” Armin nodded.  
   
“So…” Eren paused. “Does he usually have such a big house?”  
   
“You mean, like people?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
Armin folded another crepe. “I… Well… Most of what I know is from Erwin, Hanji, Ymir, or Pixis… I’ve never really talked about it with him before. Apparently, yeah, he used to have a whole crowd of people around him. After what happened between my brother and him… I think he wants to build another big house again, but he wants to build it slow. I’m the only sub he’s been with for a long time. Marco was with us for four months, that’s the longest anyone’s been here for as long as I’ve been serving him. Jean was here for two, Annie stayed with us for three weeks actually. That’s when she discovered her pain tolerance was so high.”  
   
“Just three weeks?” Eren asked. “Aren’t contracts usually months?”  
   
“Uh, yeah, but like Jean and Marco, Annie just realised this wasn’t for her. She had a great time here, but different people want different things from B.D.S.M. and she’s happy with Mikasa now. I wasn’t too surprised… Levi’s bi but he leans heavily to guys. It really takes a special girl, like Petra or Annie, to get him interested.” He paused. “Petra… I haven’t talked to her in so long.” Armin bit his lip, making a mental note to do that later.  
   
“So…” Eren bit his lip. “I know you guys don’t want to talk about it, but what happened to his old group?”  
   
“Well, a couple of them like my brother got kicked out of the community, Olou’s job took him to Asia, Petra’s studying in England… I don’t really know how the other three are.” Armin folded his last crepe square and dropped some chopped mushrooms and peppers before adding some cheese. “I miss my brother, but I’m not ready to talk to him again. Does that make me a bad person, Eren?”  
   
“No.”  
   
Armin paused, “You sound pretty sure.”  
   
“Well,” Eren offered a smile, “I have no idea what happened between him, you, and Levi, but it sounds like it was a big deal. Big enough that you need to take the time to get ready to talk to him again, right? So it’s not your fault.”  
   
Armin nodded slowly. He looked at Eren, then leaned over. He kissed Eren’s cheek and smiled. “Thanks,” his voice cracked in a frail whisper.  
   
Eren slipped an arm around Armin’s waist. “Anytime.”  
   
  


⁂

  
  
   
“Sorry it took so long,” Armin laughed as he placed the heat pads on the glass table. “We forgot to preheat the oven when we started.”  
   
Annie chuckled as she sipped her glass of water. “We could hear you two make out from here.”  
   
“Wh-What?” Armin backed away.  
   
Marco, sitting next to her, slapped her arm and frowned. “We didn’t hear you make out.”  
   
“But,” Levi, who was at the head of the table, added, “Your reaction is pretty much a confession.”  
   
Armin mumbled something before running back to the kitchen.  
   
Annie snickered to herself.  
   
Marco pouted. “You’re so proud of yourself, aren’t you?”  
   
Annie just smirked.  
   
Eren screamed in the kitchen.  
   
“Eren!” Armin’s voice could be heard from the table, “You have to use oven mitts!”  
   
“It hurts!”  
   
“Put cold water!”  
   
“No, you have to kiss it better first!”  
   
“Eren!”  
   
“Armin!”  
   
Levi sipped his drink slowly. “I’m surprised these two haven’t given me a headache yet.”  
   
Annie laughed at that, then turned to look at him. “He seems to get along well with Armin.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Yeah. After our last sub, I’m happy about it.”  
   
Annie stared into what she could see of the kitchen, listening to the sound of running water. “I’m surprised. Never thought Armin and Eren would get along so well.” She felt two pair of eyes stare at her curiously and she shrugged. “Eren is… no offense, but kind of a block; he never really seemed like the type to get along with someone so… introverted.”  
   
“Well,” Marco smiled at her, “Armin is pretty loveable.”  
   
Levi snorted.  
   
Annie rolled her eyes. “Even with that… Then again, I guess I should have expected it. He grew up with Mikasa. Anyone who has the patience not to throttle her after a week would make a great sub.”  
   
Marco frowned. “She’s not that bad.”  
   
“Not bad…” Annie smiled. “She’s just… very unique in some ways. She has her own way of doing things, and she disregards all the social norms. Which is cool, but kind of a struggle to live with. Doesn’t help that she’s in the sciences either, so she ends up calculating everything: She only drinks coffee based on the five hour half-life of caffeine, compares the milligrams of sodium in crackers for hours, sticks to a two-thousand calorie diet, not one over not one under. She just sticks by the way she does things so rigidly… I like it, but sometimes I just really want to order pizza on Friday nights, but she goes on about how the kind I order has four hundred calories per slice.”  
   
“Well at least she’s sensible,” Marco chuckled. “Jean makes coffee at ten because the ‘smell helps him sleep’.”  
   
Annie’s shoulders silently shook with laughter.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “Lord help that one…”  
   
“He says it’s because he works at a coffee shop, so it’s like the smell of home.” Marco rubbed his hand against his face. “And of course his coffee is so frickin’ good that I have to have a cup, and I can’t have just one when he puts whipped cream on it, so we’re both up until four, but we’re too full to have sex so we just end up playing cards or something ridiculously boring.”  
   
Annie covered her smile with her hand and closed her eyes. “He’s such an idiot.”  
   
“Oh he is, but he’s my idiot.” Marco shook his head. “I don’t know what I see in him sometimes, but I just love him.”  
   
“Maybe you’re just attracted to idiots,” Annie offered.  
   
 “Idiots can be attractive,” Levi said simply—surprising both of them. His steel eyes glanced to the side.  
   
Eren sat down across from Marco and pouted. “Armin said I was going to hurt myself if I tried to help so he sent me here.”  
   
Levi glanced to Marco. “Sadly, I think we’re in the same boat.”  
   
Marco and Annie both burst into laughter, leaving Eren blinking out of confusion.  
   
“Here,” Armin chimed as he put the tray down. “Lunch is served.” The tray had ten crepes that had gone from a golden yellow to a delicious gold; they each had an egg in a sunny side up over it, with several toppings beneath. They all had a bit of salt sprinkled on top, but no pepper because Armin would have cut a bitch. Instead they had some other spice sprinkled on top; each one had a different spice—thyme, paprika, turmeric, Cajun, basil, masala, ground lemongrass—at random.  
   
Eren suddenly looked around. “Oh, I’ll get plates and cutlery.” Armin looked around as well, noticing only three of them had cups. The two of them disappeared into the kitchen and soon came back.  
   
After being given a fork, knife, and a plate, Levi slowly slid one of the crepe squares onto his plate and cut a piece. “It looks fantastic, Armin.”  
   
The five of them began eating; the conversation died as everyone was too busy eating and drowning in oral orgasm to talk.  
   
Annie swallowed and paused. “Eren,” she said in her usual low tone, “I like that wrist guard.”  
   
Eren glanced to his left arm, then his right. “Oh, yeah thanks. Levi gave it to me just yesterday. It’s my collar since I don’t like actual collars.”  
   
Annie raised an eyebrow and cut a small piece of her second crepe. “I used to wear a collar, but stopped when I started working in fashion, maybe I can wear something like that.”  
   
Armin pouted. “I want one.”  
   
Levi’s lips curved into a small smile. “You’ll get yours.”  
   
Eren glanced to Marco. “What about you?”  
   
Marco blinked.  
   
“You’re uh,” Eren felt like an idiot, “You’re a sub too, right? I remember you telling me that when you dropped me off.”  
   
Marco nodded and gave a small smile. “Hmm… I’ve never thought about a collar. I know other B.D.S.M. communities are big on them, but Jean’s never offered to collar me… I don’t think I would be against it though.” He turned to Armin, “The food’s amazing by the way.”  
   
 Armin grinned. “Thanks! It’s been a while since I got to cook for you two.”  
   
Annie gave a small smile.  
   
Marco chuckled. He looked back to Eren’s wrist guard and tilted his head ever so slightly. “You know… I’ve always wanted to design something with leather… But I’m not familiar or comfy enough with the material to work with it.”  
   
Annie glanced to him. “You could always wear more of it, to get the feel on your skin?”  
   
“Oh,” Marco’s eyebrows rose. “That’s a good idea!”  
   
“Don’t go with leather,” Levi spoke up. “Even in the international market it’s dying out. The new faux leather stuff is pretty good, but you need to find a producer.”  
   
“That shit sells,” Annie added. “Isn’t it cheaper than real leather too?”  
   
“About the same,” Marco shrugged. “I’ve looked at prices online, but there’s no real clear-cut on it since faux leather – especially the high quality stuff – is so dependent on who makes it.” His eyes glanced back to Eren. “I like that vest. It’s nice.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Thanks!”  
   
“It’s ugly,” Levi corrected.  
   
“Hideous,” Annie agreed.  
   
“It’s,” Armin forced a smile, “Very… Eren.”  
   
Eren pouted.  
   
Marco chuckled. “Well, I like it.”  
   
Levi stared at him. “Yes, but you’re a dork. Of course you would.”  
   
Annie almost choked as she swallowed.  
   
Levi glanced at her. “Sorry.”  
   
Annie properly swallowed and laughed. “It’s fine.” She glanced to Marco and Eren and saw them both pouting. Figuring a change of topic was in order, she glanced back to Levi. “So, tell me about this game you’re playing with your toys.”  
   
“Word travels,” Levi leaned back in his task. “Yeah. Armin has tasks to do.”  
   
Armin bit his lip.  
   
Eren noticed Marco raising both eyebrows; he was obviously very curious. Annie was too, but not as much as Marco (but then again Annie wouldn’t show how curious she was).  
   
“You ready for your first task, Kitten?”  
   
Armin’s cheeks flushed. “Master…”  
   
“Please, they’ve both heard it before.” Levi smirked. “Your first task is to impress me with a meal.”  
   
Armin blinked. “This was pretty impressive…”  
   
“Oh, it was excellent,” Levi agreed. “But, Armin, I’m used to excellent meals. I want something better.”  
   
Annie, Marco, and Eren all went quiet.  
   
“I see,” Armin tensed.  
   
“Failure will result in permanent termination of our contract, got it?”  
   
“Understood, Master.”  
   
Marco whistled. “I’m happy Jean never does this to me.”  
   
“No kidding,” Annie whispered.  
   
Levi just laughed.  
   
Eren glanced to Armin; he was about to say something but a beep cut him off.  
   
Annie patted her jeans pocket before pulling out her phone. “Shit, I’m back on the clock in half an hour. I gotta head back downtown.” She looked at Marco. “Need a ride back?”  
   
“Sure,” Marco nodded. “I was going to stop by Jean’s coffee shop, so we’re heading the same place anyway.”  
   
“Hey,” Armin spoke up. “Could you drop me off at Save On?”  
   
Annie turned to him. “The grocery store?”  
   
“Yeah,” he nodded.  
   
“Sure thing,” Annie paused, “Kitten.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks flushed.  
   
Levi snickered. “You already know what you’re making?”  
   
Armin nodded.  
   
Eren blinked. “That was fast.”  
   
Marco looked at Armin.  
   
Eren paused. There was something about the way Marco was looking at Armin… was there some kind of history between them? Or was Eren just reading too much into it…?  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin came back several hours later (he caught a ride with Ymir, Krista’s Dom). He blurred past two of them and quickly put the groceries in the fridge.  
   
Eren stepped in and tilted his head. “Need help?”  
   
“No.” Armin blurred from one side of the kitchen to the other. “I’m fucked.”  
   
Eren blinked. “What?”  
   
“I’m going to cry,” Armin explained.  
   
“What? Why, baby?” Eren pouted and took a step forward.  
   
“Don’t hug me, I have to move.”  
   
Eren watched Armin zoom by and he tilted his head. “Uh…”  
   
“I’ve lost it,” Armin laughed.  
   
“Um, what?”  
   
“I’m making potato soup.”  
   
“Oh. Cool.”  
   
“No, not cool.” Armin paused and turned to the brunet. “Levi hates potato soup. Levi hates all milk-based soups. He doesn’t mind creamy sauces, but creamy soups are a big no.”  
   
Eren frowned. “Then why are you making it?”  
   
“I’m meta-gaming,” Armin explained, “Instead of playing his game I’m playing a game with his game—I’m meta-thinking: As opposed to thinking, I’m thinking about thinking; specifically, I’m thinking about Levi’s thinking as I game around his game.” Armin saw the confused expression on Eren’s face and he took a deep breath. “Okay, basically I’m taking a huge risk based on my interpretation of the desired effect.”  
   
Eren tilted his head. “I have no idea what the hell that means, but you’re amazing. Geez, I think I’m attracted to how smart you are.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks went red.  
   
“So, how can I help?”  
   
“You can’t.” Armin offered an apologetic smile. “One, I gotta do this myself… two, this is actually a secret.”  
   
“What’s a secret? Soup?”  
   
“It’s… a secret family recipe, actually.” Armin scratched the back of his head with his free hand. “Sorry.”  
   
“That’s okay.” Eren stepped forward. “How about a kiss for good luck? Can I do that?”  
   
“Of course,” Armin nodded.  
   
Eren leaned in and aimed to kiss Armin’s cheek.  
   
At the last second, Armin turned his head and caught Eren’s lips with his; it was only a peck of a kiss but it made them both grin.  
   
Eren smacked Armin’s bottom.  
   
Armin yelped and covered his mouth. He chuckled and leaned up to kiss Eren’s cheek.  
   
“I’ll leave you to it, then?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“You _sure_ you don’t need any help?”  
   
“Uhhh…” Armin glanced to the side. “Could you wash the blender?”  
   
“See, there was something I could do! But uh, why are you using a blender for soup?”  
   
“Because reasons.”  
   
Eren snickered and turned around. He grabbed the blender which had been soaking with water and looked over his shoulder. “Is that bacon? Like, bacon bacon, not turkey bacon?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin had the sliced stacked as he chopped them into small bits with a large knife. “I’m supposed to use six pieces, but it came in a pack of eight. Don’t tell anyone.”  
   
Eren snorted. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”  
   
Armin grinned and threw the bacon into a pot. He turned on the heat and used a wooden spoon to separate the pieces. After a while, the bacon began to sizzle and Armin left it. He grabbed a yellow onion and peeled it quickly. With one heavy strike of his large knife, he sliced it in half. He put one half aside and began making vertical slices over a cutting board. He then pinched it together and turned it before he cut it in the other direction.  
   
There were in small little pieces.  
   
Satisfied, he traded the knife for the wooden spoon and moved the bacon so it didn’t burn.  
   
“Done with the blender,” Eren dried it with paper towel. He looked over his shoulder.  
   
Armin carefully moved his knife along the length of a celery stalk, then repeated the action with another. He diced them as well then grabbed the carrots.  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. “That’s like five carrots compared to two celeries.”  
   
“Carrots help with colour,” Armin explained. “Levi doesn’t like milky soups; it won’t do much, but it’ll change the soup to a more golden colour.” Diced, he threw the carrots, onions, and celery all in with the bacon bits. He mixed with the wooden spoon and looked over his shoulder.  
   
“Anything else I can do?”  
   
Armin smiled and put the spoon down. “No. I have to do this myself. It’s not too hard, actually.” He grabbed the potatoes, seven in all but they were small potatoes. He grabbed a potato peeler and in three seconds all of them were peeled. He saw Eren’s surprised reaction and he wiggled the peeler. “This is a hundred dollars.”  
   
“A h-hundred?”  
   
“Yeah. And now you know why.” Armin grabbed the knife and horizontally sliced them all into sticks. From there, he vertically cut them all into cubes. He tossed them into the pot then added plenty of salt. He stirred it once and then opened up the spice rack. He added several shakes of paprika for some red colour and a single dash of Cajun. “Could you get the chicken stock? It’s in the plastic bag.”  
   
“Plastic bag?” Eren looked left and right and eventually saw the white bag on the counter. He pulled out a carton, flipped it over and read ‘Low-Sodium Chicken Stock’. He walked over and offered it, “Here.”  
   
Armin grabbed it and popped the top. He pulled off the safety seal and began pouring until it was empty. “Garbage,” he said as he offered it back.  
   
Eren took it and nodded.  
   
Armin stirred the soup then moved away. He grabbed a small bowl and filled it halfway with flour. He grabbed a whisk and fluffed it before adding some milk to the flour. He whisked the milk and flour together before pouring it in the soup. He grabbed the wooden spoon and mixed quickly before stepping back and letting it cook.  
   
“So, what now?” Eren tilted his head. “Kinda looks basic. I think I could do it.”  
   
Armin chuckled and turned around. “Well, now we wait… the secret comes in later. It’s actually not hard at all to make, but it’s all about the secret.”  
   
Eren bit his lip. “So what’s the secret?”  
   
“It’s a secret!”  
   
“Arm!”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Okay, okay.” He turned around and mixed the soup again. He brought up a carrot and blew on it for a while before he ate it, making sure it was soft. He nodded then looked over his shoulder. “Bring the blender.”  
   
“The blender…” Eren whispered. He brought it over and placed it down.  
   
Armin used the bowl that he had mixed the milk and flour in to scoop some up. He filled about two thirds of the blender with the soup and then grabbed the handle of the blender. He put it on the base, put on the cover, then pushed a button. It zoomed to life, making Armin wince. He let it go on and on but he eventually stopped it. He opened the top and poured it back in. “That’s the secret.”  
   
“Huh?” Eren blinked. “I didn’t learn anything!”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Well half the soup is now thick and pureed, while the other half is still chunky. Potato soup is all about consistency, Eren. The flavour is pretty easy to get, but it’s too easy to make it too watery or too thick. It’s all about consistency.”  
   
Eren looked in the pot. “Ohh.”  
   
“But if you ever puree anything, always make sure you have at least a third of the top empty. It expands when it purees.” He mixed it then grabbed a small carton. “Could you get the heavy cream?”  
   
“Heavy cream?”  
   
Armin lowered the heat and stirred with the spoon to make sure the air bubbles rose to the surface. “It’s a small yellow container. It’s like a milk container.”  
   
Eren went to the fridge and opened the door. He looked left and right, but eventually found it.  
   
Armin saw Eren offer it, so he took it and opened the top. He let the soup cool a bit more before he poured it in, slowly, mixing as he did.  “Did we finish the grated cheese this morning?”  
   
“Yeah, we did.”  
   
“Hmm, okay.” Armin nodded. “Can you call Levi down? I’ll quickly grate some, but other than that we’re done.”  
   
  


⁂

  
  
   
Dinner was served. A potato soup, creamy and flavourful, but thick and with enough veggies to make it fun to eat. Each bowl had a sprinkle of parsley for colour and there was a small plate of grated grueyere and white cheddar. Eren put one spoon in his mouth then quickly put four more. “Oh my God,” he said after he swallowed his seventh spoon, “Armin this is amazing!”  
   
“It’s…” Levi pursed his lips. “Decent. I’m not exactly impressed, Armin.”  
   
“Well,” Armin smiled, “You can go fuck yourself.”  
   
Levi blinked.  
   
Eren paused with his spoon in his mouth.  
   
Armin kept his smile as he spoke: “If you want something that tastes better you can suck my dick, because I like it and deserve a blowjob.”  
   
Eren almost choked, but he eventually swallowed. “Armin!”  
   
Levi stayed silent for a full minute before he snickered. “I wasn’t expecting that. You pass.”  
   
Eren looked between the two of them, expecting to understand with the repeated motion. “What?”  
   
Armin looked at him. “You don’t want me to pass?”  
   
“No!” Eren shouted, “Shit! I mean, I mean yes! Shit—You know what I mean!”  
   
Armin chuckled. “I do.”  
   
“But,” Eren looked at Levi. “Why did he pass?”  
   
Levi smiled softly. “I told you, I wanted Armin to take what he wants. This potato soup, correct me if I’m wrong, is something his mother taught him.” He saw Armin give a shy nod and Levi looked back at Eren. “He’s never made it in the three years he’s been with me because I mentioned once I don’t like creamy soups… I never said they were forbidden; I never even said that every single meal has to be made for me. Three hundred and sixty five days a year and he won’t give one for himself. It’s the same reason Armin’s been trying to find out what you like, Eren. He’s a people pleaser. He’s a self-sacrificing little shit.”  
   
Armin frowned. “It’s just food, you don’t have to make it sound so dramatic.”  
   
“Maybe,” Levi smiled, “If it hadn’t been going on for years. You need to stop feeling guilty for existing.”  
   
Armin paused. He hugged his arm and squeezed.  
   
“I’m not saying I don’t like enjoying every meal, but you’re allowed to make yourself happy every once in a while.”  
   
“Master…”  
   
Levi dipped his spoon in the soup again and brought it to his mouth. He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side. “I actually like this. It’s smooth.”  
   
Armin smiled softly. “Thank you.” He looked at his own soup and frowned. “It’s just… I feel great, when you guys compliment me. I mean, people make food to be eaten, so… I mean, um, like, why make it for myself when I can make it for the three of us?”  
   
“Because you’re not an object,” Levi offered.  
   
Eren shouldn’t have laughed but a chuckle escaped his lips. “Levi’s right. You’re the one doing all the work, every day, three times a day, sometimes more when you make dessert. If you wanted to, you could totally dedicate a whole day of the week to yourself. You’ve earned it. I think at least.”  
   
Armin blinked. “What?”  
   
Levi smiled softly. “I agree. Even if you don’t make it specifically for us, it’s not like we’re going to be unhappy with what you serve us. Your cooking is fantastic.”  
   
“Yeah,” Eren nodded, “And plus, Levi and I can’t cook to save ourselves, but anything you make is like magically the cum of the gods.”  
   
“Cum of the gods,” Levi repeated. “I like that; I don’t know why, but I like that.”  
   
Armin chuckled, but his laughter trailed off and he shifted in his seat. “I just… I want to make you guys happy.”  
   
“That’s fine,” Levi sighed. “But don’t think pushing what you want out of the picture is making us happier. Don’t use us as an excuse to punish yourself.”  
   
Armin’s jaw twitched and he went silent.  
   
Levi examined Armin a bit before going back to his soup.  
   
The three of them fell into silence as they ate, until Eren’s head perked up. “Is there any more?”  
   
Armin smiled. “Yeah, lots.” He got up and grabbed Eren’s bowl.  
   
“Me too,” Levi muttered.  
   
Armin blinked but a smile slowly formed on his lips. He grabbed both bowls and headed into the kitchen. He ladled the creamy white mixture, making sure to include extra bacon bits for Eren and try to avoid as many as possible for Levi. He brought back both bowls and placed them down.  
   
Levi watched him for a moment before making a ‘come here’ motion with two fingers.  
   
Armin blinked and leaned over.  
   
Levi kissed his cheek. “I care about you, you know that right?”  
   
Armin’s cheeks flushed and he closed his eyes, giving a little shy nod.  
   
Levi graced them with a smile as he ate another spoonful. “Your second task is a lot easier. I want you to buy yourself something nice. I know you go window shopping everywhere we go, and I know you do it online too. Anything you want, whatever it is, even if it’s ridiculous, buy it. I can afford it, so buy it.”  
   
“But,” Armin frowned, “There’s nothing I need–”  
   
“Armin.” Levi glared. “I’ll throw you out right now if you start that.”  
   
Eren just watched.  
   
Armin wiggled a bit in his seat and looked at his mostly untouched bowl of soup. “Anything?”  
   
“Anything.”  
   
Armin nodded. “I’ll find a way to pay you back s–”  
   
“Armin.” Levi scowled. “We are going outside right now and I will keep my foot on your head while you drown in the pool. Do you understand me? I’ll do it. You know I will.”  
   
Armin scowled back. “But!”  
   
“But what?”  
   
Eren shivered. Even though Levi’s voice was calm and quiet, he knew there was anger behind it.  
   
“You…” Armin sighed. “You work so damn hard, so what’s a couple manga books? I just feel so stupid… you work so hard, you do so many things, and I’m supposed to use your money to buy what, comic books? At least with normal books I feel somewhat sophisticated, with most things I feel like it’s a decent use of your money, because at least then you might read it too!”  
   
“You stupid fucknut,” Levi grumbled. He glanced over to Eren and sighed. “I gave him a credit card two years ago—whatever he wants to buy, at any time, goes right to me. Ninety five percent of what he’s bought are groceries or movie tickets.”  
   
Armin frowned. “I’ve bought other things!”  
   
“Like clothes,” Levi offered, “From my store. And he makes sure nothing’s on sale, so he can fully support the store too.”  
   
“I’ve bought other things!”  
   
“Gifts,” Levi crossed his arms. “You’ve bought gifts. For other people. You don’t feel guilty about buying things, Armin, you only feel guilty about buying things for yourself. If you wanted to buy something for me, or a present for Eren—you would not hesitate. That’s not a fucking discussion, that’s fact. You never hesitated or asked me if it was okay to buy Jean that home espresso machine he now calls his ‘other sub’. You never asked before you paid for shipping and handling for those shibari ropes from Japan when it was Hanji’s birthday. What about Erwin’s fire cupping set? Why didn’t it cross your mind when you bought those?—I don’t know, maybe because I’m a fucking billionare. If someone asked me to burn our flag for a thousand dollars, I would burn the flag and burn the thousand dollars just because I can. So why, you fucking dipshit moron, why is that you know how much money I have except when it comes to you?”  
   
Armin stayed quiet. His hand clutched his spoon to the point where his knuckles went white and his eyes watered.  
   
Levi sighed. “You’re not worthless…”  
   
Armin looked down.  
   
“And you’re not secondary to the rest of the world either.”  
   
Armin opened his mouth, “I…” but his sentence didn’t go anywhere.  
   
Eren saw Armin’s lower lip wibble and he smiled. He moved his legs under the table and caught Armin’s ankle between his feet.  
   
Armin moved back so he could look under the table and he chuckled.  
   
Levi saw the little game of footsies under the glass table and he rolled his eyes, but the smallest of smiles formed.  
   
“Armin,” Eren spoke softly, “You know Levi cares about you, right?”  
   
“Of course I know that.”  
   
“Then why don’t you care about yourself as much?”  
   
Armin looked up and he felt his breath hitch in his throat.  
   
Levi sipped his drink, expecting some kind of answer.  
   
Armin eventually sighed. “You’re right.”  
   
“Finally,” Levi muttered.  
   
Armin smiled softly and rubbed his arm. “I’m sorry, I’ll do better.”  
   
Levi nodded.  
   
Eren looked between the two of them and grinned. Even if Levi had planned for both of them to pass the original game, he felt like he did the right thing by choosing to never break Levi and Armin apart for himself. He realised he was happier as the ‘three of them’ than he could ever be with just one.  
   
*  
   
The two of them were on the bed together. Armin was sitting cross-legged, laptop on his lap, while Eren was lying on his back, phone in the air as he tapped the touchscreen for his little butterfly to jump over the green bars. A knock on the door made the two of them turn their heads in the same direction.  
   
“Four hundred,” Levi said. He was leaning on the doorframe, looking at his phone. “I just got the email confirmation thing. Books from Japan and kitchen stuff. I’m not surprised, but I was hoping you’d spend more… still, I’ll be happy with that for now. You pass.”  
   
Armin closed his laptop and put it on the bedside table. “Thank you, Sir. So that’s two out of three tasks.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Third and last task is pretty obvious. Take what you want.”  
   
Armin opened his mouth, then paused. He bit his lips, cheeks warming a little.  
   
Levi smirked. “Have a good night Armin.” He glanced to Eren, “You too, Pup. Have a _good_ night.”  
   
“Yes, Master.”  
   
“Thank you, Sir.”  
   
Levi waved before leaving, closing the door behind him.  
   
Eren blinked and looked at Armin. “So, what do you have to do for your third task?”  
   
Armin swallowed hard and looked at him.  
   
“M-Me?”  
   
“Y-Yeah…” Armin brought his knees up and hugged them. “Well, sort of… I need to stop teasing, and just sort of go for it.”  
   
Eren put his phone down and sat up, crossing his legs. “So, go for it.”  
   
Armin felt his breath hitch in his throat and he wiggled. “Would it be okay if I just… jumped you?”  
   
“Armin.”  
   
“Y-Yeah?”  
   
“Do it.”  
   
Armin hesitated for a minute before he pounced—he grabbed Eren’s shoulders and slammed him down on the bed. He straddled Eren’s hips and gave a shy smirk. “It’s… weird, I just, I don’t know. I have sex often, but with only a couple of people, so I get nervous when its someone new.”  
   
Eren smiled. “That’s totally okay. Just do what you want. You know I want you, right?”  
   
Armin’s cheeks warmed and he leaned down, bringing their lips together. His fingers curled against Eren’s shoulders, crinkling the light blue shirt.  
   
Eren closed his eyes, feeling a flutter as he finally got to kiss Armin again. He moved his hands over Armin’s knees and moved up his outer thighs, eventually grabbing his ass.  
   
Armin smiled into the kiss and let out a little moan. He let go of Eren’s shoulders and moved to the hem of his own shirt. He broke the kiss and moved his head back, tugging off his shirt, and then tossing it aside. He resumed the kiss feverishly. He grabbed Eren’s wrist and moved his hands.  
   
Eren’s hands grazed over the soft skin of Armin’s stomach and moved up his chest. He broke the kiss to let out a heated moan before he captured Armin’s mouth again.  
   
Armin muffled a soft noise into the kiss.  
   
Eren’s left hand moved down to Armin’s stomach and curved over his side. He dipped his fingers to the small of Armin’s back before moving up, to the subtle ridge between his shoulder blades, over Armin’s spine.  
   
“Ah,” Armin shivered, moving away, biting his lip.  
   
Eren grinned. “Sensitive spot, huh?”  
   
“Very,” Armin admitted with a blush. “A tender spot…”  
   
“I’ll make note of that,” Eren chuckled. He moved his hand to the back of Armin’s neck and pulled him down, kissing him.  
   
Armin breathed through his nose, wiggling his hips over Eren’s crotch. He grabbed the bottom of Eren’s vest and tugged.  
   
Eren got the message and lifted his back; his shirt and vest were pulled off together.  
   
Armin lowered his head and kissed Eren’s collarbone. Eren’s slight tan was delicious and he’d wanted to run his tongue over it for so long. Now, he finally had his chance. He kissed Eren’s shoulder, then his neck, then again his collarbone, then the centre of his chest. “I want you.”  
   
Eren breathed heavily and nodded. “Yeah, I want you too.”  
   
Armin unbuttoned his jeans then unzipped them. He pulled them off, lifting his knees one at a time before they went flying off the room. He was left only in a pair of pink loose boxers that had a couple small black hearts spread out sparsely through them; they tented with his excitement.  
   
“This is cute,” Eren chuckled as he smacked Armin’s ass.  
   
Armin let out a little moan at the smack and wiggled. “They’re my good luck undies.”  
   
Eren moved his hands to Armin’s sides then moved up and down his outer thighs. “Well you’re going to get good luck tonight.”  
   
“Mmm? I am?”  
   
“Oh yeah.”  
   
Armin chuckled and brought their mouths together. He felt heat flash through him as Eren’s tongue slipped into his mouth. He sucked on it and twirled his own tongue around it. He kept wiggling his hips, grinding over the hardness that was beneath him. He felt Eren’s fingers hook around the waistband of his boxers and he adjusted himself to help Eren slip them off.  
   
Eren broke the kiss and looked down. He saw Armin, entirely naked, in his lap. His cheeks flushed and he looked up. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”  
   
Armin felt his cheeks flush. “You can look but you can’t touch.”  
   
“Wait,” Eren pouted, “I can’t?”  
   
Armin laughed and kissed the corner of Eren’s mouth. “Of course you can, touch me all you want. I’m yours tonight.”  
   
Eren snickered and moved his hands over Armin’s thighs again. The skin was damn soft, and he was completely hairless everywhere. Eren used his thumb to stroke at Armin’s inner thigh, teasing him.  
   
Armin bit his lip, feeling his length twitch with excitement. “Eren…”  
   
He eventually moved his hand, grabbing Armin’s cock and giving him a squeeze.  
   
Armin wiggled and let out a soft moan.  
   
Eren moved his hand, rolling the skin down and exposing the pink head. He stroked Armin slowly, green eyes locked onto blue, watching Armin’s eyes dilate with arousal. He heard the softest noises and he smirked. His other hand moved around the blond and cupped his ass, squeezing it lightly.  
   
“So,” Armin purred, “Do you like me? Do you like my body?”  
   
“You have no idea,” Eren whispered.  
   
Armin leaned down and brought their mouths together again. He nibbled on Eren’s lower lip and then moved his head to the side. He kissed Eren’s cheek, then jaw, then neck. “I want you in my mouth.”  
   
Eren felt his face warm, but he couldn’t help but smile. “I’m all yours tonight too, Arm’.”  
   
Armin snickered at that and moved his hips back; he was a bit sad that Eren’s hands let go of him but he knew it was for the better. He started a trail of hot, wet kisses down Eren’s body; he lapped up the taste of salty skin and his mouth watered for more. He swallowed hard when he got to Eren’s navel, moving his head back just enough so he could see the brunet’s pants. He unzipped the jeans quickly and tugged them off.  
   
Eren raised his hips as his dark navy jeans and underwear was pulled off. His hard length happily popped up to say hello and he smirked.  
   
Armin dove down, kissing the side of the length then kissing the base.  
   
Eren reminded himself to relax.  
   
Armin grabbed the manhood and stroked it a couple times, kissing it before he took the head into his mouth.  
   
“Fuck,” Eren muttered. The warm wetness surrounded his cock, hugging it, and he slowly pushed his hips up, moving his manhood deeper into the feeling.  
   
Armin bobbed his head on it, matching the rhythm of Eren’s movements. He pushed it deeper in his mouth and eventually deeper again, until he nuzzled the base.  
   
Eren slipped a hand in Armin’s soft hair and he fisted a section. “Fuck, Armin. Damn… That’s good.”  
   
Armin took the compliments with a small smile. With Eren’s hand pushing down on him, he couldn’t bob his head so he started humming against the cock.  
   
Eren felt the vibrations on him and he closed his eyes. A heavy noise left his throat and he chuckled. “You really are good at this, fuck.”  
   
Armin felt the hand in his hair loosen its grip so he moved his head back; he bobbed on it several times before he slipped it out of his mouth. He ran his tongue over the underside, from the bottom to the top, gliding over the sweet spot.  
   
Eren noticeably shivered.  
   
Armin kissed Eren’s inner thigh, then his hip. He crawled over the brunet and smiled.  
   
Eren watched Armin with interest. He had a feeling he might know where this was going… He sat up slowly and Armin adjusted himself so the blond was sitting in his lap. He kissed Armin’s neck several times before smooching his shoulder.  
   
“I want you inside me,” Armin whispered in his ear.  
   
He smacked Armin’s ass, watching the blond shudder. He felt the blond’s cock against his stomach and he reached down and grabbed it. He stroked him while keeping eye contact.  
   
Armin let out another sound and he reached behind himself to grab Eren’s cock. He pressed it against his entrance and rubbed. “Fuck me.”  
   
“Wait,” Eren paused, looking to the side. “Lube.”  
   
“I don’t need it.” Armin kissed his shoulder. “Just fuck me.”  
   
“No, wait,” Eren urged, “Just a bit.”  
   
“I don’t need it, I’m experienced.”  
   
“Armin, no.”  
   
“Eren,” Armin whined. He closed his eyes and bit Eren’s shoulder as he grinded against him. “I need you right now.”  
   
“Lube–”  
   
“-Forget it. I don’t need it.” Armin pushed back against the cock.  
   
“Yellow. Red. Traffic lights!”  
   
Armin paused, eyes opening. He froze, stopping where he was. “Eren?”  
   
“I don’t care if you don’t need it,” Eren sighed. “I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt you. Just a bit of lube, please.”  
   
Armin stared at him for a moment before a soft smile formed on his lips. He kissed the tip of Eren’s nose and he nodded. “Okay.” He slipped out of Eren’s lap and crawled along the beds before he opened one of the bedside table drawers and pulled out a pink cylinder. He tossed it.  
   
Eren caught it. Before he could read the label, he felt Armin slip back in his lap and he chuckled. “Cherry Cherry, nice name.”  
   
Armin smiled, but bit his lip. “You have to call Green again.”  
   
“Green!” Eren used his outside voice and winced when he saw Armin flinch. “Sorry, Green.”  
   
Armin kissed him once and wiggled. “Wanna prepare me? Or do you want me to do it?”  
   
“I want to do it,” Eren admitted. He popped the lid and smeared some on his fingers. He moved his hand down, rubbing the pad of his middle finger against Armin’s entrance.  
   
Armin gasped but kept himself relaxed.  
   
Eren kissed Armin’s shoulder as he pushed the first finger in. He slowly pushed in, then slowly pulled out. He repeated the action until he pushed in the second finger.  
   
If it had been anyone else, even Levi, Armin would have complained; Armin had always been a person who loved mixing pleasure with pain. But, he knew he couldn’t fight Eren on this. When the third finger pushed inside he felt Eren’s middle finger brush against his prostate and he made a little noise.  
   
“Oh,” Eren smirked, “You like that?”  
   
He felt the fingertips prod that spot again and his legs tightened around Eren’s body. “Yeah. But I want more than just a couple fingers.”  
   
“Okay, okay.” Eren kissed his cheek. “Do you want to lie down?”  
   
Armin considered it then nodded. He slipped out of Eren’s lap and crawled on the bed. On all fours, he wagged his butt in the air playfully.  
   
Eren chuckled and smacked his ass again. “Damn, your ass is just so… spankable.”  
   
“Thank you,” he took it as a compliment.  
   
“But,” Eren felt his cheeks heat up, “Could you go on your back? I want to face you, at least our first time together… if that’s okay?”  
   
Armin felt his own cheeks warm and he nodded. He rolled over onto his back and spread his legs.  
   
“Thanks,” Eren moved between Armin’s legs and he felt a tightness in his chest. He leaned down and kissed Armin once, a short peck between their lips.  
   
Armin chuckled and bit his lip. “You know, I’m getting nervous.”  
   
Eren looked between them. “You too?”  
   
“Yeah… this is the part I would pretend to be teasing and run away.”  
   
“Then, just breathe, okay?”  
   
“Okay.”  
   
“Breathe through your nose.”  
   
“My nose?”  
   
Eren leaned down and kissed Armin’s nose.  
   
Armin playfully frowned. “I know what my nose is!”  
   
Eren laughed and kissed the blond gently. He felt two legs move around his waist and he realised Armin was pulling him closer. He leaned forward, moving his hands to rest over the blond’s shoulders, and he shifted his weight onto them.  
   
Armin broke the kiss before nodding. “I’m ready, you know?”  
   
“Yeah, me too.” Eren grabbed his cock and rubbed the tip against Armin’s entrance. Slowly, he pushed in, watching Armin’s face as he did so.  
   
Armin felt the head of Eren’s cock move inside him and he gasped. His hands moved up, resting on Eren’s shoulders. His fingers curled and he bit his lip.  
   
Eren moved his hips forward, burying his cock inside the tight heat. He pushed until he pressed his crotch up against Armin’s ass. He let out a shaky breath, feeling his body twitch and tingle as he was completely inside the blond. “Fuck.”  
   
Armin squeezed on the manhood inside him. “Eren,” he whispered, “You can move, Eren.”  
   
Eren kissed his neck and slowly moved his hips back. His cock moved several inches out of that tight heat before he pushed it back in.  
   
Armin moved a hand down and grabbed his cock. He started stroking himself, slowly, to the rhythm that Eren pushed in and out. “Eren…”  
   
Eren kissed his cheek and let out a soft noise. “Fuck, Armin…”  
   
“You like the way I feel?”  
   
“Yeah,” Eren purred.  
   
Armin felt goose bumps race along his skin and his knees wiggled. His legs wrapped around the brunet and pulled him in. He felt the manhood move deep inside him and he shivered. “Faster, Eren… please.”  
   
Eren took a deep breath before nodding. He bucked his hips back, hearing Armin gasp, and then pushed in again.  
   
“Mmm, just like that… please.”  
   
Eren continued the motion. His green eyes scanned Armin’s body, eating up every detail he could find. He looked down, watching Armin stroking himself. He was watching Armin touch himself, pleasure himself. The sight itself was enough for him to speed up. He wanted more and he could hear the little pants Armin made. He decided he needed to hear those. His whole body shook but he kept moving in and out, in and out of that tight heat that hugged his cock so perfectly.  
   
“Eren,” Armin whimpered loudly. He closed his eyes, rocking his body to the motion of his partner. He felt a thrill race down his spine and his cock twitched in his hand. “Eren… Eren…” The name spilled from his lips and his cheeks flushed, “Eren…”  
   
Hearing his name in Armin’s lusty voice made him shiver. He rocked in and out of that heat. He pushed forward, until he was completely inside the heat. He stayed there, pushing himself as deep as he could go, before he moved back.  
   
Armin whimpered and bit his lip. “There,” he whispered, “Right there!”  
   
Eren thrust in and out, aiming for that spot.  
   
Armin gasped.  
   
Eren grinned. The face Armin made when he was being pleasured was so damn hot. He leaned on his left hand to keep himself steady and his right hand moved down. He rubbed his thumb against Armin’s hand.  
   
Armin seemed to understand and he let go of his cock. He felt Eren grab it and stroke it and Armin wiggled. To have Eren’s hand around his length made him blush even more than he already was. “E-Eren…”  
   
“Yeah babe?”  
   
“I’m gonna cum.”  
   
Eren leaned down and kissed him gently. He sped up, moving his hips and hands faster. He moved his mouth over Armin’s neck and suddenly heard him cry out. He half figured Armin had cum but not yet. He kissed Armin’s neck again at the same area and felt Armin’s body squeeze on his cock. “Oh hey,” he grinned, “Looks like I found a weak spot.”  
   
Armin’s face had gone red but he didn’t deny it.  
   
Eren snickered and placed a kiss on the left side of Armin’s neck and felt the blond wiggle beneath him.  
   
“Eren, I’m gonna…” He bit his lip. “Eren…”  
   
“Say my name like that,” Eren whispered, “Say it.”  
   
“Eren!” Armin closed his eyes. “Eren, Eren! Eren, please Eren!”  
   
Eren slammed into the heat, feeling the heat tight around him. “Fuck, Armin… Armin.”  
   
“Eren!”  
   
“Armin!”  
   
“Eren,” Armin whispered. He curled up tight, “I’m… Oh God, fuck! I’m gonna—” the softest whimper spilled from his lips and his cock twitched in Eren’s hand, warm sticky fluid shot between their bodies as Eren kissed that spot again.  
   
Eren shuddered, closing his eyes and pushing his forehead against Armin’s neck. With one more breath, his whole body tightened and tensed—and then released… He came deep inside Armin.  
   
The two of them fell into silence, only lightened by their panting and breathing.  
   
Eventually Eren pulled out of the blond and crashed next to him.  
   
Armin grinned and moved onto his side so he could get closer.  
   
Eren slipped both arms around Armin and pulled him in. “See what kinda good things you get when you take what you want?”  
   
Armin smooched the corner of Eren’s mouth and nuzzled his neck. “I know… it’s just…”  
   
“It’s okay, Armin.” Eren kissed his cheek then his nose then his forehead.  
   
Armin’s face turned all red hot and he wiggled. “We should get under the sheets and turn off the lights…”  
   
Eren pouted but eventually sighed. He pulled away from Armin, whining as he did it and hit the light switch. The two of them slipped under the covers and quickly resumed their cuddling position. Eren kissed Armin once more before chuckling, “Goodnight.”  
   
“Goodnight.”


	14. The Second Week (7)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with this chapter, Tentative Bliss (Series) breaks 150k on wordcount, woo~! Milestone! Also, fun fact, SNK is now the fandom I've written the most for on AO3. Isn't that crazy? This was my first fic in the fandom, too. Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to two little shits who planted little seeds in my head. One is Zippy who made me like a certain pairing and the second is Ghosty who reminded me of an old kink of mine~!
> 
> In this chapter is the fifth reference to Jane Austen in Tentative Bliss (Series)... As to _why_ I have secretly been putting Jane Austen references into my fics... I honestly couldn't tell you. My main theory is that I've just fucking lost it, but it makes me happy and it's like a little game. I don't know. 
> 
> This chapter was a lot of fun to write, so I hope it's you like it. Please enjoy~!

* * *

 

 

It was then that Eren Jaeger realised _they_ were a burrito.  
  
A true burrito.  
  
A union in the form of a burrito.  
  
Armin’s forehead was up against his neck, hands over Eren’s chest, fingers curled slightly.  
  
Eren squeezed him, holding him tight.  
  
The two of them cuddled all night and then Eren proceeded to roll around a little; the next thing he knew was that they were both rolled up in the bed sheets. It made them even closer than before, not that Eren really minded.  
  
He nuzzled Armin’s soft hair and softly kissed the top of his head.  
  
Armin made a soft noise as he nuzzled Eren’s neck.  
  
Eren couldn’t remember the last time he had been so utterly warm, and just so cozy too. He smooched Armin’s head several times and heard a couple chuckles. “Hm,” he mumbled, “You’re up?”  
  
“Mhm.” Armin nodded and placed a soft kiss against Eren’s collarbone.  
  
“We should,” Eren yawned, “Get up…”  
  
“Nooo,” Armin whined.  
  
Eren chuckled and squeezed Armin tighter. “We should, though… We have chores.”  
  
“No.” Armin shook his head. “I’m happy here.”  
  
“Oh you little shit…”  
  
“Please?”  
  
Eren wanted to frown but he melted into a smile and kissed the top of Armin’s head again. “Okay, but if Levi gets mad or something…”  
  
“I’ll just say I took his lesson too far,” Armin chuckled. He backed away just a little (not that he really could in the burrito), just enough so he could bring himself up and press his lips against Eren’s.  
  
Eren smiled into the kiss as he kissed back.  
  
“I,” Armin broke their mouths away, “I need this.”  
  
He blinked. “Need what?”  
  
“Cuddles.”  
  
“Aww!”  
  
Armin’s fingers curled ever so slightly. “I’m serious.”  
  
Eren paused.  
  
“Levi… I mean, he does cuddle a bit, but he does it for me, rather than because he likes it. I mean, he likes it, he enjoys it, but not as much as I do. Truth be told… I probably enjoy it a little too much, if that’s possible, and I haven’t had anyone good to cuddle with for a long time. When Marco was here, it was the best four months ever. Just, affection, all the time… I-It’s not that Levi doesn’t care, he does, but… he doesn’t show it the way you do.”  
  
Eren kissed his forehead. “I understand.”  
  
Armin relaxed and nuzzled his neck again. “Other subs were okay too… I liked cuddling with Annie, believe it or not, but it took a while before she let me. Jean was great… but he talked in his sleep a lot. Some of the other guys… they made me a little, uncomfortable, I guess.”  
  
Eren frowned. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Well the last one…” Armin bit his lip. “He just made me, I don’t know. Wrong vibes and…”  
  
A silence passed and Eren felt his chest tighten. “Armin?”  
  
“Nothing bad happened,” Armin explained, “I just didn’t really feel… safe, with him, I guess.”  
  
Eren squeezed Armin closer. “Did you tell Levi?”  
  
“Yeah, well… not at first, but I talked to him about it eventually… I told Ymir, and Ymir decided Levi had to know so she told him, then Levi asked me about it. In the end it all worked out, so there’s not really a problem. Don’t worry.”  
  
Eren still worried. “Armin… do I make you feel safe? I mean, I don’t make you uncomfortable do I, I mean if I d–”  
  
He was cut off as Armin smooched his lips. “Don’t be stupid.” Armin grinned wide. “I feel safer with you than without you.”  
  
Eren suddenly smiled and smooched Armin’s cheek. He opened his mouth to speak, but—  
  
Two beeps.  
  
They both glanced in opposite directions to their respective bedside tables and winced.  
  
Armin sighed. “If Levi messaged both of us we should really head down.”  
  
“Probably, yeah.”  
  
Armin looked around. “Are we wrapped up in the blanket?”  
  
“We’re a burrito, Armin.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”  
  


⁂

  
  
The message had clear instructions: Wake up, take a shower, get ready, then come downstairs wearing only undergarments. Eren chuckled at the word ‘undergarments’ but kept that to himself. When the two of them realised they hadn’t cleaned up last night and felt dried semen on their chests, they hurried into the bathroom together and Eren played with the knobs of the shower as he adjusted the temperature. He remembered Levi telling him something about Armin liking hot showers so he put it a bit hotter than usual.  
  
As the scalding water ran over them, Armin shivered. “I’m cold…”  
  
“Seriously?” Eren chuckled, “This is a bit too hot for me.”  
  
“Weak.” Armin stuck his tongue out.  
  
Eren snickered and slipped his arms around Armin’s waist, pulling him close. “Well we could always use body heat, huh?”  
  
Armin grinned at that and leaned in. “I’m still kinda cold though.”  
  
Eren rolled his eyes and moved some wet hair out of Armin’s face. “Geez your hair is so poofy… it just goes flat when it’s wet.”  
  
Armin laughed a little and nodded. “Yours barely loses its form.”  
  
“Yeah, my hair’s weird.” Eren shrugged.  
  
Armin shivered. “Cold…”  
  
“Armin,” he gave a mock pout, “You’re ruining my chance at a nice romantic shower together, you know?”  
  
Armin looked him dead in the eye. “Not my fault you’re weak.”  
  
Eren gasped.  
  
Armin giggled.  
  
Eren grinned and turned their bodies, pushing Armin against the wall. A sexy smile formed on his lips as he leaned in a little. “What did you call me?”  
  
Armin kept eye contact as he reached out and grabbed the shower handle. “Weak.” He twisted the knob.  
  
Satan’s ass made its presence known on Eren’s back and he screamed like a girl.  
  
Armin cackled in victory before bringing the temperature down.  
  
Eren had tears in his eyes and he sobbed. “Evil…” He curled up in a ball at the bottom of the shower.  
  
“Sorry,” Armin kneeled down and kissed his nose.  
  


⁂

  
  
The two of them eventually got dressed and made their way down the stairs.  
  
Armin chose form fitting black boxers that while Eren went for a loose pair of dark brown ones. Despite how Armin’s hair clung when wet, it poofed back quite quickly and Eren was almost mesmerised by the strange hair. He half wondered if there were little fairies in his hair. Fairy hair. That would explain why it was so mesmerising. Eren realised his thesis was practically soundproof.  
  
“Oh,” Armin tilted his head, getting Eren’s attention.  
  
Eren paused.  
  
He heard talking.  
  
Eren blinked. “Levi has guests over?”  
  
“Looks like.” Armin nodded. “But if he’s asking his subs to come downstairs stripped as we are, it’s probably another Dom… Jean would have told me, he doesn’t keep a secret well. Ymir is too tied to ‘K’, and I doubt it’s Mikasa. He wouldn’t get us naked for Hanji, and the only other Dom that—Oh!” His eyes lit up and he practically bounced.  
  
Eren swore he could see the little fairies in Armin’s hair sparkle with excitement.  
  
Armin completely forgot Eren’s existence and ran forward.  
  
Eren blinked. He saw Armin turn at the end of the hall and give a little wave.  
  
Armin was a bit nervous and he shuffled his feet, fumbling his hands together behind his back. “H-Hello Sir…”  
  
“Armin. It’s been a while.”  
  
Eren took a deep breath. “Oh Jackie Chan…” He had no idea what Jackie Chan had anything to do with it but _that_ voice was so smooth he could cut it with a knife, spread it on a slice of toast, and even Armin wouldn’t believe it wasn’t butter. He swallowed hard and stepped forward into the living room. He looked in and felt a little flutter in his chest.  
  
Armin blushed a bit (Eren took it as confirmation that even he could not believe it wasn’t butter) and he crossed the room, taking a seat next to a tall blond man.  
  
Eren had no idea who this man was, but he was pretty sure ‘Commander Handsome’ was also an acceptable answer. He glanced to see Levi sitting across from him, with a coffee table between them. There were some drinks over coasters, and some properly toasted bread and… believe it or not, butter, with butter knives too.  
  
Armin smiled. “How are you, Sir?”  
  
“Tired from the flight,” ‘Commander Handsome’ admitted, “But fine, thank you for asking.”  
  
Eren walked over and took a seat next to Levi. He had to peel his green eyes away from the gorgeous hunk of man meat sitting across him to look at his Dom. “Good morning, Sir.”  
  
Levi smiled wider than usual as he moved a hand under Eren’s chin, scratching it lightly. “At least one of my subs remembered who they’re serving. That’s more than usual.”  
  
Armin realised his mistake and turned to face Levi. “Good morning, Master!”  
  
Commander Handsome chuckled, and his chuckle was the river of serenity that united the nation and brought peace and honour back to the homeland.  
  
Levi glared at Armin.  
  
Eren leaned over and smooched Levi’s cheek.  
  
Levi scowled at Eren. “Filth.”  
  
Eren pouted. “I showered.”  
  
“Filth.” Levi grabbed Eren’s jaw with one hand. “You didn’t make the bed yesterday morning. Last night, I came up to all the bed sheets rolled into a tube.”  
  
“My burrito!”  
  
Levi frowned. “You ate a burrito in my bed? Tell me I didn’t fucking sleep in your burrito crumbs…”  
  
“No!” Eren winced a bit. “Like, a bed sheet burrito…”  
  
Levi’s frown disappeared just because he was too confused to understand what the hell was going on.  
  
“It’s an Eren thing,” Armin explained.  
  
Levi let go of Eren’s jaw and sighed. “You disappointed me.”  
  
Eren meeped.  
  
Commander Handsome raised an eyebrow. “That was a strange noise…”  
  
Armin chuckled.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes as he hooked an arm around Eren’s waist. “This one is just lucky I find him attractive.”  
  
Eren blushed a bit at that.  
  
Commander Handsome smiled. “Eren, was it?”  
  
Levi’s arm moved as he pushed Eren’s rear. “Stand. Display yourself.”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks warm and he stood up; as someone who subbed before, he was used to Dom’s showing off their prized possessions. He felt Commander Handsome’s eyes over him, and even Armin was admiring him a little. He couldn’t see Levi, but he had a theory that his ass was being examined through his boxers.  
  
Commander Handsome frowned. “I believe you’ve made me jealous again, Levi.”  
  
Levi smirked. “Sit.”  
  
Eren sat.  
  
Levi glanced sidelong at him. “Eren, this is Erwin Smith, Erwin this is Eren… something about jalapenos.”  
  
“Jaeger.”  
  
“Jaeger,” Levi repeated as if he had never made the mistake.  
  
“It’s nice to meet you, Sir,” Eren dipped his head in respect.  
  
“He’s polite,” Erwin noted.  
  
Levi hooked his arm around Eren again and nodded. “Somehow.” He glanced to Armin. “Get us some water, will you?”  
  
Even though it was phrased as a question, Armin knew it was an order. He nodded and got up. “Right away.”  
  
Erwin’s eyes (as well as Eren’s and Levi’s…) lingered on the curve of Armin’s ass through the tight boxers but Erwin eventually glanced to Eren. “I apologise if I make you uncomfortable.”  
  
“N-No, you’re fine,” Eren smiled. “You’re very polite, and gentlemanly, Commander Handsome.”  
  
Erwin raised an eyebrow.  
  
Levi paused.  
  
“I’m sorry!” Eren realised what he said and both hands slapped over his mouth.  
  
Levi’s free hand pinched the bridge of his nose.  
  
Erwin chuckled and leaned back in the couch, eyeing Eren.  
  
“Pup, you’re a fucking idiot…” Levi turned and brought their lips together for a short kiss before he shook his head.  
  
Eren’s cheeks went red while he considered surgical removal of his vocal cords.  
  
“I can’t believe it,” Levi grunted. “Less than ten fucking minutes and you’ve got both my subs fawning over you.”  
  
“Well,” Erwin chuckled the smooth chuckle that helped flowers grow and ended all wars, “If you have two subs, maybe I should take–”  
  
Levi snatched the butter knife on the table and whipped it forward.  
  
The knife cut through the air, whirling violently before Erwin caught it by the handle.  
  
Eren froze.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Oh, looks like the old man still has it.”  
  
Erwin’s lips curved into a dangerous smile and he tossed the knife up; he caught it again in reverse grip then flung it up again, this time at Levi.  
  
Eren screamed and dove to the floor.  
  
Levi caught it with ease then threw it upwards; the butt of the butter knife landed on his fingernail, perfectly straight and balanced. “Just like the good old days.”  
  
Eren blinked and looked between them.  
  
Erwin smiled. “Luckily they’re gone for good.”  
  
Levi flicked his hand and the knife clattered onto the plate. A subtle smile formed on his lips. “You can say that again.”  
  
At that moment, Armin came back with a tray of four glasses filled with water. He looked at Eren, confused as to why he was sprawled out over the floor, but he couldn’t really be surprised by it. He placed the tray down on the coffee table and handed out the cups.  
  
Eren sat back on the couch and thanked Armin in a mumble.  
  
“So,” Levi took the offered cup, “I’m guessing you planned on borrowing Armin for a bit?”  
  
Erwin nodded to Armin as he took his glass. “If it’s alright with him.”  
  
Armin blushed, “As if you have to ask, Sir…”  
  
Levi sipped his drink and smiled. “I was expecting it since Hanji told me about your falling out with your forty year old child slave.”  
  
Erwin nodded again, slower this time. “Yes… It was unfortunate, honestly. She and I shared a lot of interests… Now I’m constantly looking for more, but I wish I was at an age where sex was enough.”  
  
Levi snorted. “You can say that again.”  
  
Armin and Eren both had a moment of silence as they glanced to Levi, trying to understand what that meant…  
  
“I never liked her,” Levi changed the topic, “I remember her being a bitch.”  
  
Erwin chuckled. “Of course. I figured you would hate her when I first met her. But we shared a lot. Common interests as I said, common kinks, same political views, hobbies… Oh. That reminds me.” He slipped an arm around Armin. “You know how I buy season passes? There’s one more opera this season, I planned on going with her but we’re not on speaking terms anymore.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Which opera?”  
  
“Don Giovani.”  
  
Levi gagged. “Take Armin.”  
  
Erwin smiled. “I was planning on asking,” he turned, “If that’s alright with you?”  
  
Armin nodded somewhere between nine and twenty-three times. “Yes! Yes, Sir… I love that one.”  
  
Levi made a face. “Disgusting.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Why do you say that?”  
  
Levi glanced at him. “Because Mozart can suck a raging rotten bone dick for all I care. He was garbage… Talented, innovative, he had a magnificent mind and understood the key to opera, but it was wasted on a shitty style.”  
  
Eren blinked again. “Style?”  
  
“Style,” Levi repeated. “Like how different artists have different styles, different singers have different music. Mozart’s style is just… insufferable. I hate it. I don’t know how anyone likes it.”  
  
Erwin just smiled. “No wonder Hanji calls you boring.”  
  
Levi frowned. “I am not boring.”  
  
“You are boring.”  
  
“I am not.”  
  
“You are.”  
  
“I. Am. Not.”  
  
Erwin turned to Armin. “Tell him just how boring he is.”  
  
Eren knew this would be good as he sipped the cold water.  
  
Armin nodded and looked at Levi. “You’re like… Times New Roman.”  
  
Eren practically choked.  
  
Levi scowled. “What did you say?”  
  
Armin put his cup down on the coffee table. “You’re like twelve point Times New Roman, double spaced, one inch margins, letter sized paper.”  
  
Levi got up and walked over.  
  
Armin shot out of his seat and ran.  
  
But not before Levi grabbed Armin’s tuft of blond hair. He ignored the little scream and pressed Armin’s face into the sofa cushion. With his other hand he yanked down the blond’s boxers and then he raised his hand.  
  
It was a crack of thunder.  
  
Levi’s hand smacked Armin’s ass and the force shook the house.  
  
Armin whimpered and blubbered.  
  
“Never talk to your Dom that way,” Levi said in a dark tone. His eyes glanced to Erwin. “You’re a bad influence on my perfect subs. You’re not allowed talking to Eren.”  
  
Erwin just laughed.  
  
Levi looked down at Armin. “And you’re not allowed sitting next to Erwin anymore. Got it?”  
  
“Yes Master!”  
  
Levi let go and smirked. “Good.”  
  
Armin scurried over to Eren and clutched onto him tight.  
  
Eren pouted. “You okay?”  
  
“No, it stings… but it was _so_ worth it.”  
  
Erwin laughed again and Levi sneered.  
  
“Stings, huh?” Eren switched which hand his cup was in and then put it against the red spot against Armin’s ass. “My fingers are cold so maybe this’ll help.”  
  
“Eren, are you just trying to touch my butt?”  
  
“Well… a little.”  
  
Erwin laughed again.  
  
Levi frowned and dropped on the couch next to Erwin. “Don’t laugh. You’re not allowed laughing.”  
  
“I can’t help it,” Erwin admitted, “You know unruly subs entertain me… That’s why I had you around for so long.”  
  
Levi smirked a little at the memory. “You could never fully dominate me.”  
  
“Oh, I did… but you’re right, I had to fight you for it.”  
  
Levi actually laughed. “I was the worst of them all, wasn’t I?”  
  
“Yes.” Erwin nodded. “I had to tie you up for hours and you fought every second. You were such a shit, not that you’ve changed.”  
  
Levi silently snickered.  
  
There was the sound of something jimmying.  
  
They paused.  
  
Armin glanced to the side. “Is that the door? Should I wear clothes?”  
  
Suddenly, from the front door, “Levi!”  
  
Levi scowled and glared at Erwin. “What did you tell her?”  
  
“Nothing. Honest.” Erwin looked just as surprised. “Her shitty timing is a cemented fact.”  
  
Levi covered his smile with his hand and his shoulders silently shook with laughter.  
  
Erwin chuckled as well.  
  
Eren was a little confused but frowned as Armin moved away from him.  
  
“I’ll go say hi to her,” Armin offered a smile before stepping out.  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin walked down the hall and dipped his head in respect. “Hello.”  
  
Hanji just finished taking her shoes off while she looked up. “Army!” She ran forward and hugged him tight.  
  
Armin chuckled and smiled, hugging back before he pulled away. “Please come in.”  
  
“Oh geez, stop being so formal with me!” She lifted her left hand. “Look! I brought rope!”  
  
Armin grinned. “Good.”  
  
Hanji blinked. “Oh. You’re half naked… I think that means this rope is going to be very welcome.”  
  
“It is.”  
  
The two of them walked down the hall to the living room and Hanji froze. She dropped the rope and gasped.  
  
While Levi didn’t bother acknowledging her existence, Erwin offered a small wave.  
  
Like a child, Hanji started running on the spot and jumping for joy before she flew across the room. “Erwee!”  
  
Erwin laughed as she landed in his lap.  
  
Her foot smashed Levi in the face and he groaned, leaning away from the monstrosity.  
  
“It’s been a while, Hanji.”  
  
“Way too long!” Hanji paused. “And the three of us are together again! Leevee! Hug me!”  
  
“Fuck yourself.” Levi got up and walked over to sit next to Eren.  
  
Armin took a seat next to Levi.  
  
Erwin moved one arm around Hanji as she sprawled out all over him. “How was your trip to the island?”  
  
“Amazing!” she screamed, “Pixis is still in good health, and he taught me—so—many—bondage—techniques!” She threw both hands in the air and screamed as if summoning a demon spirit.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “I’m kind of surprised he hasn’t kicked the bucket yet.”  
  
“Oh,” Hanji ignored Levi’s comment, “But the island was beautiful; all the cherry blossoms are in bloom… I love the west coast, everything had little pink bits everywhere!”  
  
Erwin nodded. “It shouldn’t be long before they bloom here too.”  
  
Armin pouted. “The ones in our yard haven’t bloomed yet.”  
  
“It will,” Levi muttered.  
  
Hanji turned to him and smiled. “The island is a couple centigrade warmer, so… maybe two or three weeks until they start here?”  
  
Eren blinked. “There’s a cherry blossom in our yard?”  
  
“Front yard,” Levi began, “I ha–”  
  
“—Eren!” Hanji shouted. “Hi! I didn’t see you!”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Hi.”  
  
Levi grumbled before he continued. “I hate North Crescent but I admit it’s beautiful when the sakuras bloom. In the greater region, meaning downtown, East and North Crescent combined, there are fifty thousand cherry blossoms. We have the pink and imperial white from Japan, as well as the deep red ones from Brazil. It’s beautiful, really.”  
  
“Yeah downtown is gorgeous this time of year,” Eren nodded. “They’re all over… Georgia, Georgia Street? No. No… uh…”  
  
“Pender,” Erwin offered.  
  
“Yeah! Pender,” Eren nodded. “The whole street turns pink because there’s like one on each side for a like ten kilometer or something totally ridiculous. It’s awesome.”  
  
Armin’s eyes lit up. “That sounds cool!”  
  
Eren leaned forward a bit so he could look over Levi. “You’ve never seen it? It happens every year.”  
  
“I don’t head downtown too much,” Armin admitted. “I think I’ll go this year.”  
  
“You should,” Eren smiled. “We’ll go together, Levi too. It’s a promise.”  
  
Levi frowned. “I never agreed.”  
  
Eren chuckled and kissed his cheek. “Too bad.”  
  
Levi’s frown eventually faded and he sighed.  
  
“Oh!” Hanji shouted.  
  
Erwin snickered to himself.  
  
“Do you smell it too?” Hanji asked.  
  
“I do,” Erwin replied.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “What?”  
  
Hanji cackled. “I smell a Tender Dom!”  
  
Levi’s eyes narrowed and he reached for the butter knife again.  
  
Armin grabbed Levi’s arm and slowly brought it back. “Let’s be civil…”  
  
Levi sighed.  
  
“So,” Hanji turned to Erwin, “What are you doing here?”  
  
“I dropped by.” Erwin tilted himself. “How are you?”  
  
“Exhausted!” Hanji sobbed. “My students are fucking idiots. My TAs are worse!”  
  
Erwin smiled as he pulled her a bit closer. “You still have that issue?”  
  
“Forever and always! Teacher assistants will be the end of me.”  
  
Armin chuckled. “It can’t be that bad.”  
  
“It is. Well, not usually, but this one course…” She shook her head. “They’re invigilating a bell-curved final exam. That means if one student cheats to get a better mark, everyone else’s grade goes down. I ended up having to confiscate one of my TAs’ phones, as if she was a child, because she was texting. Texting! And one of them left halfway through to buy cookies! They’re not being paid five thousand to buy cookies!”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Five grand for a teacher’s assistant job. That’s a little high.” He paused. “Is it? I don’t know how much work they do.”  
  
“They’re unionised,” Hanji sighed, “So they’re getting paid a hell of a lot higher than the other universities. I will be the first to say it’s a demanding job, especially for a fourth year course. As the teacher I’m getting paid ten thousand for this four month course, and I’ve got three hundred students. It’s exhausting. But there are five TAs getting five grand each when I’m doing eighty percent of the work?”  
  
Erwin raised an eyebrow. “You’ve always been liberal… It must be bad if you’re arguing against a union. They must be helping a lot, though?”  
  
Hanji bit her lip, wondering how to phrase it. “The thing is, the TA process is training. It’s not supposed to be a form of proper employment. The union’s made sure to cut the work hours to make sure they can manage a full time job as well as being an assistant for the course. I’m not against unions, but every once in a while even good things can go too far. When I was a TA I got paid peanuts and was worked like a dog, so I’m glad they’re getting paid, but five thousand is too high. Especially since three of my TAs are assisting two courses.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “But how much work do they do?”  
  
Hanji sighed. “Not enough, I think. They don’t have to come to my lectures, which are six hours a week; they only have to do a tutorial for one hour once a week. Since it’s a fourth year heavy course, they can’t grade the exams either, so I think it’s just a little fair to ask that the few times I do need them they’re not going to be brain dead on their phone.”  
  
Eren tilted his head. “But you give them evaluations, right?”  
  
“Yeah, that’s my saving grace,” she admitted, “But that’s after the course ends. Students must evaluate them and so do I. Two of them are bloody brilliant and I’m going to make sure they get on the honors list, but the other two… I’m going to politely tell them other forms of employment are better.”  
  
Erwin laughed.  
  
Hanji blinked. “What’s so funny?”  
  
“Nothing… I suppose I’m just always surprised to see you serious and passionate about something.” Erwin smiled. “Besides bondage.”  
  
Hanji cackled.  
  
Eren and Armin couldn’t help but laugh as well; and, as much as Levi would deny it, a small smile appeared on his lips.  
  
“So,” Levi tilted his head, “Are _your_ evaluations still high?”  
  
“Yeah,” Hanji proudly stated, “I got another award for teacher’s excellence by student evaluations.”  
  
Levi nodded. “Students need someone as animated as you.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “I don’t think I could see you as a teacher, Hanji… what do you teach?”  
  
Hanji smiled wide. “Accounting, mostly, a bit of Finance on the side. Boring numbers. It’s painful trying to make it exciting.”  
  
“But if anyone could manage it,” Levi muttered, “It’s you.”  
  
Hanji’s eyes widened and watered. “Erwee! He just gave me a compliment!”  
  
Erwin chuckled.  
  
Smooth and low, that chuckle was not a chuckle that made flowers grow or make nations come to peace… no this was the chuckle that could start a war over who wanted to get fucked by Commander Handsome first… or at least that was what Eren’s crotch told him. He wasn’t sure why his dick was narrating but it liked to do that from time to time.  
  
“So,” Erwin turned to her. “Anything exciting happen?”  
  
“Oh,” she laughed, “Yesterday it was a Friday, and I was stuck doing an evening course. Everyone was exhausted and tired and we got to the last slide and someone raised their hand and I couldn’t take it anymore so I just screamed ‘Why!?’ and fell to my knees and pretended to sob, ‘I wanna go home! No more questions!’ I was screaming in a lecture hall with three hundred students, and they all started laughing… Oh, poor guys, I was so tired though! I couldn’t help it!”  
  
Levi smacked his hand over his face. Eren and Armin burst out laughing and Erwin tried (keyword: tried) to not to laugh.  
  
Hanji shook her head. “I mean eventually I answered the question, it was a short one luckily, but I think they forget profs want their Fridays too.” She looked around. “But! Enough about me! What plans did I interrupt today?”  
  
Levi shrugged. “Probably edge play or something.”  
  
Erwin nodded.  
  
Armin’s eyes sparkled. “I volunteer!”  
  
“We know,” Levi mumbled. “That’s a given.”  
  
Hanji snorted. “Well I brought my ropes!”  
  
“I brought my fire cupping set,” Erwin added. “Well, Armin did buy them for us, it’s only fair.”  
  
Armin wiggled in his seat.  
  
“Um…” Eren felt like the odd one out. “What’s edge play?”  
  
“Edge play is a subjective term,” Levi explained, “It basically means anything that is racy or dangerous, or controversial… And when I say controversial, I mean controversial for a BDSM community. That says something. You’ll see.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren blinked.  
  
“Well,” Hanji realised she was still in Erwin’s lap. “I must be making Armin jealous if this is your little play date.”  
  
Armin chuckled. “I like sharing, don’t worry. I’ll have time with him later.”  
  
“Such an angel!” Hanji pretended to sob before she laughed. “Well, if that’s the case…” She took off her glasses with one hand and grabbed the thin ropes in her hair with the other and tugged. Her long brown hair had a slight red tint as it flowed over to just past her shoulders.  
  
Eren’s breath hitched in his throat. “Holy hickeys…”  
  
Hanji tilted her head back, hair shifting elegantly with the movement. “Hm?”  
  
“Nothing!” Eren used his outside voice. He half expected to be laughed at, but when he glanced to the side…  
  
Levi was enamoured by the sight before him.  
  
Hanji chuckled, seeing a similar expression on Erwin’s face. “Levi, you’re staring!”  
  
Levi realised he was and looked away. “It’s just been a while since you let your hair down.”  
  
Hanji smiled. “Well, after all, I was the one who turned you from Le- _vi_ to Le- _bi_!”  
  
“You’re tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.” Levi glared. “Your personality is what ruins everything.”  
  
Erwin snorted. “All these years and you haven’t changed.”  
  
“Of course not,” Levi shrugged. “Being an asshole is my job.”  
  
“Oh?” Hanji humoured him, “Do you get paid?”  
  
“Ten dollars an hour,” he muttered.  
  
“Ah, no wonder you’re rich!”  
  
Levi scowled.  
  
Armin snorted.  
  
Eren snickered.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes.  
  
Hanji eventually slipped off Erwin’s lap and took up the rest of the couch with her lounging. “So, what are you doing to Armin? Can I watch?”  
  
“Of course,” Erwin nodded.  
  
Hanji grinned. “Should I prepare the dungeon?”  
  
Levi nodded. “If it’s not too much trouble.”  
  
Armin stood up. “I’ll help.”  
  
“Wait,” Eren looked at Levi. “Dungeon?”  
  
“It’s hidden.” Levi turned to Erwin. “What do you need?”  
  
“Cotton balls, tongs, a bucket of ice, fire sticks, and isopropyl alcohol.”  
  
Armin felt butterflies in his stomach.  
  
Hanji got up as well. “What percent? Seventy?”  
  
Armin bounced up. “Seventy five!”  
  
Levi frowned. “No.”  
  
“I can handle it!”  
  
“No,” Levi repeated. “That’s an order. Erwin!”  
  
Erwin raised a hand defensively. “It’s been a while for you, Armin, and it has been for me too. Do you have sixty-five?”  
  
“I have sixty, seventy and seventy-five,” Levi sighed.  
  
Erwin nodded. “Sixty.”  
  
Armin felt his hopes and dreams crush. “Sixty…?”  
  
Hanji chuckled. “Do you want to add a drop of the soap solution?”  
  
Levi frowned. “Don’t.”  
  
“Levi,” Erwin spoke diplomatically, “If it’s sixty then one drop wouldn’t hurt.”  
  
Levi eventually sighed. “Fine. It’s up to you.”  
  
Erwin smiled. “You trust me with your subs, don’t you?”  
  
“Of course I do, I just don’t want Armin hurt.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “You care.”  
  
“Of course I do, Pup.”  
  
Hanji tilted her head. “You never had a problem with hurting Petra.”  
  
“She had more experience,” Levi defended. “Armin’s just… a kitten.”  
  
Armin’s cheeks flushed.  
  
“And he’s too eager.” Levi frowned. “I don’t want any marks that won’t fade quickly, got it?”  
  
Erwin nodded. “I know.”  
  
Hanji and Armin looked at each other, gave a nod, then left the room.  
  
Eren watched them leave and he tilted his head. “I’m… so lost.”  
  
“Edge play,” Levi sighed, “I don’t do edge play. It makes me uncomfortable. BDSM is about Safe, Sane, and Consensual. If I’m not comfortable, I can’t maximise safety. But Armin enjoys it, and Erwin’s the only Dom I trust.”  
  
Eren glanced to Erwin, then back to Levi. “How much do you trust him?”  
  
“I’m fine with him performing any acts on me,” Levi admitted.  
  
Erwin smiled. “You also sub for Hanji, Ymir, and Jean in edge play.”  
  
“Not Jean,” he corrected, “Only if Ymir is the watcher.”  
  
“So many terms,” Eren mumbled. “Okay what’s a watcher?”  
  
“Sorry, Pup.” Levi scratched the underside of Eren’s chin. “There’s the top and the bottom, the top performs on the bottom. Some acts, for safety, need watchers in case anything goes wrong. Most of the time it’s not an issue, but safety is extremely important. The watchers can also be mentors. Jean wanted to learn and Ymir was the one teacher. I subbed for Jean because I know, one day, Jean is going to perform on Armin. I need to make sure Jean is ready before I can put my sub in that danger.”  
  
Erwin smiled. “BDSM is actually quite chivalrous. One of the rules is that tops and watchers should always prefer to put themselves in harm if it saves the bottom. The bottom is sometimes tied up to keep him or her steady; it makes sure the top has control.”  
  
Eren nodded slowly, absorbing the information. “You really are over-protective of Armin, aren’t you? Would you be like that with me one day?”  
  
“Not as much,” Levi admitted. He saw the pout and smiled. “Only because I trust you, Eren.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Huh?”  
  
“If something’s not right, I know you’re going to let me know.” Levi frowned. “Armin… He can get carried away with the pleasure and not think about the pain until it’s too late. I learned that the hard way once, and he had a bruise that lasted a whole week.” He frowned as he stared at his lap. “I still haven’t forgiven myself for that.”  
  
“But,” Eren leaned on him slightly, “Communication is key, right, so it’s not your fault.”  
  
Levi shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. But there’s the risk and it needs to be known.”  
  
Eren smiled and kissed Levi’s shoulder.  
  
Levi seemed a little surprised by the action but he smiled back, even if it was a semi-crooked smile.  
  
“Does it scare you?” Eren asked, “To know Armin will be doing edge play?”  
  
“It’s not scary… but a little unnerving. He enjoys it. If I was in his position, I would also be enjoying it.”  
  
“But you can’t help it,” Eren chuckled. “He’s the kind of person you just want to protect, huh?”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow and chuckled.  
  
Erwin smirked. “I like this one.”  
  
“I do too,” Levi admitted.  
  
Eren grinned and leaned over, smooching Levi’s cheek.  
  
Levi winced in return, as if it actually hurt.  
  
Erwin raised an eyebrow. “You don’t usually let them be so affectionate.”  
  
Levi shrugged.  
  
Armin came back in the room. “Everything’s pretty much ready… except the ice bucket. Hanji overfilled it so it’s too heavy… I’m sure a strong man like you…”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes.  
  
Erwin stood up. “Allow me.”  
  
“Commander Handsome,” Eren whispered.  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin guided Erwin to the kitchen, not that Erwin needed to be guided. Eren and Levi followed as well.  
  
“So,” Eren tilted his head, “Where’s the dungeon? Is it a basement or something?”  
  
Erwin chuckled.  
  
Levi glared at him. “Absolutely not. Hell no. Fuck no. I’d rather invite Mozart over than have a basement. They’re disgusting and unclean and the best way to get an insect or rodent infestation!”  
  
Eren winced and turned to Erwin. “Has he always been a clean freak?”  
  
“No, actually,” Erwin admitted.  
  
Eren was about to ask, but he saw the look on Levi’s face that said it was not a topic of discussion so he just smiled. “So where is the dungeon?”  
  
“Dining room.”  
  
Eren looked around. “Where?”  
  
Levi sighed. “I said dining room.”  
  
“We’re in the dining room…”  
  
“No, this is the kitchen.”  
  
“Well, yeah…” Eren took several steps and then tapped the table. “But now we’re not.”  
  
“That’s the kitchen table,” Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. “I said dining room.”  
  
“But, this is where we dine…”  
  
“I have two big tables,” Levi broke it down, “This is the kitchen table, and then we have another large table in the dining room that’s fancy as fuck for fancy meals.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren nodded. “Wait. Where’s that?”  
  
Levi stared at him.  
  
Armin slowly pointed to the side of the wall behind Levi’s usual seat.  
  
“Holy shit!” Eren jumped. “There’s a door there!”  
  
Levi covered his face with his hands.  
  
“Levi! There’s a door!”  
  
Erwin paused and looked at Armin.  
  
Armin looked at Erwin. “That’s pretty much an effective summary of the past two weeks.”  
  
Erwin raised an eyebrow.  
  
“A door! A door!”  
  
Levi sighed. “I know, I designed the house.”  
  
“But a door!” Eren shouted. “There’s a whole room I don’t know about: My mind is blown!”  
  
“Wait,” Levi’s eyes narrowed, “Does that mean you haven’t been dusting that room?”  
  
Eren went silent for three seconds before screaming.  
  
Levi grabbed him by the back of the neck and dragged him off, although it was hard to hide the smile on his face.  
  
Erwin watched them leave, eyebrow still raised. “How long has he been here?”  
  
“Twelve days.”  
  
“And he hasn’t been kicked out?”  
  
“Well, he’s still here.”  
  
“Obviously.” Erwin nodded. “I’m just dumbfounded.”  
  
“Yeah…” Armin chuckled. “He does that to people.”  
  
Erwin smiled and grabbed the bucket of ice. “I haven’t seen Levi that happy in a long time.”  
  
Armin’s laughter faded and he gave a solemn nod. “Yeah.”  
  
“Almost three years…” Erwin frowned. “How has he been? You know he won’t tell me.”  
  
“He’s actually been okay.” Armin nodded. “I was, really scared when he went into depression a couple years ago. I saw signs of it coming back every once in a while, but I think he’s going to be okay. I guess I’m just trying not to let myself believe that just because he fought his way back that he won’t get dragged back in… but he’s been happy. I mean he’s not happy-happy, but… maybe, with Eren around…”  
  
Erwin frowned. “You don’t sound like you’re happy.”  
  
“I am.” Armin turned to look at him.  
  
“You don’t like him?”  
  
“Levi?”  
  
“No. Eren.”  
  
“Eren?” Armin grinned. “I do.”  
  
“Then what is it?”  
  
Armin took a deep breath then looked at his feet. “I just feel like it’s raising the stakes. Eren makes Levi happy, really happy… That means, Eren needs to sign another contract with Levi, except, they clash, a lot, in personalities I mean, not actually clash.”  
  
Erwin put the bucket of ice down and moved one cold hand under Armin’s chin to make eye contact. “I’m not following.”  
  
Armin swallowed hard. “Eren and I get along great, we’re similar in age, we have similar interest, similar preferences, like you and your ex-slave. I’m a lot closer to Eren than Levi is, but I think in time the three of us can be equally as close. But… I don’t know how to say this. Eren and Levi, they come from two different worlds. They do things differently, see things differently. They get along, they complement each other, they make each other happier, but there will always be that difference, and I have a feeling… it will be a form of conflict. They’re going to fight. They’re going to disagree. Something might happen than can never unhappen and when it does Levi will push him away without second thought—Even if Levi cares for him.”  
  
Erwin stared at him.  
  
“What I’m trying to say is… the three of us, we get along. We really get along, better than with Jean or Marco or Annie or any of the other subs we’ve had, but there will be a time that… I don’t know, Erwin. Push will come to shove… It’s like knowing a bomb is going to drop on my city, but all I can do is just sit here and wait to see what survives and what doesn’t.”  
  
Erwin glanced to the ice bucket.  
  
“The worst part is I don’t know what I can do, because I can’t do anything.”  
  
“You never give yourself enough credit, Kitten.”  
  
Armin’s cheeks turned red. “S-Sorry?”  
  
“You’re an intellectual, and your understanding of people is fascinating.” Erwin smiled. “Something might happen, things might break apart, and you’re right… you might not be able to stop them from breaking, but I think you’re going to be smart enough to know how to put it all back together.”  
  
Armin’s eyes widened.  
  
“But, for now,” Erwin leaned down and kissed his cheek, “There’s no point driving yourself crazy thinking about it.”  
  
Armin nodded slowly.  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren stepped in the dungeon. It was behind a semi-hidden door in the newly discovered dining room (which made the discovery all the sweeter). The floor was some kind of stone, possibly, maybe tiles. He was a bit surprised to find it heated beneath his feet, and he looked around to the black walls and with racks on them. There were several items and bondage devices that he had seen in videos online but it was his first time really being in a dungeon.  
  
He was surprised by how clean it was.  
  
At the center of the room was a thin table, which Eren understood was for someone to be tied down to.  
  
Hanji was rubbing her beautiful ropes against her face.  
  
There was another table, smaller, shorter, like a coffee table, made of what looked like dark walnut wood, but he had a feeling it wasn’t real. Several cups of different shapes and sizes were aligned as well as a single candle. Erwin had gathered some cotton balls in a small basket and placed it next to bucket full of ice.  
  
Eren nodded slowly, having no idea what anything was.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
He turned to face his Dom.  
  
Levi nudged to the side. “There’s a bench here for spectators… It’s best if we’re out of the way.”  
  
Eren nodded and looked for the bench. It was also made of some kind of dark material and he sat on it. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it did its job.  
  
“Everything in here is fire proof,” Levi answered the unasked question.  
  
“Oh, okay.” He looked at Levi, noting the tense gaze he was giving Armin. “You okay?”  
  
“Yeah.” Levi glanced at him. “How did your night go with Armin? Did he pass the third test?”  
  
“With flying colours,” Eren chuckled.  
  
Levi smiled. “Good. I’ll collar him tomorrow.”  
  
Eren smiled as well, but “You’re tense. Really tense.”  
  
“Edge play always makes me tense.”  
  
“So…” Eren looked at his feet, “What constitutes as edge play?”  
  
“That’s a big word,” Levi teased. He felt a nudge on his side and he smirked. “It’s a suggestive term, but most people think of blood play, knife play, gun play, age play, fire play, ice play, certain types of role play count and so does breath control. Some of them I can’t handle.”  
  
“Which ones?”  
  
“Blood play, if it’s excessive and knife play. For reasons.”  
  
“Reasons…?”  
  
Levi opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, he reached to the side and grabbed Eren’s hand. He slipped Eren’s fingers under his shirt at the opposite side.  
  
Eren’s fingers grazed along the skin until he felt a ridge, a crack in smooth skin.  
  
Scars.  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
Levi froze.  
  
Eren moved his hand, so he was cupping the scars and his other arm came around to hug Levi tight.  
  
Levi’s hand was still over Eren’s; and, slowly, his nails began to dig in Eren’s flesh.  
  
Eren kissed Levi’s cheek, not saying anything.  
  
Levi closed his eyes and smiled. “You’re strange, you know that?”  
  
“As if you aren’t…”  
  
Levi chuckled and kept his eyes closed. “Eren, I—”  
  
Hanji squeed.  
  
Armin was nude, face down on the surface, comfortably tied up near the ankles, thighs, and by his wrists under the table. Erwin was holding a cotton ball with a slim pair of short tongs and he dipped it against the candle, setting it aflame. Hanji, who had also prepared the fire blanket and bucket of water and all the safety items, was enamoured by the sight; she had tied her hair up so it wouldn’t get caught as well.  
  
Eren blinked. “What’s he going to do with a burning cotton…?”  
  
“You’ll see,” Levi smiled.  
  
Erwin grabbed one of the cups and used the tongs to swish the little fireball inside the cup before he took it out, then placed the heated cup on Armin’s back.  
  
Armin gasped. His skin was slightly sucked up by the hot air.  
  
Erwin paused. “How does that feel?”  
  
“Too cold,” Armin teased.  
  
Erwin smirked.  
  
Eren blinked. “What? What did he do? What’s he doing? Why is he doing that? Does it hurt?” Not being able to think of anything else, he just said, “Questions?”  
  
Levi chuckled and crossed his arms. “Fire cupping. There are several ways to do it, but you basically heat up the air inside a cup then place it against skin. The hot air vacuum creates a suction that’s warm and kind of nice.”  
  
“Does it hurt?”  
  
“Not if it’s done right.”  
  
Erwin let the cup stay where it was and he grabbed a second cup. He swirled the fiery cotton inside it, before he placed it on Armin’s skin.  
  
“Better,” Armin purred. He closed his eyes, feeling the heat suck his skin. He let out a little noise.  
  
Eren put his hand on Levi’s knee and leaned forward. “But, his back…”  
  
“It’s suction,” Levi explained, “It’s an old Chinese form of therapy that’s still very popular. Sometimes it’s called hickey therapy, because you may end up with hickey marks on your back. It can also be done on other places, but the back is the broadest.”  
  
Erwin removed both cups and put them aside. He grabbed a smaller cup that looked more like a shot glass and used a smaller cotton ball to heat it up before he placed it against Armin’s nape.  
  
Armin’s shoulders jumped and he grinned. “Ah…”  
  
Erwin slowly guided the small cup down, moving over the curve of Armin’s spine.  
  
“Mmm,” Armin licked his lips.  
  
Eren relaxed a bit and watched. “It looks kinda relaxing… But if it’s hickey therapy, couldn’t bruises be a problem?”  
  
Levi nodded. “Yes, but Erwin’s experienced. Even if an accident happens, Armin won’t be under any real harm. When skin gets old, it becomes loose and the blood vessels are easier to break… it’s a lot more complicated than that, but I’ll save you the biology lesson.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
“Basically, his skin is young, he has yet to hit his physical prime, and bruising is only common with stagnant blood. Armin has excellent circulation, even for someone who does as much cardio as he does. He keeps himself healthy out of safety.”  
  
Erwin let a fireball heat the air in a large cup for several seconds before he placed it on Armin’s back.  
  
That got him a jump.  
  
Armin cried out, thighs wiggling as he wiggled.  
  
“Stay still,” Erwin teased. “I thought Levi trained his subs well.”  
  
Armin’s cheeks flushed and he bit his lip.  
  
“That’s a good boy.”  
  
Levi smirked.  
  
“Hoho,” Hanji chuckled, “Sounds like you’re going to be doing the good stuff now.”  
  
Erwin nodded.  
  
Eren felt his own cheeks warm. “This doesn’t look too dangerous.”  
  
“It’s not,” Levi agreed.  
  
Eren glanced at him. “Then what were you guys fighting over, seventy-five, sixty-five?”  
  
Levi snorted. “That’s coming next.”  
  
Erwin heated several cups at once with the same cotton ball before it burnt out. He placed them next to one another, in a diamond shape, and watched the skin rise and redden.  
  
Armin kept his lower lip between his teeth and tried to muffle the moans.  
  
“Armin,” Levi spoke slowly, “Don’t bruise your lips again.”  
  
“B-But, S-Sir!”  
  
“That’s an order.”  
  
Armin whimpered and mumbled something before nodding.  
  
Erwin removed the large cup over Armin’s back and rubbed the circular redness it had left behind. His hands worked slowly, kneading at the muscles tenderly.  
  
Armin purred.  
  
“Wow,” Eren whispered, “He really is a kitten…”  
  
Levi smirked.  
  
Erwin then reached into the ice bucket. He grabbed a single cube of ice and placed it over the mark of the last cup.  
  
Armin gasped.  
  
Erwin swirled it around before tossing it back in the bucket. He then moved one of the four cups, breaking the diamond pattern. He moved two away and then placed them on the table. He removed the other two then rubbed the skin gently. “How did that feel?”  
  
“Good,” Armin replied. “But, could you make it hurt, Sir?”  
  
Erwin glanced to Levi.  
  
Levi bit his lip, unsure.  
  
Armin looked up at him. “Please, Master? You told me to take what I want, right?”  
  
Levi sighed. “I did. Just, if you’re going to do streaking, you should go easy on the fire cupping.”  
  
Hanji tilted her head, choosing not to voice her comment.  
  
“Then,” Armin spoke up, “Fire cup me somewhere else, Sir?”  
  
“Like where?”  
  
“My shoulders? Or upper back, close to my hair where you can’t streak me.”  
  
Erwin considered it and then nodded. “Logically sound.”  
  
Levi nodded slowly.  
  
Eren smiled. “Don’t worry so much.”  
  
“You don’t know why I’m worrying, Pup.”  
  
Armin chuckled.  
  
Eren blinked, “Huh?”  
  
Levi glanced to Eren. “Let’s just say, when the fire cupping is over, I’m going to need you to give me flawless restraint.”  
  
Eren frowned. “I don’t understand, Sir.”  
  
“Ah!”  
  
Both of them turned to Armin who was purring like a kitten, wiggling as five smaller cups were sucking along his shoulders. The heat and the suction made his toes wiggle. He bit his lip and closed his eyes; he broke out heavy pants and winced. “Sir…”  
  
“Yes, Armin?”  
  
“More, Sir, more, please…”  
  
Erwin smiled and removed the glass cups one by one. He rubbed the area with his hands and put the glasses away. “I think it’s time we move on to streaking. Would that be alright with you?”  
  
“Yes Sir!”  
  
Hanji cackled, “So eager!”  
  
Levi tensed a bit.  
  
Erwin glanced at him. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, Levi.”  
  
“I want to,” he muttered, “Just go on.”  
  
Eren frowned. “So what’s streaking?”  
  
Levi moved one arm around Eren’s waist. “Promise me something,” he said as he glanced to Eren, “Promise me you won’t move from this seat, alright?”  
  
“Um, okay, sure, why?”  
  
“Because you’re going to practice restraint.”  
  
“Okay…”  
  
Erwin looked around. “Where’s the isopropyl?”  
  
Hanji grabbed the small squirter and offered it.  
  
Erwin took it and turned to Armin. “Where would you like to start?”  
  
“My back, please, Sir.”  
  
“Your back?” Erwin tilted his head. “Are you sure you don’t want to move to another area first?”  
  
Armin looked over his shoulder. “I haven’t bruised yet, have I?”  
  
“Not yet, no.”  
  
“Then…” Armin wiggled a bit.  
  
“Fine,” Erwin chuckled. He began pouring some of the fluid.  
  
“Start small,” Levi reminded.  
  
Erwin poured a little more, only several inches in all before he put the bottle down. He grabbed a small pack of matches and swiped the tip of one along the black line to light it.  
  
Eren frowned. “So there’s alcohol on Armin’s back, and now he’s lit a match, what is he going to d–?”  
  
Erwin pressed the match against the liquid.  
  
Armin cried as a low blue burned on his back.  
  
Eren’s eyes went wide.  
  
Erwin swirled both of his hands on Armin’s skin, smothering the flame quickly. “How was that?”  
  
Armin grinned. “Great.”  
  
Levi glanced to Eren, who was utterly silent. “I think you broke him.”  
  
Erwin paused and looked up.  
  
Eren’s jaw tingled and he tried to speak but it was a verbal mess that came out. Eventually he swallowed hard and tried again, “You just lit a fire on his back!”  
  
“Yes.” Erwin nodded before grabbing the isopropyl again. This time he poured it in a wide circle. He lit another match.  
  
“Wait!” Eren stood up, “Don’t do it again!”  
  
“Eren.” Levi hissed. “Sit.”  
  
“But, Levi!”  
  
“Sit!”  
  
Eren sat down and bit his lip.  
  
Levi stared at him. “Erwin knows what he’s doing. Hanji’s ready in case anything goes wrong. But if you scream and distract them, an accident will happen. Do you understand?”  
  
Eren’s jaw shut tight.  
  
“Good boy.” Levi leaned over and kissed his cheek.  
  
Erwin figured that was a signal to continue, but he didn’t go quite yet. “Ready?”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Armin nodded.  
  
Erwin tapped the match against the alcohol and created a blue ring of fire on Armin’s back, hearing the desperate cries of pleasure. Unlike last time, he let it sit for a moment as he grabbed several ice cubes. He smothered the fire with the ice and heard Armin scream.  
  
Armin closed his eyes before he relaxed, breathing heavily.  
  
Eren swallowed hard. Although it was scary as fuck to see cute little Armin on fire, it actually looked kind of fun.  
  
“Fire and ice,” Levi said in a hushed tone, “When you go from one extreme to the other, your body can’t quite tell. So when Erwin kills the fire with the ice, it feels like the fire is moving all over your back. It duplicates the sensation of fire with little risk.”  
  
Eren nodded slowly.  
  
Erwin threw the ice back in the bucket and grabbed a small towel. He dried Armin’s back then put it aside. He moved both his hands, holding them high above the candle before he massaged Armin slowly.  
  
Eren frowned. “What’s he doing now?”  
  
“Going from hot to cold so quickly is fun, but going repeatedly hot cold hot cold hot cold isn’t good for you. The body can seize up when it’s frosty, and that’s not what you want. He warmed his hands a bit and is relaxing Armin’s back before he keeps going.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
Once Erwin felt Armin was ready, he poured a line down Armin’s spine, then added two small pools over the peak of each shoulder blade. With another lit match, he tapped the pools, creating a small red fire before letting the streak of blue flame blaze over Armin’s spine.  
  
Armin took a deep breath, eyes rolling to the back of his head as the fire glazed over him.  
  
Eren remembered when his hands traced the ridge between Armin’s shoulder blades last night; it was one of two sensitive spots he’d discovered.  
  
Erwin watched for a moment before he smothered it with his hands once more.  
  
“Erweee,” Hanji chimed. “Do something artistic!”  
  
Erwin chuckled. “Artistic?”  
  
“Please?”  
  
Erwin tapped Armin’s back. “Is that alright with you?”  
  
“Yes please, Sir!”  
  
Eren frowned. “Artistic?”  
  
“That’s not a term,” Levi chuckled, “He’s just going to try to draw something or make a pattern with the fire. Be a little more artsy than just lines.”  
  
Eren nodded. “But um, isn’t that like… Fire on skin. Doesn’t that… cook?”  
  
“The fire itself isn’t touching the skin, technically,” Levi explained, “There’s the skin, then the alcohol, then the fire. The alcohol is on fire, making it burning temperatures, but it’s the sizzling liquid that he feels, not actual fire.”  
  
“Oh…” Eren frowned. “I don’t think burning alcohol is much of a protective layer though.”  
  
“You’re right, but it does what it needs to.”  
  
Erwin started with a single pool at the centre of Armin’s back. He made a circle around it, then a circle around that. He used a match and lit the inner fire before a flaming circle burned on Armin’s back around it, then the third ring of blue flame blazed.  
  
Armin cried out, biting his lip.  
  
Erwin quickly grabbed the ice and smothered the fire. Most of the ice melted and he used the mix of frosty and heated water to relax Armin’s back.  
  
Levi bit his lip. “Isn’t that enough for one day?”  
  
Armin looked up with his puppy dog eyes.  
  
Eren was so affected he almost vocalised his thought about throwing Armin in a fire place then realised that was a horrible idea and he made a mental note to not be so swayed by those adorable puppy dog big blue angelic eyes.  
  
Erwin grazed his fingertips over Armin’s back. “The tissue is seizing up a bit. It would be best to stop.”  
  
“Nooo,” Armin whimpered. “One more, one more for good luck.”  
  
“I think one more should be fine,” Hanji chuckled, “But good luck with what?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Armin admitted.  
  
Erwin glanced to Levi.  
  
Levi tensed up and frowned.  
  
“It’s three on one,” Armin pointed out.  
  
Levi looked over to Eren.  
  
Eren smiled slowly. “I don’t like seeing Armin on fire either, I wanna hug him and protect him and kiss it all better, but he’s an adult, right? He can properly consent to one more,” he then turned and glared at Erwin, “As long as it’s _just_ one more. Or else.”  
  
Erwin raised an eyebrow at that. “Your sub is threatening me, Levi.”  
  
“Good.” It was obvious Levi and Eren were in the same boat on this one. “One more, Erwin. If his back is seizing up do it somewhere else.”  
  
Erwin chuckled and nodded. “He’s a canvas.”  
  
“Yeah,” Hanji nodded, “Canv-ass!”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes.  
  
Erwin tapped Armin’s back again. “Where do you want it?”  
  
“Over my spine.”  
  
Erwin frowned. “That’s your back.”  
  
“I know, but please, Sir? Please?”  
  
Levi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just do it.”  
  
Armin smiled. “Thank you, Master.”  
  
Erwin grabbed the bottle and poured up and down the spine. He grabbed a match and lit it. Slowly he brought it to the base and watched the blue fire coil and trail upwards; heat and light and sizzling made themselves known, mixed in with the sound of Armin’s desperate cry. He used one finger to slowly smother the flame until it was gone. He leaned down and kissed the base of the spine, then trailed upwards until he kissed Armin’s nape. He kissed Arm’s shoulder then neck.  
  
Armin turned his head and grinned as he felt Erwin’s lips on him for a short moment.  
  
“Thank you,” Erwin raised his head, “For letting me borrow your slave.” His hands slowly trailed the line where the fire was and he grazed his fingernails over it.  
  
Armin shivered.  
  
Eren watched Erwin place another kiss over Armin’s back and he smiled.  
  
After care.  
  
Hanji began to slowly put everything away, careful not to make any noise.  
  
Levi stood up and walked over. He carefully untied each rope and gathered them before handing them to Hanji.  
  
For once, Hanji was silent as she grabbed the ropes.  
  
Eren watched the scene in front of him and felt a sense of relief. He tried to properly formulate some kind of opinion on what just happened, but he wasn’t sure. On one hand it was dangerous, but on the other they maximised safety and no one was hurt; on one hand it was horrifying to watch, but on the other Armin enjoyed it and it actually kinda looked fun after a while; on one hand it made Levi uncomfortable, but on the other everyone was fine.  
  
Armin eventually sat up on the small table and whispered something with Erwin before they chuckled.  
  
Erwin caressed his cheek, smiling as he spoke slowly.  
  
Armin laughed a little louder and nodded before he kissed the corner of his mouth.  
  
Eren figured he understood Levi: As long as Armin was happy, safe, sane, and consenting, it was between him and Erwin. It was a little bit of a strange thought, a somewhat scary thought too… but when he glanced over to Erwin, seeing the concern in his eyes as he made sure Armin was okay, he felt tension release in his shoulders.  
  
“Well,” he said quietly to himself, “I guess Commander Handsome is kind of a trustworthy guy.”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
He almost jumped when he realised Levi was sitting next to him again.  
  
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t fucking call him that.”  
  
“Yes Sir! Sorry Sir!”

 

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel somewhat obligated to say this, even though I think it's a given, don't try this at home. LOL. Fire cupping, as in the act of having a heated cup on your back, is relatively safe but heating it with fire can be dangerous and it takes skill: You want to heat the air in the glass, not the glass itself or you will burn skin on contact. Streaking on the other hand is extremely dangerous; only those who have been trained by an expert can even think about doing it. 
> 
> Like I said: I think it's common sense not to set people on fire, but I do feel obligated to reinforce the Safe, Sane, and Consensual motto. I'll try to update soon~!
> 
> * * *


	15. The Second Week (8)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I admit I would rather start Chapter 15 on a positive note, but this is important: [I got anon hate for TB](http://remembrance123.tumblr.com/post/80227835937). Truth be told, this is not the first time. Since starting TB two months ago, this is number eleven (and I don't just mean anon messages but anon _hate_ actual hate). I usually ignore them, but I could not ignore that one, it just went too far. I have gotten a lot of angry messages telling me there's too much Eremin or too much Ereri. I've added an edit to Chapter 1 saying that this fic is geared towards multishippers. You don't _have_ to be a multishipper to enjoy this fic, but please keep that in mind. There will be times when this fic does dip to one pairing and there are times it will dip to another, but it is not and will never be a contest. 
> 
> And it is not a reason to send me hate—If you want to give a suggestion or criticism or just let me know you feel, that is totally okay! Please just be polite about it. I've had to turn off anons on my blog, which is a huge shame: You guys have sent me so many anon-love, too, but the hate really does hurt me. It's not okay.
> 
> I will say this, though: It had been ten days since this, so I'm over it. I'm okay now. I was enraged and furious and upset, but I'm totally cool now. I would like to thank Marklemelon for [writing me a song (please click this)](http://marklemelon.tumblr.com/post/80538137205/for-remmy-lyrics-the-screen-glows-blue-and-the) because it cheered me up so much and I, just, I dedicate this chapter to Marklemelon. Also, they have a rad blog so you should totally check them out by following that link! And I totally want to cover that song so you can hear my horrible singing. LOL.
> 
> But, back to Chapter 15: I am sorry for the delay. I'm surprised I got four chapters out this month given how heavy it is at work, but I just love TB and I love you guys. I know that sounds lame, but seriously... I haven't said this in a while, but thank you all for the support. I cherish every hit, kudos, and bookmark, and your comments are just fantastic and they really make writing worthwhile. I felt bad after the hate and all I did was go through the endless comments you guys have left me and it just made me feel so _good_ about my writing and about my self, so thank you so much. 
> 
> Sorry, I rambled. I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 

 

It was then that Eren Jaeger realised _they_ were a bur—  
   
“Eren!” Armin wiggled for freedom. “Let me go!”  
   
“No,” Eren mumbled. He squeezed Armin closer. “Cuddles.”  
   
Armin laughed as he tried to pull away. “Enough, Eren, come on! I have to go!”  
   
“No,” he whined. “Stay.”  
   
“Eren, I have to use the bathroom!”  
   
“No. We’re a burrito.”  
   
“No more burritos! This is the end of burritos, Eren!” He tried turning them over to begin the unrolling process, but as Eren was stronger than him it didn’t work. “Come on,” he kissed Eren’s cheek, “I need go. Please?”  
   
Eren opened one eye and eventually sighed. “Fine.” He began unrolling them and whined when Armin’s warmth left his arms.  
   
Armin snickered and hopped out. He opened his sock drawer and ruffled them before slipping them on.  
   
“Socks…” Eren frowned, rubbing his face awake. “Weren’t you going to the bathroom?”  
   
“Nope.” Armin giggled. “I was hoping you’d let me go if I lied, but that didn’t work.”  
   
“You lied to me?” Eren’s eyes watered and he pouted.  
   
“Sowwy,” Armin cooed.  
   
Eren chuckled and grabbed a pillow. He brought it to his chest and hugged it tight. “Where are you going? What time is it anyway?”  
   
“Don’t worry. You can go back to bed, I’ll have breakfast ready for us by the time you wake up.”  
   
Eren nodded and began rolling in his bedsheets.  
   
“No!”  
   
Eren stopped.  
   
“No more burritos.”  
   
“But…” Eren sobbed. “They’re so comfy, bed sheets all around me…”  
   
“Then, I don’t know, just make a taco or something.”  
   
“Taco…” Eren stared at the ceiling and then folded the bedsheets over himself to make a taco. “Mmm… Hey, Arm’?”  
   
Armin stood up and placed his white head band over his forehead. “Yeah?”  
   
“You’re beautiful.”  
   
Armin’s fingers twitched and he nervously chuckled. A smile formed on his lips and his cheeks turned pink. “Thank you.”  
   
“You’re so beautiful… you’re so beautiful you should make me a breakfast burrito for breakfast because we’re burritos.”  
   
Armin’s smile faded and he rolled his eyes. “I’m leaving.”  
   
“Wait,” Eren chuckled. “Wait wait wait.”  
   
Armin looked at him. “What?”  
   
“Where are you going, anyway?”  
   
“I’m going for a run.”  
   
“A run?”  
   
“Yep, a run. Like running.”  
   
“I know what a run is,” Eren chuckled. “Oh… so is that where you go every morning?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin smiled again. “I try to go five times a week, but… cuddling next to you is a little more fun.”  
   
Eren undid his taco and sat up. He rubbed his face. “I wanna come. Take me with you.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
It was as they were about to head out the front door that Armin paused. “Oh. He added you.”  
   
Eren, much more awake than before, glanced to the the key rack by the front door. He’d seen it every day since he started cleaning, and there were usually three names. Levi. Petra. Armin. But now, he noticed Petra and Armin shifted over to the side, and it went Levi, Eren, Petra, Armin. He saw a small ring of two keys and he grinned. “I have keys.”  
   
Armin chuckled and nodded. “Looks like. He doesn’t usually give a spare away to subs until he trusts them.”  
   
Eren took his pair and smiled. His eyes drifted to Petra. That name he’d heard before, a couple times now. “Why was my name put between Levi and Petra?”  
   
“Oh, well, he catagorises them based on role.” Armin’s cheeks warmed a little. “Levi’s the Master so he goes first, then you’re a sub so you’re second, Pet’ goes between sub and slave whenever she drops by, and then I’m a slave, so I go last.”  
   
“Oh, okay.” Eren glanced to Petra. “She’s… studying, abroad, right?”  
   
“England.” Armin nodded.  
   
“Is she one of Levi’s subs?”  
   
“No, well…” Armin tilted his head, wondering how to explain it. “I guess it would be better to say that she’s kind of like family, in the sense that Levi and I are family… Not like an actual family, because that would be incest, but… Uhh, well… Sorry, I’m still half waking up. Words. Work for me.” He rubbed his head. “Petra’s studying abroad, she’s finishing her degree, but she’s still close to us. She grew up in foster homes, she had no real family, so even if she’s not in contract with Levi, they’re still very close. I think Levi really connected with her because they sort of shared that no family connection.”  
   
“But, um.” Eren looked at him. “Doesn’t Levi have like ten moms and eight dads or whatever?”  
   
Armin laughed and shook his head. “Petra and the others were gone when he found his family. I was the only one around then. Um… It’s sort of hard to explain. It’s complicated. I guess Petra is to Levi what I am to Levi.”  
   
“Oh, wow…” Eren blinked. “Then he must care a lot about her, huh?”  
   
“It probably doesn’t hurt that she’s really a slave like no other…” Armin blushed a bit. “Geez, just say the name ‘Petra’ out loud and you can watch Erwin, Hanji, and Levi all just drool all over themselves. But she’s starting a new life for herself in Europe, and we’re happy for her. She was a lot like Levi, dirt poor… poorer than I was. Street rat. Levi gave her everything she has.”  
   
Eren stared at the key rack. “Is that why her name is here? Because she’ll come back?”  
   
“Maybe she will, maybe she won’t. Not any time soon, that’s for sure.” Armin looked at Eren. “But he leaves it there, because this will always be a place for her. It’s the same for me. He’s told me if I ever wanted to leave, even for a little bit, even if it’s to be with another Dom, I always have a place here with or without contract. It’s just, even if I want to do something else, live somewhere else, if I want nothing to do with BDSM… Levi will always be a part of my life, and I can’t deny that. Not now, not ever.”  
   
“So… if he’s putting my name on here…”  
   
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Armin stuck out his tongue and chuckled. “But, yeah… you’re taking steps forward. You’re important to him, Eren. You…” He looked like he so badly wanted to say something but decided against it. “Anyway, we should start or we’ll be late making Levi breakfast.”  
   
“Ah, yeah.” Eren smiled, a little disappointed that Armin cut himself off, but… “I think I understand.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
The pace was a little slower than Eren expected. When Armin said a run, he figured a _run_. It was more of a brisk jog, but he figured they’d be at it for a while so he didn’t burn any more energy than they had to. When they made it past the little hill they saw a blonde girl tapping her running shoes on the side walk. Armin chuckled and slowed down, and Eren did the same, offering a wave.  
   
“Hey!” Krista waved back.  
   
“Hey,” Eren looked to the side. “I didn’t know you lived so close by.”  
   
“Yep.” Krista nodded. “Can I run with you guys? I’m not…” She chuckled. “Interrupting anything, am I?”  
   
“Pfft.” Armin rolled his eyes. “Of course you can run with us.”  
   
“Good! Because I need one.” Krista tied her hair into a ponytail with a black hairband around her wrist. “Ymir and I stopped by the little grocery store next to her place, the organic overpriced one that’s open late? And I went to the cold cuts section and they had cajun chicken on special, so I was like sure, and they asked me how much I wanted… Well,” she sighed, “I wanted to say fifty grams… but I ended up saying five hundred grams.”  
   
Armin tilted his head. “How did you get those mixed up?”  
   
“It was a long day,” she defended with a shy smile. “Anyway, then I lined up with Ymir and she saw this just massive bag of chicken and she asked me why, and I was too embarrassed to say I made a mistake so I just told her Cajun chicken makes me feel better about my body image… So then she got jealous and said she was going to buy herself a small cake to feel better about her body image… Then we found out they were sold out on four inch and six inch cakes, so she went ahead and bought an eight inch white and dark chocolate raspberry cake… We already had a big dinner, so we figured we were only going to have one slice each…”  
   
Eren covered his smile with his hand.  
   
Armin just stared at her.  
   
“Anyway, so we finished both the huge bag of chicken and the cake together. Chicken and chocolate, who would have known they went so well together?”  
   
Armin raised a hand up to make her stop talking. “I’ll pass.”  
   
The three of them laughed and Krista shook her head. “Anyway, yeah… I really need a run. I was going to start without you guys, actually, you took forever.”  
   
“My bad,” Eren added.  
   
The three of them started running again. They got to the halfway point and Krista’s panting became louder. “Geez, I’m already out of breath.”  
   
Eren chuckled. “Me too,” he admitted.  
   
Armin, however, was fine. “It’s all about stamina. Why don’t you do your usual cheer?”  
   
“Okay!” Krista said in a very excited voice. “Imagination motivation ministration menstruation—Masturbation!”  
   
Eren stopped running and just stared at her.  
   
Armin burst into laughter as he took several shaky steps before coming to a halt.  
   
Krista remembered Eren was with them and instantly covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m sorry! It’s an inside joke!”  
   
Armin looked like he was going to end up puking with how hard he was laughing.  
   
Eren just stared at her.  
   
“I’m sorry!” Krista screamed. “Don’t judge me, please!”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
The burning redness on Krista’s cheeks disappeared by the time they got to her place and dropped her off. She shook her limbs out and then tugged off the band keeping her ponytail in place, blonde hair spilling down. “That was a great run, thanks guys.” She looked to Armin. “I’ll see you tonight, right?”  
   
Armin blinked. “Tonight? What?”  
   
Krista pouted and pinched his cheeks. “Stop getting all dreamy over Eren! It’s the thirteenth!”  
   
“Oh!” Armin backed away from her pinches and chuckled. “Sorry.”  
   
Eren tilted his head. “Thirteenth?”  
   
Armin grinned. “Girls night!”  
   
Krista nodded. “Annie said she’ll be late, but I’ll pick you up the usual time, okay?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
Eren tilted his head even further. “Girls night?”  
   
“Yeah,” Armin snickered.  
   
“Girls?”  
   
“Well.” Armin shrugged. “Ladies don’t kiss and tell, and we’re not ladies. We’ve kissed…” he cupped Eren’s crotch, watching him jump. “And now we’re going to tell.”  
   
Krista giggled to herself before she ran up the steps of her home.  
   
Eren blushed and backed away from Armin’s hand. “Don’t do that in public!”  
   
“Sorry.” Armin blew him a little kiss. “Come on, short run back. Wanna sprint?”  
   
“Race you,” Eren yelled before he started running, taking the head start.  
   
“Cheater!” Armin charged after him.  
   
Because Eren was out of stamina, he stopped running before they arrived home.  
   
“Oh!” Armin forgot about the race and pointed up at one of the trees. There was the faintest of pink around the branches. “The cherry blossoms are growing out.”  
   
Eren looked as well and smiled. “Wow, he really does have one.”  
   
“Four, actually.” Armin pointed at the others. “Two pink ones, one red and one white.”  
   
“Oh, wow.” Eren ran up the steps to look at another one. They weren’t quite as far ahead as the other one was. “I can’t wait to see them bloom.”  
   
“Me neither,” Armin admitted as he followed Eren.  
   
“So uh who does the gardening, anyway? You?”  
   
“Levi would kill me if I touched his flowers.” Armin grinned. “He does everything himself. He used to hire a gardener but they were incompetent and he’s picky.”  
   
Eren blinked. “But Levi hates being dirty and working with dirt.”  
   
“He doesn’t like dirt, but he’s not afraid of getting dirty,” Armin explained. “He’ll clean himself right away after, but if something needs to be done he’ll be the first one to do it. But, Eren… take my advice: If you want to live, don’t touch his flowers.”  
   
Eren saluted. “Noted!”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
After their run and a long hot shower (compromised temperature), Eren found himself at the kitchen table (which was not the dining room table). He used a spoon to poke at his cereal and pouted. It was one of those high fibre healthy oats thingies, and he also had a bowl of cut fruits.  
   
Levi seemed in a fairly good mood as he sipped his coffee, eyes on his phone as he sorted through his emails.  
   
Armin walked to the table and put down two cups of orange juice.  
   
Eren pouted. “I wanted breakfast burritos.”  
   
Levi glanced up from his device.  
   
“Well,” Armin huffed, “I wanted Levi to stay home tomorrow, but he’s decided he’s going.”  
   
Levi chuckled and sipped his coffee. “It’s only a couple hours in the afternoon.”  
   
Armin sighed.  
   
Levi offered a small smile. “Maybe a collar will cheer you up?”  
   
Armin’s eyes lit up.  
   
Eren grinned as he shoved another spoonful in his mouth.  
   
“Oh,” Armin said as he took his seat. “I’m going out tonight, if that’s okay. Girl’s night.”  
   
“Is it the thirteenth already?” Levi checked his phone again and frowned. “Guess it is. Alright, have fun. Tell Marco and Annie I say hi, and Krista… I wonder if she and Ymir are getting along alright.”  
   
“They’re doing good,” Eren chuckled, “Lots of chicken and chocolate.”  
   
Levi blinked and looked at him.  
   
Armin forked a slice of banana. “We bumped into her on our run this morning.”  
   
“Our,” Levi noted, eyes shifting to Eren.  
   
“I went with.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Good. I don’t care if you’re thin, but keeping active is important. You know, normal health bullshit people say.”  
   
Eren snickered. “I think I know a great way we can keep active…”  
   
Levi smirked. “I knew it was coming and I still found it funny.”  
   
Armin laughed and forked more fruits into his mouth.  
   
Levi’s steel eyes glanced to Armin. “How long will you be out? The usual?”  
   
Armin nodded as he chewed.  
   
“If you or anyone needs a ride, just let me know.”  
   
Armin leaned over and smooched his cheek.  
   
Levi frowned. “Stop that.”  
   
“You never get mad at Eren when he does it!”  
   
“Yeah, but Eren’s an idiot.”  
   
“Hey! I’m right here you know!”  
   
Armin snickered to himself. “I guess that is a valid argument though.”  
   
“Hey!”  
   
Levi couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Sorry, Pup.”  
   
Eren’s pout melted into a smile and he grinned. “You’re in a really good mood this morning, Sir.”  
   
“Yeah…” Levi smirked. “I have something planned for us tonight, actually. If Armin’s going out, it works even better. We’ll be alone for a while.”  
   
Eren swallowed hard and looked at Armin. “Don’t go.”  
   
Armin turned to Levi. “He’s cute when he’s scared. Isn’t he?”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi sipped his coffee again. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing you won’t enjoy. I just want to work on your submission.”  
   
“Huh?” Eren tilted his head. “Am I doing something wrong?”  
   
“No. You’re a good pet. You could be better in the sense that everyone could be better, but I’m more than happy with you. It’ll just be a reinforcement exercise. A reminder.”  
   
“Reinforcement exercise,” Eren repeated.  
   
“Reinforcement is key, really.” Levi sighed. “Our society is ‘new’, ‘new’, ‘new’. All we want is what’s new. While I’m not religious myself, that’s one thing religions do right. They know humans are fucking idiots so they remind people again and again and again. It’s like how donations to food banks and homeless people skyrocket during the winter holidays season. We know all-year round that people are suffering, but our society – one of the few things it does right – is remind us that people are going to fucking freeze to death while we’re decorating a Christmas tree.”  
   
“Oh… So,” Eren kept his head tilted, “Okay I think I get it. Just something to remind me to be submissive?”  
   
“Yes.” Levi nodded. “I do it every two weeks with my subs. I do the same thing for myself, as a Dom, once a month too.”  
   
Armin smiled a little at that.  
   
Eren nodded. “Okay, well, anything for you, Sir.”  
   
Levi sipped his coffee again. “No need to get serious about it. It’ll be fun.”  
   
“It sounds fun,” Armin admitted. “I’m kinda sad I’m missing out.”  
   
Levi silently snickered. “Wash my cup with cold water and fill it halfway with coffee.”  
   
Armin looked at him. “I understand,” the words held a heaviness as he got up.  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow.  
   
“Eren.”  
   
“Yes, Sir?”  
   
“Strip your shirt. We’re moving to the T.V. room.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren removed his shirt (and stupid vest) as instructed, leaving him only in a pair of light blue jeans that were a little loose. He felt Levi’s eyes on him and the nervousness felt like a flutter in his stomach; he wanted Levi to want him, but he found he still had some fear when it came to his Dom. A bit of fear made sense, or at least he figured—Levi was kinda sorta really extremely scary from time to time—but he wondered if he could really ever deal with that feeling?  
   
Would it go away on its own or would it stay?  
   
In some ways Levi contrasted Armin in polar extremes. Eren had never felt more comfortable around Armin, possibly because Armin was a total dork who would never judge him and who Eren would never judge (except with maple syrup in the coffee because that was fucking weird and even if he pinky swore he wouldn’t judge Armin for it, he mentally crossed his mental fingers). But if Armin was the sweet, Levi was the savory.  
   
Levi kept him on his toes, at all times. Levi made his heart beat fast, his hands sweat, his shoulders lock out of affection and fear, and such a perfect mix of both that he was almost addicted. A part of Eren almost felt always uncomfortable around Levi. That was no basis of a relationship; but that didn’t mean it was sign of failure, it just meant they had things that would need to be worked out to advance.  
   
So work them out they would, Eren figured.  
   
He made his way to the T.V. room, the den, moving quickly not to waste Levi’s time. The first thing he noticed, upon entering, was that the glass table between the couch and the sofa chair was pushed towards the couch. He turned to Levi, who was sitting at the sofa chair, legs crossed, and Eren blinked twice.  
   
“Get down on all fours, Pup. Now.”  
   
“Yes, Sir.” Eren got down. “What can I do for you, Sir?”  
   
Levi pointed to the floor next to his chair. “Parallel to my seat.”  
   
“Parallel, like facing the way you’re facing?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
Eren crawled over and did as he was told, looking up at the T.V.  
   
Armin came into that room holding a mug. “Here’s your coffee, Master.”  
   
“Thank you.” Levi took the black porcelain mug and brought it to his lips. He sipped and nodded then tapped the base, testing the temperature. With a second nod he put the mug down, on Eren’s back.  
   
“S-Sir!”  
   
“Keep still, Pup. You don’t want it to spill. It will stain the carpet.”  
   
Eren’s eyes went wide. The bottom of the mug was smooth and warm; not burning hot as he expected, but he still felt the circular base dig into his back. Eren bit his lip. As told, he did his best to keep still, to freeze in place, but he couldn’t help but wobble a bit left and right. He was still trying to process the thought: There was a cup of coffee on his back. He whined and looked to Armin for help.  
   
Armin made eye contact with him and laughed.  
   
Levi held back a smile and grabbed the remote. He turned on the television and leaned back as he changed the channels. Finding one he liked, he reached for his coffee mug and hooked his fingers around the handle. He brought the edge of the cup to his lips and took another sip.  
   
“Oh thank God,” Eren mumbled.  
   
Levi had to hold back another smile. “Eren.”  
   
Eren’s head perked up and he looked at Levi. “Yes, Sir?”  
   
“Coffee tables don’t talk.”  
   
“Coffee tables?” Eren frowned. “But I’m not a coffee table—Oh! I get it! I’m a coffee table.”  
   
“Yes.” Levi chuckled and spared a glance to Armin; there was a moment of silent communication before the blond stepped out of the room. Levi slowly placed his cup on Eren’s back again. “It’s another one of my games you love. You will act as a piece of furniture, for me. It’s to remind you of your place; which, judging by your tone of voice, you seem to understand.”  
   
Eren gulped. He stared at Levi and noticed the subtlest of all smiles and he felt his cheeks warm.  
   
“Do you understand what I want from you, my Pup?”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened. He’d been called Pup a hundred times, but ‘ _my_ Pup’…  
   
“Eren, don’t stare at me. Answer.”  
   
“Sorry!” he shouted. “I, uh, I mean sorry. Yes, I understand.”  
   
“Good boy.” Levi crossed his legs and glanced to the television. “Another thing: Human furniture doesn’t speak unless spoken to, and they are concise with their words. Understand?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“Lovely.” Levi leaned over and scratched the underside of Eren’s chin.  
   
“Hehe,” Eren chuckled and leaned into the hand, accidentally shifting his back in the process.  
   
“Oy!” Levi snatched his coffee cup before it spilled and he growled. “You fuck up.” He drank some of his coffee and shook his head. “If you stain even a square inch of this carpet, that’s half a grand—five hundred dollars—got that? And if you think that’s bad, you’ve never seen anyone take away my coffee from me and take my advice you do not want to see it either.”  
   
Eren meeped and curled up in a ball.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes and drank some more. “It’s a game, a performance. Eren, you will do your best for me, won’t you?”  
   
Eren got back in position and nodded. “Yes, Sir! I live to serve you, Sir.”  
   
“Good Pup.” Levi placed the cup on Eren’s back again.  
   
Eren winced. The bottom of the cup felt warmer than last time; it was like a ring of pure heat searing into his back.  
   
“Pup.”  
   
Eren blinked, a little surprised. Was that concern in Levi’s voice?  
   
“Is the cup too hot?”  
   
“No Sir!”  
   
“It doesn’t hurt?”  
   
“Nope!”  
   
“Your shoulders are shaking.”  
   
Eren bit his lip. It was true. And more than just his shoulders, his knees, thighs, ankles, hands, arms… Everything was shaking. It was the heat move through him that made little streaks and tingles rush underneath his skin. “P-Permission to speak freely, Sir?”  
   
“Granted.”  
   
Eren’s cheeks burned. “It’s hot and it kinda hurts, but in a good way.”  
   
Levi chuckled and grabbed the cup. He glanced to the doorway. “Good timing.” He brought the bottom of his cup up, drinking all that was in the mug.  
   
Armin walked in with two more steaming mugs; one white, one yellow. He placed the white ceramic cup on Eren’s back, just below his nape, and watched the tiny wiggle. Armin laughed and switched his mugs with Levi.  
   
Levi took a small sip of his new drink. “Irish Breakfast?”  
   
“Yep. The other’s a decaf green tea.”  
   
“Decaf?”  
   
Armin looked at him. “You need to stop overloading yourself with caffeine, Sir.”  
   
Levi sighed, knowing that much was true. He took another sip then moved his cup to the side, placing the second mug an inch below the first.  
   
Eren took a deep breath and tried to still the shaking.  
   
Armin turned and left the room.  
   
Levi grabbed the remote again and flipped through channels again, images flipping on the screen. He stopped at one that was a shitty reality show and he raised his eyebrow. “Oh, this was the shitty one we were watching last time, wasn’t it?”  
   
Eren wanted to reply, but he reminded himself that he was a coffee table and as a coffee table he should only speak when spoken to… Not that actual coffee tables replied when he talked to them (not that he talked to coffee tables or anything…) but it would have been cool if they did! He silently wondered what kind of conversation he could hold with a coffee table. What would coffee tables want to talk about, anyway? Coffee?  
   
Heat.  
   
Scorching heat.  
   
Eren’s spine went straight, completely horizontal. His thoughts were interrupted by a third cup being placed on his back to the right side of his body. He looked up and gasped. “Armin! What are you doing?”  
   
“Well there’s three of us, so three cups makes sense,” Armin reasoned.  
   
Levi watched with interest.  
   
And then Armin placed a fourth cup on Eren’s back, making a little diamond shape with all four cups.  
   
“Armin!” Eren bit his lip. “There’s three of us!”  
   
Armin cackled before he ran out of the room.  
   
Levi smirked and grabbed a cup. “I have an assortment of beverages to choose from. Isn’t that nice?”  
   
Eren whimpered. There were three rings of heat on his back and they burned so damn good his thighs quivered. Where one cup had been removed, the heated skin felt cool against the air and it only made the heat feel more intense. He couldn’t help but let out a small moan. His fingers twitched and he felt another twitch in his groin. He wiggled just a little and then remembered the mugs. “Shit.”  
   
Levi paused. “What’s wrong, Pup?”  
   
“I’m getting hard…”  
   
Levi laughed louder than usual and sipped the green tea. “Well I guess you could say this activity is quite… Zapper.”  
   
Eren glared at him.  
   
Levi muffled his laugh into his mug before taking another sip.  
   
When the cup was placed on his back again, Eren bit his lip. “I don’t think I can hold four cups, Sir.”  
   
“Do your best. For me, Pup?”  
   
Eren knew he could manage it, but he needed some kind of distraction. All his thoughts, however, lead back to the heat on his back. He took a deep breath and tried not to let his back move from the action. He wondered if maybe he understood the fire games Erwin and Armin were playing—given a bit of heat and actual fire could not even be compared, but one thought lead to another. “Sir?”  
   
“Yes, Eren?”  
   
“Um… would you ever let Erwin or someone else try some edge play with me? I know you’re not into it, so I don’t want to ask you, but I guess you could say I’m a little curious.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. He switched the positions of his legs, so they crossed the other way. He was about to reply when the reality show said the word ‘Zapper’ again. “In a sense, yes and no. In our contract you can sleep with anyone I give you permission to sleep with. That being said… I guess it’s something we’ve never discussed before. We should. If someone comes over, I might ask you to perform a sexual task for them and you are under my orders so you must do so—with the exception of safe words.”  
   
Eren nodded.  
   
“Of course, depending on the action, there are risks, such as unprotected sex. I do make sure everyone that comes in with those intentions are clean, I do my best to take proper measures, but even I won’t be able to eliminate a hundred percent of the risk. If you trust me, then we’ll get along, but if you don’t it is completely understandable and I won’t penalise you for it.”  
   
Eren chuckled because the word penalise reminded him of penis and he was secretly twelve years old apparently.  
   
“They need my permission to fuck you, because you are my property. To get my permission they need to show me the results of a blood test that proves they carry no sexually transmitted diseases or infections. I take the safety of my subs very seriously. However… the results of a blood tests, depending on where you go, may take a week or more to be mailed to you. They can show me a clean ticket and lie about having had unprotected sex since then.”  
   
Eren became serious again. “Right.”  
   
“That is a risk I take into account as well,” Levi went on, “If I don’t know for fact the person won’t hide even the smallest detail from me, I don’t let them near my subs. I’ve never asked or allowed Armin to sleep with anyone I don’t know. Usually it’s myself, Erwin, Jean, Marco and occasionally with Annie when the mood strikes him. For me, I generally stay within those bounds as well, Erwin, Marco, Annie, but no one else usually.”  
   
Eren tilted his head a bit. “But, the Dom part of our contract said you can’t sleep with anyone besides members of the household.”  
   
“That’s right.” Levi grabbed a cup.  
   
Eren suddenly remembered he was a coffee table and his shoulders tensed. He silently wondered if Levi realised he was trying to talk about other things to get distracted; he judged from how Levi didn’t take a sip and just put the cup right back down that he was right.  
   
“For all first contracts with subs, I limit myself to who I sleep with. After the first month, that’s one of the limits I am interested in dropping. You will find that out if we sign another contract.”  
   
“Ah.” Eren tried not to sound disappointed. “Okay.” He already knew there was no way in hell he’d refuse another contract with Levi, but that ‘if’ bothered him. It reminded him that there was that fragility and he felt his stomach squeeze. Maybe Levi wasn’t enjoying him…  
   
Levi looked at Eren, a faint shimmer in his eyes. He turned to the television, but the moment another girl said ‘Zapper’ he growled loudly and snatched the remote, slamming his thumb down on the rubber button to change the channel.  
   
“Everything okay?” Armin stepped in again, running a hand through his hair.  
   
“Everything’s fine,” Levi grumbled. “It’s all just Zapper!”  
   
Armin chuckled before glancing to Eren. “How’s he doing?”  
   
“Pretty good. Better than I expected. Looks like I can keep him still with the right threats. It’s almost like he was made for this.”  
   
“Oh, maybe he could put it on his résumé now.”  
   
“Qualified Coffee Table.”  
   
Eren puckered his lips and shifted them to the side of his face. He knew this tactic: Talk about the sub as if he wasn’t there, make them feel like they aren’t there. It was a mix of (light) invalidation and other feelings which would, ultimately, lead to a better sub… Or something along those lines maybe. Eren was sure Levi could probably explain it a lot better, but Eren did his best to stay still. The cups didn’t burn as much as before. A mix of them getting colder and him getting used to them. It was fairly easy now, actually.  
   
Which was something Levi seemed to take note of. “Pup.”  
   
“Yes, Sir?”  
   
“You’re too good at being an inanimate object.”  
   
“Sorry, Sir.”  
   
Levi snickered and grabbed another mug. “Armin, you should take the cups off of him. Looks like he passes.”  
   
“Awww.” Armin grabbed a few coasters and put them on the glass table before he got up. “But he’s such a cute coffee table.”  
   
“I agree. But he’s too good at it.”  
   
“Fine.” Armin stuck his tongue out before he grabbed two cups. He put them on the  _actual_ glass coffee table, over the coasters, then reached to grab the last two, but stopped. “Wait. Master, we could always make it a little more challenging.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “How so?”  
   
“I don’t think that’s a good idea!” Eren whimpered.  
   
Armin snickered.  
   
Levi frowned. “Silence, Pup. Go on, slave. Speak.”  
   
“Well, I figure we can add something to spice it up. Why not blindfolds?”  
   
Levi paused. After a moment, he smirked. He ruffled Eren’s hair. “Good idea.”  
   
Armin adjusted the four cups so they were back on Eren’s back, in the shape of a square instead of a diamond, and got up. “I will go get them, Master.”  
   
“Go.”  
   
Armin dipped his head in respect then left.  
   
“Um.” Eren looked up at Levi. “Permission to speak?”  
   
“Granted.”  
   
“Blindfolds… I’m sort of curious as to how blindfolds make being a coffee table harder.”  
   
“Antici-” Levi paused for dramatic effect, “-pation.”  
   
“Did you just make a Rocky Horror Picture Show reference?”  
   
“Possibly.”  
   
Armin came back in the room, holding a black silk blindfold. “Shall I wrap it over him, Sir?”  
   
“Yes.” Levi nodded. “Make sure to cover his ears as much as you can. I don’t want him deaf, but taking away some sound is always fun.”  
   
Armin nodded. He went on his knees in front of Eren and played with the silk for a moment before offering a scary little smile.  
   
Eren swallowed hard. He felt the softness cover his eyes and it moved over his ears, then both ends came back around over his ears and eyes, then ears again, and it was finalised a little knot at the back of his head.  
   
“Can you see anything?” Armin asked.  
   
“Nope. Pitch black,” he admitted. Sight gone, his hearing was only muffled though; he could still listen to an order if he heard one. A cup was suddenly removed without warning and his shoulders jumped. “H-Hey, warn me!”  
   
“That’s the point,” Levi’s voice was smooth, “You can’t anticipate. You don’t know when we’re going to pick up a cup or put one down. Isn’t it fun?”  
   
Eren refused to give an honest answer.  
   
Another cup was removed.  
   
One was placed down.  
   
Eren took a deep breath and stayed still. He figured normal coffee tables weren’t given any warnings either, and he suddenly had a new appreciation for them. He felt the cups being moved one by one. A couple chuckles and light whispers, and he felt a twist in his stomach.  
   
They were plotting something.  
   
He bit his lip and felt all four cups on him again. It wasn’t too hard. He could do this forever.  
   
“Eren.”  
   
“Yes, Sir?”  
   
“I will be collaring Armin now.”  
   
“Oh! I can’t wait to see.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “You won’t see. You’re staying right here.”  
   
Eren pouted. “Fine. I’ll just hear it, then.”  
   
“You won’t.” Levi’s voice moved away. “We’re going to another room. We’re leaving you here. Don’t drop any mugs, understand?”  
   
“Y-Yes, Sir…”  
   
“Remember,” Levi laughed, “If you stain the carpet, you’re fucked. I’ll kick you out of this house ASAP.”  
   
Eren jumped a little then realised that moved the cups. He nodded slowly. “O-Okay, Sir. I’ll do my best, Sir!”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren had no idea how many minutes passed, but he was pretty sure the coffee and tea were probably so cold the cups were going to sing a quartet arrangement of ‘Let it Go’. He found the actual task of being a table relatively easy. But he was starting to grow restless. Every once in a while he felt a twitch somewhere. Usually it was the fingers or toes, but occasionally he felt a throb in his back and he prayed to whatever sweet baby gods were out there.  
   
Eren sighed.  
   
He tried not to let his annoyance show on his face, either. He figured Armin or Levi could slip into the room at any moment. He had to conceal, not feel. He had to be the good sub he always had to be.  
   
He actually kind of missed the heat, though.  
   
If the cups had just turned to room temperature he’d be fine with it, but they were actually cold. He wondered if Levi or Armin maybe put ice in the drinks? Or maybe it was just what the cup themselves were made of. But he couldn’t do anything about it. The cups were hot now they were cold; but there was no going back, the past was in the past. Those cups were going to let it go, let it go, they were going to rise like the break of daw–  
   
“Eren!” Armin’s excited voice made him jump.  
   
“H-Hey,” Eren breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re back.”  
   
“Uhuh.”  
   
Eren listened to Armin’s voice, sensing it come closer, as well as footsteps.  
   
“Here.”  
   
Eren felt a small tug as Armin worked off the blind fold. When they came off, he closed his eyes as the brightness startled him. He took a couple seconds to blink before he looked up to the huge smile on Armin’s face.  
   
“Look!” Armin raised his left hand, showing off the leather wristguard.  
   
“Oh!” Eren sat up straight and grabbed Armin’s arm.  
   
All four cups fell.  
   
Eren realised what he did and spun around; he screamed and scooted back on his butt until he, somehow, ended up in Armin’s arms, bridal style.  
   
Armin giggled profusely.  
   
“So close,” Levi muttered from the doorway. “You were so close to being perfect.”  
   
“I’m sorry!” Eren shouted, “I’ll clean up the stain right…” He paused, looking at the cups.  
   
All four mugs had fallen on their side, but there was no stain.  
   
Eren shot to his feet. “The mugs were empty!”  
   
Levi chuckled to himself and crossed his arms. “You think I would leave you alone with four mugs of coffee on this expensive carpet? I’m not an idiot, Eren.”  
   
“You!” Eren pouted. “You lied to me!”  
   
“It’s not the first time.” Just to piss off Eren even more, Levi gave a little wink. “And I’ll do it again.”  
   
Eren gasped. “Liar!”  
   
“I’m surprised you’re surprised. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”  
   
“I worked hard to be a coffee table,” he mumbled. “It wasn’t easy.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi blinked. “You made it look easy.”  
   
“I concealed—I didn’t feel! I didn’t want you to know I was struggling.” Eren took a deep breath, “Well now you know!”  
   
Armin chuckled and got up slowly. He kissed Eren’s cheek. “Anyway… Ice Queen, aside.”  
   
“Snow Queen,” Levi corrected sternly.  
   
Armin rubbed his face. “God damnit you two… Anyway, I’m going to get ready for tonight, if I may Master?”  
   
“Go.” Levi waved him off and then looked at Eren. “You dropped the cups. You failed a task I asked you to do.”  
   
Eren bit his lip and lowered his head. “Sorry Sir!”  
   
“But you did have an excellent performance, Pup, so I’ll be gentle.”  Levi sat on the sofa chair and smirked. “Come here.”  
   
Eren walked over, trying to make himself as small as possible.  
   
Levi reached up, grabbed Eren’s collar, and yanked him down.  
   
“S-Sir!”  
   
“Over my lap.” Levi’s hand moved to Eren’s nape and he pushed it down. “Raise your ass.”  
   
“Yes Sir!”  
   
Levi tugged down Eren’s jeans as well as boxers and wasted no time to smack his ass. “Say thank you.”  
   
“Thank you, Sir!”  
   
“Good boy. Now how many do you think you deserve?”  
   
Eren tensed. He bit his lip and looked over his shoulder. “T-Ten?”  
   
“Ten?” Levi raised an eyebrow. “Maybe ten per cup.”  
   
Eren screeched. “T-Twenty, in all, sounds reasonable, since I did a fairly good performance… don’t you think so, Sir?”  
   
“I suppose I can do twenty. Two.” Levi didn’t think; he raised his hand and swung his arm, slapping Eren’s backside hard enough to make Eren yelp. “Where’s my thank you?”  
   
“Thank you!” Eren felt his cheeks burn. He wiggled his hips, knowing he was getting hard just from the after sting alone.  
   
Levi slapped him several times in succession, “Three, four,” slapping one cheek than the other and alternating back and forth, “Five, six.” The sound echoed in the small room. “Seven, eight.”  
   
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!-Thank-you—Thank you!”  
   
“Good boy. So polite.” He spread his fingers and gave a hard smack. “Nine”  
   
“Ouch!”  
   
“That’s not a thank you.”  
   
“I mean, thank you Sir!”  
   
Levi rubbed Eren’s ass, noticing how nicely pink each cheek turned. “Ten.”  
   
“Thank you!” Eren winced.  
   
“Aren’t I a good Dom, Eren?”  
   
“Yes Sir!” Eren took a deep breath, reminding himself that he was only halfway through.  
   
Levi raised his hand. “Eleven! Twelve! Thirteen! Fourteen! Fifteen! Sixteen!”  
   
Each smack was loud, reverberating through Eren’s body and making each ‘Thank you’ that spilled out of his mouth shaky and hot.  
   
Levi felt Eren’s cock, hard against his knee and he snickered. “You seem to be enjoying this, Eren.”  
   
“I-I enjoy everything from my Dom!”  
   
“Good answer. Seventeen!”  
   
Another smack shook his whole body and Eren whimpered. “Thank you!”  
   
“Eighteen! Nineteen!”  
   
“Thank you! Thank you, Sir!”  
   
Levi raised his arm high.  
   
Eren closed his eyes and cringed.  
   
With a chuckle, Levi lightly tapped Eren’s ass. “Twenty.”  
   
“Huh?” Eren looked over his shoulder. “That wasn’t a spank. Way too light.”  
   
“I apologise.” Levi’s face fell and he smacked Eren’s ass hard.  
   
“Ouch!” Eren wiggled.  
   
“Now what do you say?”  
   
“Thank you, Sir!”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Armin stepped into the living room half an hour later. He dressed himself up with black skinny jeans, tied tight around his waist with a white leather belt. He wore a bright blue short sleeved shirt that seemed a little loose on him. Since he had his leather wristguard on his left arm, he threw a few wristbands of different colours on his right hand as well as a couple rings.  
   
Eren had his head in Levi’s lap, although his eyes were fixed on Armin.  
   
“Pup.” Levi snickered. “You’re staring.”  
   
Eren felt his cheeks warm and he wiggled. “So what?”  
   
Armin chuckled, taking it as a compliment. “So I made dinner. Just heat it up and it’s good. Krista’s going to be here any moment to pick me up. Anything else you need from me, Master?”  
   
“No.” Levi ran his hand through Eren’s hair. “Have fun tonight.”  
   
“I will, Sir.” Armin nodded. He was about to say something else, but his phone went off. He reached in his pocket and pulled it out. He looked at his phone for a moment before he dipped his head respectfully. “I’m off. Have fun you two!”  
   
Levi smirked. “We will. Don’t worry about that.”  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
   
Armin went down the hall quickly. The front door opened and then it closed behind him.  
   
“Now it’s just us,” Levi mused. “Do you want to eat now or later? Either’s fine for me.”  
   
“Later.” Eren smiled, looking up at his Dom. “I’m not too hungry.”  
   
“Mhm.” Levi continued to play with his hair.  
   
Eren just closed his eyes and let Levi play with his hair. It was nice, really nice. Levi’s fingers were gentle, moving slowly, soothingly, sensually – almost. He wasn’t sure how many minutes passed of him just laying there. A couple times he opened his mouth, but decided against speaking. He felt Levi’s hand still in his hair eventually and he opened his eyes.  
   
“You’re quiet. That’s a first.”  
   
“Thank you.”  
   
Levi tilted his head. “That wasn’t a compliment, just an observation. I’m curious, though, why the fuck are you so quiet anyway?”  
   
“Oh I uh, I’m just trying not to say anything actually.” Eren smiled. “I’m trying to get better at that.”  
   
Levi frowned. “Why?”  
   
Eren stopped smiling and looked up. “Because… I want to be a good sub.”  
   
“You are.”  
   
“But I want to be a better one, Sir.”  
   
Levi’s frown turned into a scowl. “And you think going quiet will help in some way?”  
   
“Uh…” Eren bit his lip. He reminded himself to think before speaking. “I want to reduce myself to submission.”  
   
“Off.”  
   
“What?”  
   
“Get off.”  
   
Eren instantly sat up and turned his body to face Levi. “I’m sorry… I don’t know what I did wrong, Sir.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. He grabbed Eren’s jaw, roughly, and pulled him closer. He looked into those wide green eyes and he shook his head. “I’ll tell you what you’re doing wrong. Luckily, this transitions perfectly into what I wanted to do tonight. I’m going to collar you.”  
   
“I am collared, Sir.”  
   
“No, I mean an actual collar. One with a leash.” He let go of Eren’s jaw and stood up. “Stay where you are. Don’t move.”  
   
“Yes, Sir.”  
   
Levi walked off into the next room over but raised his voice so Eren could hear him. “How familiar are you with pet play?”  
   
“Uh…” Eren matched Levi’s volume. “A little, I guess? One of my Doms did it a lot, but I wasn’t with him for long.”  
   
Levi came back with a leash and collar and took his seat again. “Lean forward.”  
   
Eren complied.  
   
Levi put the collar around his neck. “I think pet play is the best way to remind a sub what they should do, and what they should be aiming for in terms of submission.”  
   
“Um… okay.”  
   
Levi paused. His eyes flicked up to Eren’s. “You’re uncomfortable.”  
   
“Uh…” Eren couldn’t deny it. “I guess I just feel weird about it, a person acting like a dog… I don’t know. I guess I just don’t see the appeal to it? Or maybe I just don’t understand it?”  
   
“It’ll be fun, I promise.” Levi chuckled and made sure the collar was fastened nicely around his neck. “The point of the exercise is dehumanisation. The sub is lower than the Dom. They have their safe words, of course, but you give complete control over to me.” He scratched Eren’s chin.  
   
Eren couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes, Sir… That’s why I’m trying to be quiet, you know? Dehumanisation.”  
   
Levi shook his head slowly. “That is not what I want, Pup.”  
   
“It’s not?”  
   
“I’ll break it down for you: Dehumanisation is to dehumanise. It’s to take away one’s status as a human being. It is to lower one’s status. But if someone is dehumanised, they’re not depersonalised.” He cupped Eren’s face with both hands. “Even if you’re sub-human, you still have your personality. I like your personality, it’s fun, stupid, caring, and a little on the dangerous side. You’re a complex person, Eren, despite what initial impressions told me. Your status can change, but if you throw away who you are then I’ll have no interest in you. Do you understand?”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened.  
   
Levi didn’t hear a reply from Eren, but he didn’t have to. “Good.” He leaned in and kissed Eren gently.  
   
Eren closed his eyes and breathed through his nose.  
   
Levi moved his lips back and looked at his sub. “Your individuality is important to me. I don’t want a mindless zombie serving me, I want a real person choosing to lower themselves for me, and me alone. Do you see the difference, Eren?”  
   
Eren nodded. “Yes, Sir. Sorry Sir.”  
   
Levi leaned in and kissed the corner of Eren’s right eye. “No need to apologise to me, Pup.” He moved his hands away and grabbed the leash. “Pet play assists with that. It lets you tap into your most basic nature, your personality, while still submitting and being dehumanised. You are exactly what pet play says you are, a pet: You have your personality, but you know the huge difference between you and I”  
   
Eren smiled. “Yes, Sir. I think I understand.”  
   
“Good.” Levi smiled as well.  
   
Eren swore Levi’s smile was so damn smooth it should have been illegal.  
   
“You choose your own animal, Eren… but I honestly only think puppy play is fitting for you.”  
   
Eren chuckled and nodded. “Me too, Sir. Unless you’d prefer fish play.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Fish… play?”  
   
“Yeah I can flop around dead on the floor.”  
   
“I see…”  
   
“It was a joke.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi stared at him.  
   
“Anyway…”  
   
Levi chuckled and ruffled Eren’s hair. “I have knee pads.”  
   
“Knee pads?”  
   
“You’ll be on all fours for a while. Why? You don’t like them?”  
   
Eren tilted his head. “No it’s just, I’ve never used them before.”  
   
Levi shook his head slowly. “You poor sub. I’ll treat you right. Strip to your boxers.”  
   
“Yes Sir.”  
   
“And remember,” his voice became stern, “You can’t speak as a dog, with the exception of safe words. Use them if you need them.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
It took a couple minutes but eventually Eren got himself into the puppy headspace. He was on all fours, knee pads equipped (and not just knee pads but gel-coated super soft and comfortable knee pads that made him one thousand seven hundred thirty-eight percent more likely to do it again).  
   
“Good boy,” Levi said with a smile. He was squatted down in front of his human pup. He scratched behind Eren’s ear, a lot lighter than he would do with an actual dog.  
   
Eren’s cheeks reddened and he made a little noise.  
   
“What was that, Pup?”  
   
Eren looked at Levi and sighed.  
   
“Come on, Pup.”  
   
“Arf!” Eren couldn’t help but grin.  
   
“Good boy!” Levi chuckled and kissed Eren’s cheek. “Who’s a good boy?”  
   
Eren hesitated for a moment before, “Arf!”  
   
“Yes you are! Yes you are.” Levi chuckled and used both hands to caress Eren’s face.  
   
Eren gave a little nervous laugh. He still found the whole ordeal rather embarrassing. Still, it was one of the few times Levi had been so openly affectionate to him that he just so badly needed to do well.  
   
“Roll over.”  
   
Eren made a woof noise and then rolled over.  
   
“Good, good, good boy.”  
   
Eren felt Levi scratch the underside of his chin and he chuckled. Without thinking, he leapt forward and tackled his Dom.  
   
“Oy!” Levi felt his back smack against the floor. “You little shit. Bad!”  
   
Eren licked Levi’s cheek.  
   
Levi glared. “Bad dog. You hear me? Bad fucking dog.”  
   
Eren whimpered and made himself as small as possible on Levi’s chest.  
   
Levi sighed and ruffled his pup’s hair. “Okay, you’re forgiven, just get off me.”  
   
“Arf!” Eren rolled over and smooched his cheek.  
   
Levi sat up then stood up. “I’m not your age. Don’t tackle me, got it?”  
   
“Arf!”  
   
“Come on, Pup.” He took the leash and gave a little tug. “Let’s head to the living room.”  
   
Eren followed Levi on all fours. As much as he found the whole dog thing weird, he did like the whole leash bit. It was blatant ownership. But, still, he found his collar (actual neck collar) pretty itchy, but it was just something he had to live with so he could serve his Dom.  
   
Levi let go of the leash and sat on the couch.  
   
Eren hopped up and put his head in Levi’s lap.  
   
“Oy. Pets are not allowed on the furniture.”  
   
Eren stayed where he was, despite Levi trying to push him off. He made a small, almost sad whining noise.  
   
“Not on the furniture!” Levi repeated. He gave a harder push.  
   
Eren fell to the floor and whined. He knew his owner was mad at him so he put his paws up on the couch and tried to look cute.  
   
“Not on the furniture!”  
   
Eren moved his hands to Levi’s knees.  
   
“Good.” Levi leaned over and ruffled his hair. “That’s good. If you keep being a good pup, you get a treat.”  
   
“Arf!” Eren hopped around on the floor before coming close to Levi again.  
   
“Good boy.” Levi scratched the underside of his chin. “Do you like having Levi as a master?”  
   
“Arf!”  
   
“How much?”  
   
“Arf! Arf! Arf!”  
   
Levi snorted and caressed his cheek.  
   
Eren purred.  
   
Levi was pretty sure that was a cat noise but he didn’t say anything.  
   
  
 

⁂

  
   
It was a shame Levi had to make his own cup of tea. With his slave out for the night and his sub rolling around on the floor on all fours, he had no one to do his work. Not that he minded. He opted out for the good stuff, real leaves, and just went with tea bags. He was only making a cup for himself so it didn’t matter; if it was a pot of tea, then he would for sure go for the good stuff. He dropped the bag of _decaf_ tea (he grumbled about it but did it anyway because he wasn’t ten and he could make responsible choices but like a ten year old he grumbled about them) and lifted it from the steaming water, watching the liquid change to a rosy beige.  
   
He put the bag in again and let it steep. He turned his head to the side and smiled.  
   
Eren was drinking water out of a bowl. His bowl. He had two bowls, one for water, the other for dog food. Not actual dog food since that wasn’t fit for human consumption, but cocoa puffs because they looked like dog kibble and they were chocolate flavoured.  
   
Levi glanced to his tea and lifted the bag again. Somewhere from the depths of his nether mind, his inner Ymir told him to make it a tea latte. That damn chick was obsessed with tea lattes. Still, he complied. He walked over to the fridge, and paused.  
   
It must have been the first time in years since he got himself milk from the fridge.  
   
“Arf!”  
   
Levi looked over and smiled. “Do you want more water?”  
   
Eren shook his head excessively.  
   
“More food?”  
   
Eren shook his head excessively.  
   
“Do you need anything, Pup?”  
   
Eren shook his head excessively.  
   
“Do you just want my attention?”  
   
“Arf!”  
   
Levi chuckled and turned to the fridge. “In a moment pup.” He grabbed the milk and opened the top. He poured it in his cup, just enough to appease Ymir. He felt something rub his leg. He looked down and saw it was Eren’s head. “I said a minute, boy.” He put the milk back in the fridge and kneeled in front of Eren.  
   
Eren licked his cheek.  
   
Levi opened his mouth to say something but,  
   
“I’m home!” The door slammed shut and the sound of giggling came from the front entrance.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes, but glanced to Eren. He noticed a tightness in his face, minor folds on his forehead. “You’re worried? Of what he’ll think of you?”  
   
“Arf…”  
   
“Don’t worry. He does pet play too, you know. Plus… I think he’ll be too drunk.”  
   
As if on cue, the giggling got louder until Armin’s face smacked against the kitchen floor. He had fallen face first and his ass so happened to be in the air.  
   
Levi got up instantly. “Armin.”  
   
“I’m okay!” Armin straightened his back and rubbed his face. “I’m jus’ dizzy.”  
   
Levi smiled. “I’ll get you water. Have fun?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin looked around until he saw Eren. “Puppy!” His face lit up and he giggled some more.  
   
Eren couldn’t help but chuckle.  
   
Armin patted the ground in front of him. “Woof woof!”  
   
“Arf!” Eren replied.  
   
“Woof!”  
   
“Arf!”  
   
“Woof!”  
   
“Arf! Arf!”  
   
Armin grinned. “Come here, boy!”  
   
Eren walked over on all fours and licked Armin’s cheek.  
   
Armin kissed Eren’s cheek and hugged him and giggled, breath tasting like alcohol. “He’s good at barking.”  
   
“He is.” Levi came back with a glass of water. “Drink some.”  
   
“I don’t wanna.”  
   
“Alcohol also dehydrates, which means your shitty hangover is going to be worse unless you drink some.”  
   
Armin sighed and let go of Eren to take the glass. “Okay.” He sipped it and moaned for whatever reason.  
   
Levi leaned down to take Eren’s leash. “Come on, boy. We can leave him.”  
   
“I’m coming too,” Armin said after he finished his glass. He stood up… or rather he tried to stand and ended up wobbling.  
   
Levi moved quickly, catching Armin and taking the glass from him.  
   
“Maybe I’m not coming,” Armin muttered before nuzzling Levi’s neck. “I should lie down I think.”  
   
“Alright.” Levi smiled and led Armin to the living room and to the couch.  
   
Armin got comfy and rested his head on the armrest, closing his eyes and saying goodbye to the world with a soft, quiet snore.  
   
Levi chuckled and sat on the other couch. He felt Eren’s paws on his knees and he leaned down. “Can you be a quiet pup?”  
   
“Arf.” Eren nodded twice.  
   
“Good.” Levi kissed his forehead.  
   
“Can Eren do tricks?”  
   
They both paused and looked at Armin, whose drunken eyes were looking right back at them. Levi’s mouth tugged into a smile. “I thought you were sleeping.”  
   
“I am.” Armin rolled over to face them. “Can he do tricks?”  
   
“I don’t know,” Levi admitted.  
   
“Eren!” Armin pointed his hand at him. “Play dead, okay? Bang!” He cocked his hand like a gun would.  
   
“Arf!” Eren cried out before dropping to the floor and going quiet.  
   
“Wow.” Levi blinked. “That was actually pretty good.”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin sat up slowly and tapped his knees. “I think he needs a treat!”  
   
Eren perked up.  
   
“Come here!” Armin tapped his knees.  
   
Levi scowled. “Not on the furniture!”  
   
Eren hesitated, looking between them.  
   
Armin chuckled. “But don’t you want a treat? Come up here. Come on! Come on! Come here boy!”  
   
Eren, knowing he had to tap into his more primal nature, rushed over to the other couch and hopped up on Armin’s lap.  
   
“Good boy.” Armin kissed his cheek and played with his hair. “Your treat is you get to kiss me.”  
   
Eren licked his face.  
   
Armin chuckled, wincing from the slobbering. “I meant an actual kiss, Eren.”  
   
“O-Oh.”  
   
Armin laughed, “Puppies aren’t supposed to talk!”  
   
“Sh-Shut up!” Eren mumbled and looked away, cheeks red.  
   
“Oy.” Levi’s voice snapped the good mood’s neck. “Down, boy. Now.”  
   
Eren hopped off and lowered his head.  
   
“Awww.” Armin chuckled. “He didn’t even get his treat.”  
   
“He doesn’t deserve one.” Levi squatted down and played with Eren’s hair. “Dumbass, undoing my work.”  
   
Eren rubbed his face against Levi’s.  
   
Levi just chuckled. “Don’t worry… I’m not mad at you. You’re lucky you’re so likeable.”  
   
Eren chuckled. “Arf!”  
   
“Now, let’s see what tricks you can do.” Levi tilted his head. “Give paw.”  
   
Eren held up one hand, holding it a little lanky as a real dog would.  
   
Levi shook his hand and smiled. “Good boy.” He leaned in and kissed Eren’s cheek.  
   
“Not fair,” Armin mumbled. “You’re never like that to me.”  
   
Levi looked past Eren. “That’s because you’re a little shit when we do pet play.”  
   
Armin laughed loud and moved onto his back. “That’s right. I am.” He cackled some more and closed his eyes.  
   
“I don’t reward bad behaviour,” Levi reminded. He looked at Eren and noticed some confusion in his eyes. “When I do pet play with Armin, we do kitty play. Cats are less obedient than dogs. They get away with more, since they’re born to be annoying,” Levi scratched Eren’s neck, “But you, you’re nice and you follow orders.”  
   
Eren licked his face.  
   
Levi winced at that and wiped the saliva off his cheek.  
   
“I ate so much,” Armin mumbled, “Not as much as Marco but oh my God I want to put so many cheese strings around my dick.”  
   
Levi blinked. “What?”  
   
“Nachos. We ate nachos.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi was used to this by now so he just nodded.  
   
“Nacho-cheese!” Armin giggled so much he snorted. “You know that joke? The one that’s like… what do you call cheese that’s not yours?”  
   
“Yes.” Levi nodded. “I know it.”  
   
“Nacho-cheese!”  
   
Eren couldn’t help but chuckle.  
   
Levi shook his head. “Looks like he drank more than usual. Stay here, boy. I’m going to put him to bed.”  
   
“Nacho-cheese!”  
   
“Yes darling.” Levi got up and grabbed Armin, picking him up bridal style. He looked at the blond giggling and snorting in his arms and he couldn’t help but smile. “You’re so lucky you can cook and clean.” He looked over his shoulder to Eren. “Actually, you can take your knee pads off. I forgot about dinner. Set the table for two, would you?”  
   
Eren nodded.  
   
Levi walked out of the living room, into the kitchen. “How much did you drink?”  
   
“Too much,” Armin admitted with blurry eyes. “Two B54s.”  
   
“Only two?”  
   
“No… I mean, four B52s. But we lit them on fire, so the alcohol burned.”  
   
Levi paused and looked at him. “You know that only burns the alcohol in the top part, right?”  
   
“Oh.” Armin made eye contact with him before smiling. “Nacho-cheese!”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren chuckled as the drunk blond was put to bed. He undid his knee pads and put on his shirt and pants. The house didn’t usually get chilly at night, but he eventually found an open window and closed it. He quickly got to setting the table. The usual seats: Levi at the head, and his on the side.  
   
“Not face to face?”  
   
Eren looked up as he put down the last fork. “Uh… It’s up to you, Sir.”  
   
Levi walked over and leaned in, kissing him for half a second. “I’d rather sit face to face if it’s just us. I’ll warm up dinner.”  
   
Eren paused. “Are you sure?”  
   
“That’s fine. You’ve done well. You can rest.”  
   
Eren bit his lip. “But um, aren’t you like a safety hazard in the kitchen?”  
   
Levi’s left eye twitched.  
   
Eren decided to sit down and shut up.  
   
Levi seemed content with that reaction. “I can warm up food, anyone can do that.”  
   
“Of course, Sir.” Eren watched him step into the kitchen. He got up again, just to move Levi’s plate over to Armin’s side and then sat again. He looked at the empty seat in front of him and suddenly his cheeks burned. They would be sitting face to face…  
   
Like they were on a date or something…  
   
Not that they were on a date or something but maybe just like sort of that’s how people sat when they were on like dates or things – or other things not just dates people sat in placed like other things like business dates or romantic dates or maybe dates on the–  
   
“Shit!”  
   
Eren lifted his head and heard something crackle and pop. What he could see in kitchen had an orange tint to it and he got up.  
   
Fire.  
   
Eren ran into the kitchen to see the pan on the stove had caught fire. It was a small fire, but fire all the same. He grabbed the handle and shifted it to the next position on the stovetop. His hand reached out and he spun the dial, blowing out the burning blue jet underneath.  
   
Levi blinked. “Run it under water!”  
   
“No! Oil and water don’t mix!” Eren looked around for something he could use and eventually found a linen dish towel. He snatched it and turned on the faucet. He ran it under cold water for half a second before he twisted it, making it only damp not wet. He blurred to the stove again and covered the burning pan with it.  
   
The fire smoldered beneath it.  
   
Eren took a deep breath, but didn’t calm just yet. Sometimes one wasn’t enough, but it looked like the issue was taken care of.  
   
“Eren…” Levi took his hand. “You’re shaking.”  
   
“Y-Yeah.” Eren tried to stop but it didn’t. “Sorry.”  
   
Levi took both of Eren’s hands, steel eyes moving from one to the other. “What is it?”  
   
“Fire’s scary. It’s normal.”  
   
Levi didn’t disagree, per say, but he looked up to Eren. “It was a small fire. Not enough to cause this.”  
   
“Sorry.”  
   
“Don’t apologise,” Levi’s voice was soft, gentle.  
   
Eren calmed down and looked away.  
   
“You’re supposed to confide in me, Eren.”  
   
“It’s just, uh, well, fire puts me in a bad mood. It doesn’t bother me like this when it’s in control but like when it gets all wild and panicky I get wild and panicky.” He moved his hands away from Levi’s and lifted the dish towel from the very corner. The center was charred black and he winced. “Sorry. Looks like we have to throw this out.”  
   
Levi sighed dramatically. “Where will I find the money to replace it?”  
   
Eren laughed softly and he couldn’t deny he felt better. He ran the burned dish towel under cold water before he squeezed out the liquid. He threw it in the trash.  
   
“Sorry.” Levi looked away. “I did nothing.”  
   
“That’s fine. You’ve done well. You can rest.”  
   
Levi looked up to notice the corner of Eren’s mouth in a wry smile and he did his best to fight back his grin. “Are you teasing me, Pup?”  
   
“Just a little,” Eren admitted, then added, “Sir.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Despite the little event in the kitchen, the food was still edible and it was damn good, as always. Eren had to remove a bit of the burnt pieces where the fire had been, but the majority of the creamy risotto was edible. It was a little dry, but neither of them minded. They sat across from each other but Eren decided he didn’t want to ask how Levi started a fire.  
   
Levi finished his plate and leaned back. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it.”  
   
Eren looked up. “Talk about what?”  
   
“Fire.”  
   
“Oh… well, I probably don’t, but I’m not against talking about it.”  
   
“I was just wondering…” Levi ran a hand through his hair. “I know Ackerman has a similar issue to fire, Annie told me about that. I was wondering if they were related in some way?”  
   
“Uh, yes Sir. But I’m not as bad as she is. She gets uncomfortable around candles and stuff, she’s pretty extreme.”  
   
“I see.” Levi looked at him. “I’m just wondering… I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. I want to be aware of makes you uneasy, in a way. You said it’s not full-out pyrophobia, like Ackerman has?”  
   
“No, fire’s fine. Candles, fireplaces, even campfires don’t bother me. Not even seeing it on TV or whatever. I think I only freak out when it’s like totally out of control… It didn’t bother me when Erwin was in control, and I wouldn’t mind a couple flaming B52s either… I guess it’s just when fire shouldn’t be there… but that’s normal. That’s when everyone freaks out. I guess, I just freak out more, because I know what can happen.”  
   
Levi’s eyes moved to Eren’s hands. “You’re still shaking.”  
   
Eren grabbed one hand with his other and looked down. “Sorry.”  
   
“Don’t be.” Levi stayed silent for a moment before looking up again. “Sleep next to me tonight.”  
   
Eren nodded. “I’d like that, Sir.”


	16. The Second Week (9)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold up! Please click [this link](http://breezerkawaiiart.tumblr.com/post/81938692997/tentative-bliss-chapter-11-levi-came-back-at) because the amazing and talented Breezy ([Personal Blog](http://breezerkawaii.tumblr.com/), [Art Blog](http://breezerkawaiiart.tumblr.com/)) made me fan art of Chapter 11 and I just want to roll around and hug her. Please go follow her! #PromoForHomo <3
> 
> On another note, if you're interested as to what happened to Armin in Chapter 15 and Girls Night, there is a side-one-shot (side-shot?) which is pretty much Chapter 15.5. It's not essential to the plot, so you don't _have_ to read it, but it does give away some hints and info about Levi and some other characters. Just click the series button! 
> 
> Anyway, the end of Week Two! Please enjoy!

* * *

 

 

Scrub, scrub, scrub. Bitch.  
  
Eren had woken up next to Levi, resting his head on the man’s chest. Levi’s fingers played with Eren’s hair. It was calm and relaxing and nice and Eren felt something warm inside him and it made him happy and things were good and he knew he was a dork but he just really liked being next to Levi.  
  
Eren kissed Levi’s cheek, and eventually his neck, and when push came to shove…  
  
They fooled around a little.  
  
It was after that, when they both moved the bathroom, that Eren heard the best sentence ever spoken:  
  
“Scrub, scrub, scrub. Bitch.”  
  
Eren chuckled. While, yes, the ultimate level of scrubbing Levi was giving his arm actually kind of hurt, he let his Dom do whatever he wanted, because he was the Dom and the Dom was a clean freak. They were under the rain shower, and he was happy that he and Levi shared temperature preferences. He loved showering with Armin too, but he had to admit Satan’s Ass was something he had no intention of touching even with a ten foot pole.  
  
Levi seemed content with how much scrubbing he had given his sub then pushed him aside. He ran the frilly bath sponge under hot water again before he lathered up and began scrubbing himself senseless. “Did you sleep well?”  
  
“Yeah!” Eren grabbed the shampoo bottle and popped the top. “Yourself, Sir?”  
  
“Great.” Levi sighed.  
  
Eren paused. “What?”  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
“You made a noise thingy.”  
  
Levi chuckled. “I just don’t want to go to work today.”  
  
Eren’s lower lip wibbled and he began spreading the shampoo through his hair.  
  
Levi finished scrubbing and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at Eren. “It is only for a couple of hours, and I have Annie to keep me company… Or I have Annie to keep the idiots away from me. They’re afraid of her. It’s wonderful.”  
  
Eren chuckled and ducked his head to rinse out the shampoo. “Yeah she gets scary when she’s mad.”  
  
“Does she?” Levi tilted his head. “I can’t say I’ve seen her angry. I imagine it’s quite the sight.”  
  
“Sorta.” Eren straightened his spine and shook his head violently, sending little water droplets everywhere.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Sorry!” Eren covered his mouth with his hands. “Sorry, Sir.”  
  
Levi chuckled. “You’re something.”  
  
“Y-Yeah, anyway!” Eren coughed. “Annie’s scary as fuck when she’s mad. But, like, she doesn’t get angry or upset… She just sort of gets… She’s one of those people that get really quiet and calm when they’re angry and holy shit I swear I want to run and hide every time she does it.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “I suppose that is very fitting of her. I imagine Mikasa to be the same.”  
  
“Um…” Eren scratched his cheek. “Mikasa has like… levels of anger. She’ll have a quiet phase because she’s just trying not to care, then an angry glare phase, then a phase where she jokes about it and that’s when you know she’s mad, then she has the violently throw you against a wall phase, and I’ve never seen her go past that, but she probably has more.”  
  
“Violently throw you against a wall?” Levi seemed amused. He hooked an arm around Eren’s waist and pulled him close. Feeling wet skin on wet skin made him smile. “And what about you? How do you react when you’re angry?”  
  
“Hmmm.” Eren scratched his nose. “I don’t know.”  
  
Levi smirked and kissed the corner of Eren’s mouth. “I see. Make the bed and wake up Armin, would you? He’ll probably need a hug. Poor brat.”  
  
Eren chuckled and nodded. “I’ll take care of him, Sir.”  
  
“Good Pup.” Levi kissed his jaw then cocked his head. “Go.”

  
  
⁂  
  


“Morning, Sunshine.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Armin.”  
  
“No…”  
  
Eren had scooped up the blond in his arms and hugged him tightly, but gently. “How do you feel?”  
  
“No.” Armin nuzzled the crook of Eren’s neck. “I feel no.”  
  
“You feel no?”  
  
“I feel all the no’s.”  
  
Eren used a finger to boop Armin’s nose.  
  
Armin chuckled and slowly opened one eye. “Eren. I feel like vomit.”  
  
Eren blinked. “You want to puke?”  
  
“No. I just feel like I am puke. I am the vomit. That’s me. That’s how I feel.”  
  
Eren kissed his forehead. “We all slept in for like two hours, and you slept early. Come on, let’s get up, okay?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“You’ll feel better with some food.”  
  
Armin sighed. “I’m dizzy.”  
  
Eren kissed Armin’s cheek. “Come on. Take a shower. You’ll feel better.”  
  
Armin groaned. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
Armin slipped out of Eren’s arms and realise he slept in his clothes. He pulled them off one by one and then everything went sideways.  
  
“Oh!” Eren hopped off the bed and caught Armin before he fell over. “Geez.”  
  
Armin rubbed his face. “Dizzy.”  
  
Eren bit his lip. “Are you sure you can shower on your own?”  
  
“Wanna join me?” Armin laughed. “No, I’ll be fine.”  
  
“You sure?”  
  
“Yes, Eren.”  
  
“Okay…”

  
  
⁂  
  


Levi wore a pair of black formal slacks and a buttoned up blue shirt that was a little loose on him. He decided to forgo the tie because fuck it, and he didn’t want to wear a jacket over top. He was still formal-looking, but not enough to say he gave a shit. It would be his first day back from his vacation and nobody would give a shit either.  
  
Eren was dressed in jeans and a shirt, and, to Levi’s dismay, an ugly stupid vest.  
  
Although, it did make Levi smile, for whatever reason.  
  
Eren opened the fridge door.  
  
“So…” Levi looked at the coffee pot. “How do you grind coffee beans?”  
  
Eren shrugged. “Honestly, I think it would be safer to just go with tea.”  
  
Levi thought about it then nodded. “You’re right. Set the table.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
Levi put the coffee pot down and walked over to the kettle. He clicked a button and it beeped, instantly coming to life and the water boiling instantly. That kettle was almost three grand. Oh how he loved being rich. He opened the cupboards above him and looked through his selection of teas. He could go with a simple black tea, but that would just be so… predictable. Earl Grey for breakfast. He might as well subscribe to Simple Life magazine.  
  
He grabbed the tin of milk oolong and gave it a shake.  
  
Empty.  
  
“I’ll refill this at work,” he mumbled and put it down. Armin said he would, but never got the chance. Not that Levi cared. He looked through his tins of tea and his eyes fell on a purple tin. He grabbed it and read the label. Chocolate Rush. He rolled his eyes. “I guess I could.” He put the metal tin down on the counter and closed the cupboard.  
  
He grabbed a large tea filter and a spoon.  
  
It was yerba mate, which was a common South American herb, paired with coffee beans, cocoa nibs, almonds and white chocolate flakes.  
  
Levi never really liked flavoured teas or anything too exciting. Tea was supposed to be calming. Simple. But, Armin always loved the wild blends, and he figured Eren would like the chocolaty flavour. Personally, he always drank his mate teas (or ma-teas as Ymir liked to joke before she was promptly punched in the throat by Levi every, single, time) straight. He loved it when yerba mates were properly dried with burning wood, giving it that rich smoky flavour.  
  
To have it diluted by chocolate…  
  
“Kids nowadays,” he grumbled and dropped the filled tea filter into a teapot. He grabbed his kettle and poured it in slowly, backing his head away from the white steam that rose from the water. He put the kettle down and grabbed a lid for a teapot.  
  
“Hey,” Eren spoke up.  
  
Levi glanced over his shoulder. “What?”  
  
“Look who decided to join us.”  
  
Levi looked the other way and saw a zombie walk into their kitchen. “Morning, Kitten.”  
  
Armin grumbled before he took his usual seat and went to sleep on it.  
  
Levi smirked; he made the right choice on choosing a tea Armin would like. He figured he’d need it. He glanced to the clock, it still needed to steep, so he decided to open the other cupboard and pull out the bag of sugar. He unrolled the top and tilted about a couple teaspoons into the pot before he rolled it up again and put it back.  
  
A beep.  
  
He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He swiped his thumb across the screen and chuckled. “A message from Ymir: She asks if mine is ‘dead, too’.”  
  
Armin grumbled something incoherent.  
  
“I’ll tell her yes.” Levi sent the message off before shoving it back in his pocket.  
  
Eren took a seat across from Armin. “That’s a cute sweater.”  
  
Levi looked over his shoulder again and smiled.  
  
Armin decided to change into light blue pyjama bottoms, but he wore a dark navy sweater. One Levi had seen before.  
  
“Kitten, why are you wearing my clothes?”  
  
Armin lifted his head and hugged himself. “Because you’re gonna be gone today. And it smells like you.”  
  
Levi glanced to the clock and nodded. He removed the top of the teapot and pulled the bag out. He watched the steam rise and the liquid fall from the filter. He moved it over to a metal spoon about the size of his hand. “Tea is ready.”  
  
Armin pulled up his knees and hugged himself. “My head hurts.”  
  
Eren chuckled and got up. “I guess I’ll make breakfast then?”  
  
Levi nodded as he walked over to the table with the teapot. “I don’t think our hung-over Kitten is capable of anything right now.”  
  
Eren chuckled some more and headed into the kitchen. “I’ll see what we have.” He opened the fridge door and looked around. He bit his lip, nothing that he could just throw in the microwave or something. He checked the crisp drawer and saw a bunch of apples, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, so on and so forth. “Should I just cut up a bunch of fruits?”  
  
“Fine by me,” Levi said as he took his seat. He patted Armin’s hair softly.  
  
Armin got up instantly and moved into Levi’s lap. “My head hurts.”  
  
“I know,” he said in an amused voice, “Just wait it out.”  
  
Armin winced and eventually sighed. “Okay, okay.”  
  
In the kitchen, Eren washed his hands and gave all the fruits a quick rinse. He grabbed a knife and sliced up the apples and put them in a large bowl. He washed the blueberries and just dumped them on the apples, then did the same with blackberries and raspberries. The orange required some peeling and breaking apart and he quickly snagged a small piece and munched on it. He glanced to the kitchen table.  
  
Armin was nuzzling into the crook of Levi’s neck.  
  
Eren grinned. How could he not? While Armin being cute was something he had gotten lots of before (although he always wanted more), seeing Levi in such a cute image of holding his blond and just providing comfort by presence…  
  
It was nice.  
  
Levi was so _not_ the person to do such a thing, but he seemed to make several exceptions every now and then when he thought his subs needed it.  
  
Eren liked that.  
  
A lot.  
  
Eren chuckled and shoved a couple blueberries in his mouth. He grabbed a couple bananas and sliced them up. He wondered if he should go back to get the melon but he figured there was enough food. He washed the strawberries next and added them to the bowl. He grabbed three forks and walked over. “Here. Food.”  
  
Levi glanced to the bowl and smiled. “Healthy breakfast. Come on, Armin, eat. You’ll feel better.”  
  
Armin nodded. He grabbed a fork and then stabbed an apple slice and shoved it in his mouth.  
  
“Eren.” Levi looked up at him. “Could you pour the tea?”  
  
Eren noticed the teapot and nodded. “I’ll get mugs. Any milk?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Armin perked up. “Purple milk.”  
  
Eren chuckled before heading off.  
  
Armin forked a strawberry and brought it to Levi’s mouth.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Don’t try to be cute with me.”  
  
“Too late.”  
  
Levi sighed and took the strawberry between his teeth.  
  
“Good boy,” Armin teased.  
  
Levi just stared.  
  
Armin tactically retreated to his own seat.  
  
Eren poured the tea in the mugs and pushed them to each place at the table. “How much milk would you like, Sir?”  
  
Levi glanced to the cup. “I don’t really care.”  
  
Eren smiled and poured until it was near the top. He looked at Armin who didn’t bother giving a reply so he did the same to the blond’s cup, and eventually to his own. He took a seat and grabbed a fork. He went for a banana first and nodded as he chewed on it. He grabbed his mug of tea and brought it to his mouth. He sipped it and, “Wow.”  
  
Armin looked at him.  
  
“This is good!”  
  
Armin grabbed his own mug and drank some. “Oh, this is the chocolate mate one, right?”  
  
Levi shrugged. “Yeah.”  
  
Armin, even with his hangover, was able to read some subtext. He sipped some more and smiled before putting it down gently.  
  
“Chocolate, tea?” Eren blinked and looked between them. “You can do that?”  
  
Levi snorted and shoved another strawberry in his mouth. “Yes. You can do a lot of things with tea.”  
  
Eren stared into his milky drink, trying to discover the secrets it kept sealed away by the seven sages, before he gave up and ate some more berries.  
  
“So…” Armin looked at Levi. “When are you going?”  
  
Levi pulled out his phone and checked his phone. “In two hours? I just have to show my face for a bit and answer some questions. They’ll wait for me if I’m late. They have to.”  
  
Eren smirked. “You’re the big boss, huh?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“That’s kinda hot.”  
  
Levi glanced at Eren, not impressed.  
  
Eren mumbled something and shoved more berries in his mouth.  
  
Armin brought his cup of tea up and chuckled into his mug in a vain attempt to muffle his laugh.  
  
“You’re both idiots.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.” Eren nodded.  
  
Armin just chuckled and rubbed his face.  
  
“Eat up, Kitten.”

  
  
⁂  
  


“Pup.”  
  
Eren looked up from the counter he was wiping down; Armin dusted and cleaned the whole house in the morning and Eren did the same in the evening, but he decided to take up Armin’s chores for the day. “Yes, Sir?”  
  
Levi stepped into the dining room. “I see you’ve found your way here on your own this time.”  
  
Eren blushed. “It was only one room I didn’t know about!”  
  
“And the pantry.”  
  
“And the pantry! But that’s it!”  
  
“Technically the dungeon as well.”  
  
“That doesn’t count! I wouldn’t have found it on my own!”  
  
“Armin found it on his own.” Levi smiled and crossed the distance between them. He captured Eren’s lips with his own before moving back. “I’m teasing. I was wondering where Armin was.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren felt his cheeks redden from the kiss. “He actually fell asleep in the library about an hour ago.”  
  
Levi nodded. “I’ll let him sleep.”  
  
Eren straightened his spine. “Do you need anything, Sir?”  
  
“Another week off would be nice,” Levi grumbled before looking away. “But, no. I’m fine. I’m leaving for work and thought I’d properly say goodbye since you two are up, or one of you now.”  
  
Eren smiled and put the white rag in his hand down. “I’ll see you out, Sir.”  
  
Levi chuckled and scratched the underside of Eren’s chin.  
  
Eren chuckled and grinned like a dork.  
  
“Come on, then.”  
  
Eren followed Levi out of the room and entered the kitchen, and eventually the hallway that led to the front door. He waited as Levi put on his shoes and he put on a smile, but he was sure it was crooked. “Have a good day at work.”  
  
“There’s no such thing as a good day at work.” Levi looked at him. “But I’ll attempt to be positive if it helps. Smile for me?”  
  
On command, he couldn’t help but grin.  
  
“Good boy.” Levi smiled as well.  
  
“I’m just sad that you’re…” Eren stopped. And then he laughed.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Levi, is Lev-ing.”  
  
Levi’s smile faded and his eyes rolled to the back of his head before they closed. He let out the most pained sigh before he rubbed his face with both hands.  
  
Eren swallowed hard and looked at his feet and wiggled his toes. “Sorry.”  
  
“You should be.”  
  
“I am.”  
  
Levi opened his eyes again and glanced to the wall. “I gave you a pair of keys by the way.”  
  
“I saw!” Eren looked up and beamed. “I, uh, I saw. Sir.”  
  
Levi silently chuckled at Eren’s happiness and he opened the front door. “I’ll be back soon.”  
  
Eren nodded and wiggled. “You know…”  
  
“Eren.” Levi took a deep breath. “I don’t advertise myself as someone who can see the future, but I have a feeling you’re about to say something really stupid right now.”  
  
Eren zipped his lips.  
  
“I take that as a yes?”  
  
Eren shrugged.  
  
“Is that a yes?”  
  
Eren sighed. “Well, I don’t think it’s stupid! But you probably would…”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “What is it?”  
  
“No, nothing…”  
  
“Tell me.”  
  
“No!”  
  
“It’s an order: Tell me. Now.”  
  
Eren sighed even louder. “I was just kinda thinking… that this is kind of like…” Eren wiggled a bit more. “It’s like! I’m the housewife and I get to say goodbye to my husband before he goes off to work and stuff, okay?”  
  
Levi just stared.  
  
He looked at his feet.  
  
“Eren…”  
  
“Yes, Sir?”  
  
“You’re an idiot.”  
  
“I know, Sir.”  
  
Levi stepped closer and tilted Eren’s chin upwards before kissing him softly.  
  
Eren felt his cheeks warm and he leaned into the kiss.  
  
Levi stroked Eren’s cheek with his thumb once before moving away. “I have no idea why, but I am somehow attracted to you.”  
  
“I have no idea why, either,” Eren admitted, “But I’m really happy you are!”  
  
Levi snorted and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be back in a couple hours.”  
  
“I’ll hold the fort, Sir!”  
  
Levi just rolled his eyes one more time, but not even he could fight back the stupid smile on his face.

  
  
⁂  
  


Eren had finished dusting all three floors and he was walking up the stairs to his room when he saw a sleepy blond walking down the stairs from the third floor. “Morning, Sunshine.”  
  
“Sunshine,” Armin mumbled. “You call me that a lot lately.”  
  
Eren stepped onto the second floor and Armin did the same. He opened his arms and Armin instantly found his rightful place inside them. “I do. You don’t like it?”  
  
Armin shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I like it. I’m just curious why.”  
  
“You’re like sunshine.” Eren shrugged and hugged him. “It just fits.”  
  
Armin nuzzled slowly into Eren’s chest. “Where’s Levi?”  
  
“He went to work.”  
  
Armin backed away instantly and rubbed his face. “I missed him?”  
  
Eren chuckled. “He’ll be back soon.”  
  
Armin pouted.  
  
“Come on, I’m sure we can do something fun.”  
  
Armin sighed and shrugged.  
  
“Why don’t we take a dip in the pool?”  
  
“Oh…”  
  
“You said it’s heated, right?”  
  
“Yeah, but…” Armin tugged his sweater. “Then I have to take this off. It smells like him.”  
  
Eren hugged him again and rubbed his nose against Armin’s shoulder. He closed his eyes. He smiled and nodded. “Yeah. It does smell like him.”  
  
“See? So I don’t want to take it off…”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Then why don’t we do something else?”  
  
Armin thought about it before nodding; that was a good idea.

  
  
⁂  
  


“You got to get on Sanchez.”  
  
“Armin, his name isn’t Sanchez.”  
  
“Yes it is.”  
  
“No… He’s the King of the Red Lions.”  
  
“Well, why can’t Sanchez be the King of the Red Lions?”  
  
“Because he’s not.”  
  
“He’s Sanchez!” Armin frowned. “Got something against the name Sanchez? It’s the fifth most common male name in Spain, you know?”  
  
Eren glared at him. “I’m going to throw this controller at you.”  
  
“You can’t sail Sanchez without the controller.”  
  
“He’s not Sanchez!”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Because he’s the King of the Red Lions! That’s his name! He said so! And plus, he’s a boat; Sanchez is a human name!”  
  
Armin frowned. “Well, why can’t we name our boat Sanchez?”  
  
“Because he has a name!” Eren put the controller down and rubbed his face. “I’m never playing Zelda with you again, God damnit. Look! He has a name and he’s the king!”  
  
“What?” Armin frowned. “Why can’t Sanchez be a king? You don’t think someone with the name Sanchez can be a king?”  
  
“Sanchez is a human name! He’s a boat, who is the king of lions!”  
  
“Well if he’s a boat who is the king of lions then it means you don’t have to be a lion to be the king of lions which means you don’t have to have a boat name just because you’re a boat!”  
  
“I’m so done with you.” Eren raised both hands. “Here. You play.”  
  
Armin took the gamepad. “Good. You were about to sail past a fairy fountain.”  
  
Eren looked at him. “How do you know everything about every game ever?”  
  
Armin chuckled. “Well, I don’t, but I am boss at Wind Waker. It’s because Sanchez and I get along.”  
  
“God damnit, Armin!”  
  
“Oy…”  
  
The two of them jumped and turned around.  
  
Levi leaned on the doorway. “The fuck are you two yelling about?”  
  
Eren pouted. “Armin’s being lame! He’s renaming all the NPC!”  
  
Levi just looked at Armin.  
  
Armin shrugged. “The boat.”  
  
Levi tilted his head. “Sanchez?”  
  
Eren opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.  
  
“We named him Sanchez,” Levi explained simply.  
  
“But!” Eren stood up. “But he named Tetra, that pirate girl—”  
  
“–Titty Barrels.”  
  
“But! He named grandma—”  
  
“Sad Saggy.” Levi just looked at the T.V. “Our strange video game habits aside… Oh. How far did you get?”  
  
“Just finished the Forest Haven,” Armin replied.  
  
“You have a lot of hearts.”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren chuckled, “Armin knows where to get all the heart pieces.”  
  
Armin paused the game and put the controller down. He hopped up to his feet and turned around. He hugged Levi tightly and smiled. “Missed you.”  
  
“Tch.” Levi looked at Eren. “Get him off me.”  
  
Eren hugged Armin from behind and pulled him away. “How was work.”  
  
“Fucking awful. My coffee machine broke and nobody wanted to do anything about it and my secretary told me he was told not to put in a repair order by one of the higher ups. So I cornered that fucker in an elevator, almost made him wet himself, and fired him.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Over a coffee machine?”  
  
“And other things, of course.” Levi smirked. “I’m not that crazy that I would fire someone over coffee… I was just so tired of his shit and him fucking with my coffee machine, which has nothing to do with him, was the last straw. But, anyway, enough about that. I want coffee.”  
  
Armin nodded. “Yes, Master.”  
  
“Make it whatever way you want.” Levi cocked his head to the side.  
  
Armin instantly moved to the kitchen.  
  
Levi sighed. “Go figure out how it works so we’re not helpless if he gets hung-over again.”  
  
“Yes Sir!”  
  
“Good.”

  
  
⁂  
  


Armin stepped into the kitchen and noticed Eren behind him. “Coming to help?”  
  
“Yep.” Eren smiled. “And to learn, apparently.”  
  
“Wanna know how to make the best latte?” Armin turned around and smiled. “It’s Levi’s favourite.”  
  
“Sure!”  
  
“Get the milk, skim, and a small pot to heat it up in.”  
  
Eren nodded and moved to the fridge. He grabbed the milk, the blue milk, and put it on the counter. He opened up the drawer with the pots and tried to find the smallest one. He found one that he figured would do the job and put it on the stove.  
  
“So.” Armin came back from the pantry. “How was dinner last night? Did you guys like the risotto?”  
  
Eren paused.  
  
A flash of heat, from his memory.  
  
“Great.” Eren smiled. His fingers twitched but he pretended to be fine.  
  
Luckily, Armin was quite distracted with setting everything up. He had coffee beans, an electric grinder, cinnamon sticks, and a tiny jar of what seemed to be sugar. “Could you get the French Press?”  
  
“French Press?” Eren frowned. “Oh! Newspaper?”  
  
Armin paused. He walked over to Eren and then cupped both of his cheeks. “Oh. You poor thing. Shh. It’s okay.” He backed away and moved into the pantry. He came back with a tall coffee pot that wasn’t very wide. “This is a French Press, or press pot, or coffee press, coffee plunger, or _сafetière à piston_ ,” the French words flowed off his tongue so easily it sounded like one word.  
  
“Oh. So it’s not newspaper.” Eren cleared his throat. “How does it work?”  
  
“Well there’s the glass beaker, or the pot,” Armin said as he tapped the glass, “Then there’s the plunger.” He pulled the top off, which removed the attached plunger as well. “The plunger goes down and keeps all the ground coffee beans and stuff on the bottom while the liquid goes up. It’s okay. Just watch.”  
  
“Okay.” Eren chuckled. “So what do we do?”  
  
“Just pour the milk in the pot and heat it up, okay?”  
  
“Sure.” Eren turned on the stove, flinching a little as the blue jet gas burner came to life beneath the pot. He grabbed the milk and opened the top. “How much?”  
  
“Uh…” Armin grabbed a large measuring cup. “About a litre or something?”  
  
“Okay.” Eren took the measuring cup and put it down. He poured four cups of milk into it then poured that into the small pot. “Should I stir the milk? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”  
  
“Um, sure?” Armin chuckled. “It doesn’t really matter until it gets hot. Here.”  
  
Eren watched as Armin handed him a whisk.  
  
“Just whisk it to help it froth up a bit when it gets hot, okay?”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
Armin nodded and turned to his little station. He opened the bag of fresh, organic, fair trade, yadda yadda, expensive high quality, something blue Jamaican(???) coffee beans or something and put several teaspoons into the grinder. He hit the button and saw Eren flinch when the loud buzzing happened. “Sorry.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “It’s okay. Just wasn’t expecting it.”  
  
“You’re kinda jumpy.”  
  
“Don’t worry about it.”  
  
Armin stopped the grinder and opened the top. He poured the freshly ground coffee beans into the French Press and tapped the grinder to make sure every bit fell in.  
  
“The milk is starting to heat up.”  
  
“Okay. Awesome. Good timing, too.” Armin put the grinder down. “So you put the coffee beans in the grinder, and it grinds them, then you put the ground coffee beans into the French Press.”  
  
“Okay.” Eren nodded.  
  
“Technically that’s all you need, but.” He opened up a small tub of cinnamon sticks and he grabbed one. He attempted to break it in half and winced. After half a minute, he handed it to Eren.  
  
Eren took it and snapped it then handed it back.  
  
Armin took both pieces without a word and dropped them in. “You can add some other stuff for flavour. Cinnamon is always fun. Ymir got me into a mix of roses and cinnamon.” He grabbed the tiny jar. “This is just sugar but I infused it with rose water, so it tastes and smells like roses.”  
  
“Oh! Cool!” Eren looked at it. “Was that hard?”  
  
“Nope.” Armin grinned and shook some of the white sugar on top of the bed of ground coffee. “There. Roses and cinnamon.”  
  
“That’s kind of a nice mix.” Eren smiled. “Kind of weird to think of a coffee tasting like flowers, though.”  
  
“It’s a subtle flavour,” Armin explained with a smile. “The milk is bubbling.”  
  
“Oh!” Eren grabbed the whisk and began moving it in slow clockwise circles before spinning once counter-clockwise and then going clockwise again. “So is it supposed to get foamy or something?”  
  
“No, Levi hates foam. We don’t talk about foam in this house.” Armin chuckled. “If you want foam then you can use an electric whisk, but just using a normal whisk helps air it up and make it a bit… not fluffier, but milk has to move or every protein will denature and it’ll burn up. You can turn the heat off.”  
  
“Okay.” Eren let go of the whisk and spun the dial on the side. “Now what? Pour it in?”  
  
“You bet!” Armin backed away.  
  
Eren moved to Armin’s little station and poured the steaming milk into the French Press then put the pot on the stove again, a different element. “Now what?”  
  
“Now we let it steep a bit.” Armin opened one of the drawers and grabbed a chopstick. He dipped in the heated milk and began stirring. “You can just leave it alone, but milk is thicker than water, so stirring it helps with surface area and just other things.” It didn’t take long for the creamy white to take on a brown coffee colour. “And then you just let it steep for a bit.”  
  
“That’s it?”  
  
“That’s it.” Armin removed the chopstick and put it down. He grabbed the top of the French Press and put it over the glass beaker. “Milk also has a strong flavour, so you should let it steep a bit more than it needs to with water, just in case.”  
  
Eren nodded as he looked at it. “So that plunger thing on the top. You just push it down?”  
  
“Yep.” Armin figured that was good enough. He pressed the top of the plunger.  
  
Eren watched as a small amount of dark brown gathered beneath the filter that held down the ground coffee beans.  
  
Armin pushed it down to the bottom and smiled. “And done.”  
  
“Done? That’s it?”  
  
“That’s it. Can you get some mugs?”  
  
“Sure.” Eren opened the cupboard and grabbed three ceramic mugs. He put them down and watched Armin pour. “You know what goes great with coffee?”  
  
Armin gave a suspicious glance. “What?”  
  
“Cucumber sandwiches.”  
  
Armin grinned. “Okay. Only because you made such a nice puppy yesterday.”  
  
“Arf!” Eren smooched his cheek.  
  
Armin instantly smooched Eren’s cheek back. “Okay, okay. Call Levi.”

  
  
⁂  
  


“Eren. Don’t be a savage.”  
  
“I can’t help it,” Eren whined. He grabbed another sandwich and shoved it down his throat. “I’s so’h goo’h!”  
  
Levi winced. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”  
  
Eren straddled a boat and moaned as he drifted off into the sunset.  
  
They had changed their usual seats at the kitchen table: Eren was sitting at the head, between them, which was Levi’s seat, and Levi sat in Eren’s seat, across Armin.  
  
Armin laughed and watched Eren shovel more sandwiches in his mouth. “Just remember to chew, okay?”  
  
Eren nodded and grabbed his mug of coffee. He sipped it and moaned some more because that was a totally normal and adequate response to drinking coffee.  
  
Armin moved some hair out of his eyes and behind his ears. “How do you like it?”  
  
Eren eventually had a free mouth to talk and he sighed like a furnace. “Amazing.” He sipped it some more and closed his eyes. Made with milk instead of water, the coffee was a much more filling and much creamier. It had a touch of spice from the cinnamon sticks and it had the most divine touch of something serene from the floral addition. He grabbed another cucumber sandwich.  
  
Levi watched with interest. “At least he’s leaving the other ones for us.”  
  
Armin chuckled and nodded.  
  
There were three kinds of sandwiches: Cucumber sandwiches (which might as well have been renamed “Eren Sandwiches”), small open-faced salmon sandwiches on quarter pieces of bagels with cream cheese, and slices of toast with light homemade marmalade layered with a slice of Swiss cheese.  
  
Levi grabbed a slice of toast and took a small bite. He nodded in appreciation. The taste of Swiss mixed with the warmth of the toast with the cool feel of the sweet marmalade; it was light and Levi enjoyed it with the company of the bold, filling coffee. It was also sweet, from the marmalade, and it worked well with the roses. “Interesting mix.”  
  
“Thank you.” Armin grinned. “Ymir told me about it, but I didn’t think it would be this good.”  
  
Levi nodded.  
  
“Oh my God!” Eren shouted. “Everything is so good!”  
  
Armin looked at him and offered a smile. “We still have to eat dinner tonight…”  
  
“Well it might as well be dinner,” Levi pointed out. He checked his phone. “It’s seven.”  
  
Armin blinked. “Is it?”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren chuckled. “You sleepy face.”  
  
Armin scratched his nose. “I made a lot of sandwiches because I figured we would have leftovers for breakfast… But I should have known better, I think.”  
  
Levi smiled and sipped his coffee. He put his mug down, making sure not to make a noise as the ceramic tapped glass. “Well, breakfast for dinner is the best kind of dinner.”  
  
Armin looked at him, almost studied him for a moment. “That’s an odd thing to hear you say, Sir.”  
  
Levi paused, eyes drifting off to the platter of mini sandwiches. “It’s something my mom said a lot when I grew up.”  
  
Eren swallowed. “Which mom, Sir?”  
  
“The one that adopted me,” Levi muttered. “We lived near a farm that mainly sold eggs, so they were cheaper than meat for dinner. We would add a bit of flour and it was halfway to a pancake and we would pretend it was dinner.”  
  
Armin grinned. “I used to do that too!”  
  
Levi blinked. “Really?”  
  
“Yeah. We added flour to a lot of things, just to make it more filling since we were always low on food.”  
  
Levi smiled softly. He glanced over to Eren, and his smile faded. “What is it?”  
  
Eren blinked. “Nothing.”  
  
Armin tilted his head. “Eren?”  
  
“Oh it’s nothing, it’s stupid.” Eren forced a light laugh. “I guess, sometimes, I just sort of feel like you two have a lot more in common with each other than me, I guess, which is okay, but it’s just…”  
  
Levi’s eyes softened. “Eren.”  
  
“It’s okay!” Eren looked at them both. “I just don’t know what it’s like, I guess. I grew up with money… Well not,” he looked around, “ _Money_ money, but we had money. We were middle class for the most of my life.”  
  
Armin sipped his drink. “What’s your family like, if you don’t mind me asking?”  
  
Eren looked at Armin and realised he only told Levi.  
  
Armin waited for some kind of reply. “I, uh, I mean, if it’s a closed topic…”  
  
“Oh! No, it’s okay. I just zoned out!” Eren scratched the back of his head. “My dad’s a researcher, and my mom’s a professor. We grew up middle class? I guess? When I was around ten my dad made a couple breakthroughs in disease control—Sorry, he was a disease and virus researcher guy. He did things like that. Now he’s got a huge name for himself. Google Jaeger, which is a pretty common German word, and all you’ll get is Grisha Jaeger since he’s such a big hot shot in the medical world now.”  
  
Armin smiled. “That’s pretty cool!”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren nodded. “My mom also has a pretty big name for herself, not as big, I guess, but she’s one of the heads of her faculty at Greg Hundts University.”  
  
“Hanji works there,” Levi pointed out.  
  
Fear flashed in Eren’s green eyes. “Hanji doesn’t teach sciences does she?”  
  
“No.” Levi silently snickered. “Accounting and finance.”  
  
“Oh! Right, she said that.” Eren scratched his nose. “But, yeah.”  
  
Armin tilted his head. “Greg Hundts is world renowned for its science programs. Your mom teaches there?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren nodded. “That’s how my mom and dad met, actually, they shared that in common. That’s also how Mikasa got interested in microbiology, because she heard my mom talk about it so much. My mom teaches all the heavy courses, like post-doctorate level.”  
  
Armin blinked. “Wow!”  
  
“Yeah… If you’re trying to publish your paper to get your PhD, she’s one of the people that grill you and force you to defend your thesis.”  
  
Levi raised a brow. “That’s quite high up.”  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
Armin smiled. “That’s nice… Do you still talk to them?”  
  
“Um. Not really?” Eren shrugged. “I mean, occasionally… Actually.” He reached in his pocket. “She texted me this morning, forgot to read it.” He tapped his passcode into his phone and hit messages. “Oh. Shit. It’s my aunt’s birthday… I’ll give her a call in a couple hours or something. Ugh. She’s the aunt nobody talks about, except on her birthday.”  
  
Levi snorted. “We all have one of those.”  
  
Eren laughed.  
  
But Armin just stayed quiet, and took a small bite out of the salmon sandwiches.

  
  
⁂  
  


“Yes, it’s Eren.” He winced and pushed his forehead against the wall of their bedroom. “I just called to wish you happy birthday, auntie!” He did his best to pay attention to whatever she was talking about. “That’s great!” More chatter. “I agree… Yes, I think so too… No I’m not working right now… I’m just taking some time off… Yes, I know… Yes… Yes… Uhuh… Okay… Yeah… Yep… Okay… Yeah… Yep… Alright, well, I’m going to let you go now.” Eren rolled his eyes. “Okay, talk to you soon too.”  
  
He closed his phone.  
  
Eren sighed and took a seat on the edge of the bed. He plugged in his charger and put his phone down on the little bedside table. “Well, that was one shitty phone call I’m glad I’m done with.” He looked over his shoulders.  
  
Armin sitting cross-legged on the bed, in his light blue undies and Levi’s sweater.  
  
Eren rolled closer to the blond and kissed his knee. “What’s up?”  
  
Armin smiled and messed up Eren’s hair. “Nothing.” He hugged himself and nuzzled the sweater. “It’s like cuddling with Levi.”  
  
“Is it?” Eren sat up and wrapped both arms around the blond. Armin leaned back and Eren rested his head on Armin’s chest. He closed his eyes. The smell was a mix of Armin and Levi now and it made him smile wide. “This is nice.”  
  
“Yeah.” Armin hugged Eren back. “It’s like cuddling with Levi, if Levi would cuddle.”  
  
Eren chuckled and he opened his eyes. He looked up at Armin. He noticed a smile on the blond’s lips and he couldn’t help but move up to smooch him. “What is it?”  
  
“Nothing.” Armin smooched back. “It’s just been a good day.”  
  
“A good day?” Eren tilted his head. “But nothing really happened.”  
  
“Yeah, but that’s kind of nice, though, isn’t it? I mean, at least to me it is.” Armin ran a hand through Eren’s hair. “It’s just fitting, I guess. I mean, today is day fourteen, you know?”  
  
Eren readjusted himself so he was resting his head on Armin’s shoulder. “Yeah…”  
  
“Most subs don’t make it to the two weeks mark.”  
  
Eren frowned. “Why?”  
  
“Hmmm, well, plenty of reasons. Because Levi thinks they’re incompetent, or defiant, or he doesn’t trust them in the house. Because the sub isn’t looking for this lifestyle, or they don’t get along with Levi, or me, or it’s just not what they’re looking for. There’s no one reason, I guess. But most subs are gone by now.”  
  
“Huh…” Eren closed his eyes. “It’s kind of scary.”  
  
“What is?”  
  
“Just, that… half my time here is gone.”  
  
Armin smiled and moved a hand under Eren’s chin and he scratched it as Levi would. He kissed Eren’s forehead. “I don’t think you’re looking at it the right way. I see it as an accomplishment.”  
  
Eren thought about it for a minute. “I guess that’s a better way to look at it… Or maybe it’s a more positive one. I don’t know. But you’re right, today’s been a good day.”  
  
Armin nodded and hugged Eren tight. “Today is the end of your second week here, and it was just a really nice day. A nice, relaxing… ‘home-y’ day. I guess it kinda lets me know what life would be like if you sign another contract with Levi. And that’s good… Because I liked today, and I want it to be like this, always.”  
  
Eren grinned and raised his head. He pressed his lips against Armin’s and kissed him softly.  
  
Armin smiled into the kiss and almost whined when Eren moved away.  
  
Eren chuckled. “Me too. To, just, everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Armin nodded and turned to his little station. He opened the bag of fresh, organic, fair trade, yadda yadda, expensive high quality, something blue Jamaican(???) coffee beans or something and put several teaspoons into the grinder."_  
>  \--Truth be told I wrote this thinking I would just fix it later but rereading it... I realised it had some kind of beatnik beauty to it so I kept it, with the question marks. I don't know if it's me not caring, me losing control of my life, or me appreciating something greater, but yeah that's not a mistake. LOL.


	17. The Third Week (1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was going to wait until tomorrow (and by that I mean an hour and twenty minutes for it to hit midnight), so I could post this chapter on April 11th. TB began on January 11th, so it's been three months! Three months and we're halfway through. Thank you again for all the support. I love you guys. I really do. Psst. Chapter title.

* * *

 

 

 _”Eren…”  
   
“Y-Yes, S-Sir?”  
   
“Get out.”  
   
“But—”  
   
“—Get the fuck out of my house!”  
   
“Wait, Sir, please! It was a mistake! I just, I’m sorry!”  
   
“Get out, now!”  
   
“Please,” Eren whimpered. He grabbed his Doms arm and brought it to the underside of his chin. “Please, Sir…”  
   
“No. Get out. I’m sorry, but our contract,” Shrek whispered, “Is ogre!”_  
   
   
Eren screeched and screamed; he flailed his arms and legs, kicking and punching the bed sheets in the dark. Something next to him also started screaming and Eren started screaming even more. Inhumane noises left his throat as he was somewhere between crying, shouting, and yodelling.  
   
The door was thrown open. “What’s wrong!?”  
   
“I don’t know!” Armin cried, wiping the tears from his eyes. “He just started screaming!”  
   
Eren saw red—nothing but red, until two arms wrapped around him. His head was pushed into something warm, and it took him a second to realise who it was.  
   
“Shh.” Levi pulled him closer. “Shhh.”  
   
Eren’s breathing was heavy and his throat was sore. His eyes were brimming with tears and he felt them, hot, roll down his cheeks. He nuzzled into Levi’s neck and hugged him tight.  
   
Levi stroked Eren’s shoulder and cooed, “It’s okay.”  
   
Eren eventually moved away and wiped his eyes. “I-I’m sorry.”  
   
Levi frowned. “Don’t be.”  
   
Eren felt two arms slide around him from behind. He looked over his right shoulder and saw Armin’s head resting there. He couldn’t help but smile. He looked at his left and saw Levi take his hand. “I just… had a scary dream.”  
   
Levi stroked the back of Eren’s hand with his thumb. “Do you usually experience nightmares?”  
   
Eren shook his head.  
   
Armin hugged him tighter. “What was it about?”  
   
“Um…” Eren laughed. “It sounds silly, but… Shrek.”  
   
“Shrek?” Levi blinked. “What?”  
   
“Nothing, forget it. I’m sorry—what time is it?”  
   
“Four thirty,” Levi replied promptly. “You should go back to sleep.”  
   
Armin nodded and kissed his shoulder.  
   
Eren looked down and sighed. “I woke you both up? I’m sorry.”  
   
“Stop saying sorry.” Levi tsk’d. “Just go to sleep.” He leaned over and kissed Eren’s cheek. “I’ll be in my room… If you want to join me, you can.”  
   
“N-No.” Eren shook his head. “I’m okay.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “You don’t like sleeping next to me?”  
   
Eren straightened his spine. “That’s not what I meant, Sir!”  
   
Armin chuckled. “He’s teasing.” Armin kissed Eren’s shoulder again. “Come on, let’s go back to sleep, okay?”  
   
Eren nodded. “Yeah… Um, thank you guys…”  
   
Armin squeezed him. “You’re welcome.”  
   
“No I mean…” Eren sighed. “Thank you.”  
   
“Eren, Pup?”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
“Shut up and go back to bed.”  
   
Eren felt his cheeks warm. “I think you’re the only person who can say ‘Shut up’ affectionately, Sir.”  
   
Levi frowned. “I don’t say anything affectionately.”  
   
Armin laughed.  
   
Levi glared at him.  
   
Armin shut up, affectionately.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren didn’t know how many hours passed, but the sun was shining through the window when he finally opened his eyes. He immediately noticed a lack of Armin and pouted. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked out the window to see the endless blue of the ocean. He couldn’t help but smile. The way the sun glazed over the perilous blue was just… He had to remind himself to breathe.  
   
Eventually, Eren swung his legs over the bed and grabbed his phone. He checked the time and winced. It was one in the afternoon. “Oh crap.” He put his phone down and tugged off his boxers. He stepped into the bathroom and quickly spun the knob to turn on the water.  
   
He showered in record time.  
   
Eren stepped out with a half-contented sigh. He dried himself off quickly and headed back in their room. He went through his clothes and decided to just go with white T-shirt, grey boxers, and black jeans. He stopped and looked at the mirror through the bathroom door. “I’m horny and monochrome for you, again, Sir.”  
   
Luckily no one responded.  
   
He grabbed his phone and went out into the hall. He made his way down the stairs and stepped into the kitchen.  
   
“Morning.”  
   
Eren glanced to the table to see Armin sitting in his usual seat, cellphone in hand. “Morning! Or, er, afternoon?”  
   
Armin put his phone down and got up. He walked over and hugged Eren tightly.  
   
Eren grinned and hugged him back. “Heya.”  
   
“I was worried.”  
   
Eren paused. “What?” Oh—Because of my nightmare? Uh, sorry.”  
   
“Well, not just that… You were tossing and turning a bit afterwards. I was just a bit worried.” Armin backed away just enough to look up at him. “Are you okay?”  
   
“Yeah… Just, ignore that little episode. I feel great now.” Eren kissed his forehead. “I’m just a dork, don’t mind me.”  
   
Armin smiled and nodded. “Sit. I was just going to make lunch.”  
   
“I’ll help!”  
   
Armin paused. “You should sit.”  
   
“Armin, I’m fine.” Eren kissed his cheek. “I’m okay now, but… thank you for caring.”  
   
Armin looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding. “Okay. What should we make? What do you want?”  
   
“Cucumber sandwiches.”  
   
Armin gave a sad smile. “We’re out of cucumbers… I checked this morning. I was going to make some for you, actually, but I used them all yesterday.”  
   
Eren deflated. “I’m no longer okay.”  
   
Armin chuckled and hugged him tight. “I’m sure we can make something else, though.”  
   
Eren sighed a deep sigh, a sigh so deep he swore there was a redhead little mermaid signing a contract to trade her voice for legs with some evil queen octopus lady. “Maybe we can go buy some cucumbers?”  
   
Armin walked over to the fridge and shook his head. “We don’t have a car. I actually asked Krista if she could take me earlier, but she’s busy.”  
   
“We could ask someone else!”  
   
“Mikasa, Annie, Marco, Jean, Ymir…” Armin sighed. “I tried them all. Except Hanji… but, take my advice, that’s not a good idea.”  
   
“Noted!”  
   
Armin smiled and opened the fridge door. He peered inside. “Hmm. Oh! Do you want hot dogs? Like, barbecued sausage hot dogs. The real thing.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren’s eyes lit up. Now there was an idea. “Sure, but if we’re going to use the barbecue grill thing, why not do that for dinner?”  
   
“Levi doesn’t like pork, actually. I mean, he’ll eat it, especially if it’s mixed in like pepperoni in the Stromboli he doesn’t mind, but on its own he’s ‘eh’ about it.”  
   
Eren walked over and crossed his arms. “Why?”  
   
“Hmm. Well, he says it’s not really a healthy meat, or something? I don’t know. I mean there are lean cuts of pork that are on par with lean cuts of the meats he does like, like chicken and turkey and ostrich.”  
   
Eren frowned. “Ostrich?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin looked over his shoulder. “You’ve never had it?”  
   
“Nope.”  
   
“I’ll make it for you sometime!”  
   
“Uh…” Eren winced. “No thanks!”  
   
Armin faced the fridge, lowering his voice to a whisper: “You won’t know.”  
   
“Huh? Sorry?”  
   
“Nothing!”  
   
“Okay.” Eren looked at the fridge. “We can have hot dogs then.”  
   
“Or I could make burgers. I kind of want to use the grill now.” Armin tilted his head. “Have you ever made burgers?”  
   
“Yeah, just throw ‘em on the thingy and flip.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “I meant from scratch, making the patties.”  
   
“Oh. Nope.”  
   
“Oh! So why don’t we have burgers for dinner, and hot dogs for lunch? Making the burgers is fun, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty. You have to touch raw ground meat, some people don’t like that. It’s okay if you’re squeamish.”  
   
“Armin.”  
   
Armin turned around. “What?”  
   
“I’m a man,” he reminded. “Okay? Don’t worry about me.”  
   
Armin fought the urge to laugh. “Ah yes, of course.” The fridge beeped and he closed the door.  
   
Eren blinked. “What was that?”  
   
“Oh, it just beeps if you leave the door open too long. It’s not really a problem. So… Hmmm, I wonder what else we can make with the hot dogs. What veggies should we have?”  
   
Eren made a face. “No veggies.”  
   
Armin laughed, shaking his head. “Vitamins, Eren. Plus, I make them tasty, don’t I?”  
   
“Okay, you have a point; you do make them pretty tasty.”  
   
Armin took that small victory and turned around. He opened the fridge door again and opened the crisp drawer. He grabbed zucchini, eggplants, onions, then handed them to Eren.  
   
Eren had gotten used to just being the holder of things, so he took them all without a word.  
   
Armin grabbed some peppers, green, red, and yellow, and then a box of small tomatoes. “So. Hmm.” He closed the fridge door with his foot. “So let’s wash everything, and then we’re going to cut it all up. Okay?”  
   
“Sure!”  
   
The washing didn’t take long, and soon Eren was handed a knife and the peppers. He cleaned them out, washing out the seeds, and then put them on a cutting board. “How big do you want me to cut them? Same as last time?”  
   
“No. Bigger, much bigger.” Armin sliced the zucchini in half, horizontally, through the length of the entire thing. “And try to make them… square-ish? If they’re too small or uneven they’re going to burn. We’re putting them on the barbecue.”  
   
Eren looked at everything and pursed his lips. There was one eggplant, three zucchinis, four onions, nine peppers in all, and a whole box of small tomatoes – not quite cherry tomatoes, but Eren didn’t think they were big enough to be tomato tomatoes. “Isn’t this a bit much, though?”  
   
“Well we’re going to make a lot for lunch and dinner. I figure we’re going to be busy with making the burgers, so we can just have the same veggie dish thing?”  
   
“Oh, sure.” Eren nodded. “As much as I love cooking with you, I’m all for less work.”  
   
Armin chuckled and nodded. He began chopping up the zucchinis. “When you’re done with one just throw it in that bowl.” He motioned to a glass bowl with a nudge of his head. “Then we’re going to put them on metal skewers and roast them over the grill.”  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow as he sliced the peppers. “Wow, you really can make veggies tasty… or at least sound tasty. Roasted peppers might be nice… I’m not really an eggplant or zucchini fan… but I trust you.”  
   
Armin grinned. “That sounds like a pretty big compliment. A bit bigger.”  
   
“A bigger compliment? Greedy!”  
   
“No!” Armin laughed. “Sorry, I meant the peppers. Cut them a bit bigger.”  
   
“Oh!”  
   
They both laughed and continued to cut. Armin finished the zucchini, threw them in the bowl, then grabbed another one. Eren did the same with peppers.  
   
“So, kind of an obvious question,” Eren spoke up, “But I’m guessing Levi’s at work?”  
   
“Mhm.” Armin sighed. “I wanted to wear his sweater again today but I think he’d get mad.”  
   
Eren grinned. “You were pretty cute in his clothes.”  
   
“Yeah. I’m lucky we’re around the same size.” Armin grabbed the third zucchini. “I actually wear his clothes a lot in winter time, and whenever he has to go for a business trip. He usually gives me away to Erwin or Jean, and I just pack a suitcase full of his sweaters and he just does that angry silent sigh thing he does but he doesn’t say anything.”  
   
Eren could imagine it. He grinned wide. “He’s nice like that… He knows we have stupid things we like, but he doesn’t say anything about them.”  
   
Armin nodded. “I think it’s because he knows we have to put up with all his quirks, so he lets us have ours.”  
   
Eren nodded. “That makes sense.” He threw more peppers into the bowl. “What time will he be back?”  
   
“Ugh. Late tonight.” Armin sighed. “He’s got a meeting with people, mostly because he fired that dickweed yesterday. He didn’t tell me too much about it, though. Wasn’t in the mood.”  
   
Eren pouted. “Oh well.”  
   
Armin sliced up the eggplant and put his knife down. “You finish up here, I’m going to turn the barbecue on, let the burners go off in prep.”  
   
“Okay.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
When Armin came back, Eren was slicing up the last pepper. “Hey,” Eren said. “Do you want me to slice up the tomatoes too? Or are we just going to skewer them?”  
   
“Just skewer them.” Armin walked over to the fridge and opened the door. He grabbed a couple bottles before closing the door again. He put them down on the counter and hummed. “I hate sauce.”  
   
“Sauce?” Eren frowned. “For the hot dogs?”  
   
“No.” Armin laughed and grabbed a small bowl. “Just a glaze for the veggies. Mostly water to make sure they don’t burn—the sausages need high heat to cook, but the veggies don’t and we’re going to grill them at the same time. I like to make a glaze, a bit of barbecue sauce and some flavours. It’s just light, though. I hate heavy sauces.”  
   
“What’s bad about the sauce?”  
   
Armin put his hands on the counter and took a deep breath. “Well!”  
   
Eren felt like he just opened Pandora’s Box.  
   
“It’s just fucking stupid! Sauce is a f-fucking stupid piece of shit!”  
   
Eren continued slicing the peppers.  
   
Armin walked off to the living room, grabbed a pillow and screamed into it.  
   
Eren swallowed hard and continued slicing the peppers.  
   
Armin came back and looked like he was about to punch someone.  
   
Eren continued slicing the peppers.  
   
Armin heaved a heavy sigh.  
   
Eren had no more peppers to cut so he pretended to cut something invisible.  
   
“I just… I don’t like sauce. Well, that’s not true… I like sauce if it’s not a problem. You go to a restaurant, you order pasta, and you get some pasta just bathing in sauce. Alfredo sauce, tomato sauce, rose sauce, pesto sauce… It’s so… overpowering. I mean, I like eating pasta because I like the taste of pasta. I like eating shrimp because I like the taste of shrimp, not because I want to drown it in marinara! Sauce should be used to add some flavour and add some excitement—Not to drown out what the food actually tastes like. It’s like getting a steak that’s been drenched, _drenched_ in barbecue sauce… You won’t taste the meat. You can pretend you’re tasting the meat, but you’re not. It’s like people who get a bunch of veggies then eat a spoonful of ranch or whatever that white dipping shit is with each fucking veggie. They’re just drowning out the flavour of the veggies! Or, or, or!” Armin took a deep breath before he screamed, “Sushi!”  
   
Eren felt incredibly small. A feat only Levi was able to accomplish before. But he managed to weasel out a small, “What’s bad about sushi?”  
   
“Nothing. Nothing’s bad.” Armin was breathing heavy and he had to put his hands on the counter not to faint. “But do you know what I hate? Soy sauce. Not because soy sauce is bad—It’s good. It’s good. Very good. But you know you’re supposed to just have a _touch_ of soy sauce with your sushi, or sashimi, or whatever. You’re just supposed to tap it.” His blue eyes burned. “But! These! Motherfuckers!”  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
   
“They fucking!” Armin screamed. “They fucking drench their sushi in soy sauce!” He grabbed Eren and began shaking him. “They can’t taste the fish with that much soy sauce! They can’t taste the rice with that much soy sauce!”  
   
Eren decided now was not the best time to admit he was probably one of those people Armin was talking about.  
   
“The reason why soy sauce is so high in sodium is because you’re supposed to use a small amount! A small amount!”  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
   
“I just…” Armin let go of him and took deep breaths. “I can’t…” He hiccupped, then sobbed. “I can’t do it…” He dropped to his knees. “People, people and sauce…” Armin looked up at Eren, eyes wet with tears. “If you ever give me too much sauce I will kill you, Eren.”  
   
Eren scratched the back of his neck. “Kill me?”  
   
“Yes. I’m dead serious.”  
   
Eren giggled. “You’re ‘dead’ serious about killing me, huh?”  
   
Armin glared.  
   
Eren’s laughter ‘died’ on his lips. “Armin… do you remember when I said you have really strong opinions on food?”  
   
Armin sighed and got up. “I just… it makes me cry, okay?”  
   
Eren hugged him tight. “Okay. Only a bit of sauce. Complementing sauce, not drowning sauce. I got it.”  
   
Armin leaned into him and nodded. “Good. You’re learning.”  
   
“But what about like…” Eren felt like he should be dropping the topic but he was curious. “What about like curry?”  
   
“Curry is different.” Armin backed away. “The main component to curry is the sauce. The dish is about the sauce. The sauce is the core. In pasta, pasta is the core, sauce is the complementor. It’s logistics, Eren. Logistics.”  
   
Eren decided not to voice his opinion on just how illogical he thought Armin was being, so he just smiled and nodded. “Noted.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
There was something about barbecues, the smell of charcoal, the carelessness of open fire, the sound of controlled fire, maybe nostalgia, that Eren actually loved. He finished piercing a long line of vegetables on the metal skewer and offered it to Armin. “Here.”  
   
Armin took it and placed it on the burning grill. There were two skewers, one for each of them, while four sausages cooked on the other side. “Hey, Eren.”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
Armin grabbed the metal tongs and flipped the sausages. “We’re male bonding.”  
   
“Huh?”  
   
“Like, this is what men do, barbecues. We’re bonding, as men.”  
   
Eren took one look at Armin before he wrapped both arms around his waist and hugged him from behind. “Oh yeah, we’re totally men, you fucking fairy.” He smooched Armin’s cheek.  
   
Armin giggled, actually giggled, before he gave a little shrug. “Well, whatever… It’s still kinda manly.”  
   
“Mhm.” Eren chuckled and nuzzled into his hair. “I don’t really care if it’s manly; I just want to spend time with you.”  
   
Armin watched the fires beneath the grill and smiled. “The veggies don’t take too long to cook, and the sausages are almost done. There’s two regulars and two cheddar sausages, do you want one each?”  
   
“Sure!”  
   
“Just watch out, the cheese hot dogs get really hot.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Yeah, I noticed the cheese in sausages are always like ten thousand degrees for no reason?”  
   
Armin snickered. “They are. Can you get the buns?”  
   
“They’re right there.”  
   
“I can’t reach ‘em.”  
   
“Why not?”  
   
“Because your arms are around me, Eren.”  
   
“Oh. Oops.” Eren let go of the blond and reached to grab the plastic bag of hot dog buns.  
  
Armin grabbed two for now and opened them up. He placed them on the grill, next to the sausages and let them toast a bit. He turned the veggie skewers and nodded; they had some tiny charred spots, but overall were just heated. He grabbed the small bowl of a see-through light red-brown liquid he had prepared—which was ninety percent water, seven percent barbecue sauce and the rest teriyaki. He dipped a cooking brush in it before running it up and down only one skewer.  
   
“Not both?”  
   
“I don’t like sauce.” Armin smiled. “Plus, I like the taste of veggies.”  
   
“Yeah,” Eren made a face. “Weirdo.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “I just like veggies… They taste like vitamins and healthy.”  
   
Eren shook his head. “It’s okay. I still like you.”  
   
Armin used tongs to place the slightly toasted buns on two plates then put one sausage each on the plates. He spun the dials and the fires grew smaller. He turned the veggie skewers one more time before putting the tongs down. He grabbed his brush and glazed the other side of Eren’s stick. “Just give the veggies one more minute.”  
   
“Okay.” Eren looked around. “So are we going to eat on the patio set?”  
   
“Sure.” Armin nodded. “We don’t dust it, but the rain pretty much cleans it. Levi would flip shit if he found out, but it’s good enough for me.”  
   
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Good enough for me too.”  
   
Armin grabbed a skewer and aimed it vertically down against a plate. He used the tongs to slide the zucchinis, eggplants, peppers, onions and tomatoes down. He put the skewer aside then did the same with the other one on the other plate. “And we’re done.” He lowered the cover of the barbecue and turned off the heat. “The sausages should stay warm.”  
   
Eren nodded and took both plates. He walked over to the glass patio table and put the plates down. He noticed forks and knives already on the table. He didn’t remember when Armin had gotten them, but he smiled. Armin was always prepared.  
   
Armin walked over to the patio and took a seat. The two plates were nearly identical, except one pile of veggies had a touch of brown to them. He took the one without that tint and grabbed a fork and knife. “Let’s eat.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Yeah.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“I’ve come to a realisation.”  
   
The two of them had finished eating, cleaned everything up, and then moved to the living room to rest on the couch. Rather, Eren was sitting on the couch, with his back against the armrest and legs along the seats, while Armin was doing the same on him. Eren had his arms hooked around Armin’s waist and the two of them were quite content with the position.  
   
Armin looked over his shoulder to Eren. “A realisation?”  
   
“An epiphany,” Eren whispered.  
   
Armin raised a brow. “An epiphany? So what’s your super great epiphany?”  
   
“I’ve just come to the realisation that you,” Eren said as he booped Armin’s nose, “Are perfect, in every way.”  
   
Armin laughed and moved back to smooch his cheek. “You’re cute.”  
   
“You’re cuter.”  
   
Armin grinned and closed his eyes as he leaned back into Eren. “Nuh uh.”  
   
“Yeah huh.” Eren kissed the side of Armin’s head, just above his temple. “When the stork brought you, they almost stole you away because you were too cute to handle.”  
   
Armin opened his eyes and shook his head. “I was a cabbage patch kid.”  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Like the dolls?”  
   
“No,” Armin laughed. “Like… You’ve never heard that story? Like when you ask your parents where babies come from and they tell you ridiculous stories? My mom told me I was a cabbage patch kid. She was just walking in like a farm field thing, and she looked at the cabbage and one of them opened up and there I was!”  
   
Eren snickered and squeezed him tight. “You were probably from a cabbage patch on cute island.”  
   
“No, I was from a cabbage patch on whore island.” Armin smooched his chin. “That’s why I’m such a slut.”  
   
“The best slut.” Eren kissed the corner of his mouth. “Cabbage patch kids… Weird story.”  
   
“Oh?” Armin raised an eyebrow. “And what did your parents tell you? Stork?”  
   
“Nope.” Eren bit his lip and silently shook with laughter. “Well… My mom told me she bought me at Toys-R-Us.”  
   
Armin blinked. “Really?”  
   
“Yep. Because I loved Toys-R-Us when I was a kid, okay? It was like my reason for living. And she just kind of told me she saw me at the store and she bought me and I just was like yeah okay that makes sense. Given, I was like four?”  
   
“Yeah, I never believed the cabbage patch story.”  
   
Eren chuckled. “Well, you’re smart. I just gobbled down whatever they said.”  
   
“It just means you have a good imagination,” Armin suggested.  
   
“Hmmm. Maybe.” He was about to say something else when a sound made both of them pause.  
   
The front door opened and shoes were kicked off down the hall. The door closed and light footsteps made their way to the kitchen.  
   
“Levi, Sir!” Eren grinned.  
   
“Welcome home, Master.”  
   
Levi was actually smiling. He had a plastic bag in his hand. He reached in and pulled out a small pink cardboard box. “I got you something, Armin.”  
   
Armin sat up in Eren’s lap. “Oh?”  
   
Levi tossed it.  
   
Armin stood up and caught it.  
   
“Share with Eren, if you know what I mean.”  
   
Armin looked at the box and chuckled. “I will.”  
   
Eren tilted his head and moved his legs over the edge of the sofa. “What did he get?”  
   
Armin took a seat next to him. “Pocky.”  
   
“Pocky?” Eren’s eyes light up. “I love the strawberry ones!”  
   
“Good.” Levi put his plastic bag down. “I bought eight packs.”  
   
Armin snickered and opened the cardboard box. He tore open the little plastic bag and grabbed two. He offered one to Eren.  
   
Eren happily took one and munched on it. The sweet strawberry cream coating the biscuit made him moan.  
   
Levi made a tsk noise. “Armin.”  
   
“Sorry!” Armin took another bite of his and munched on it. “I just wanted one before we started.”  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Before we started? What are we doing?”  
   
Armin finished his stick and pulled out another. “The pocky game.” He put the biscuit end of pocky in his mouth and aimed it at Eren.  
   
Levi sat across from them and smirked. “You know how to play, Eren?”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren nodded with a wide smile, not taking his eyes off Armin. “Ready?”  
   
Armin nodded.  
   
Eren took a small bite of the strawberry end and moved his mouth forward, taking another bite, repeating the action. Armin did the same and the two of them slowly moved forward together, blue eyes locked with green. They slowly tilted their heads in opposite directions as they went on, until there was less than an inch between them. Eren couldn’t help it; he closed the distance and kissed Armin, strawberry cream coating the kiss.  
   
“Eren.” Levi actually laughed. He crossed his legs and arms. “You’re supposed to try to get more.”  
   
Eren moved his head back and finished munching on the pocky before swallowing. “Sorry, I just really want to smooch him.”  
   
Armin chuckled and put another one between his teeth.  
   
Levi smirked. “One more time. Try to win this time, Eren.”  
   
“Yes, Sir!” Eren did a little salute before turning to Armin. “Ready?”  
   
A nod.  
   
They started again; two of them moving together, biting down on the biscuit until their lips touched again.  
   
Levi did his best to fight a smile, but the very corners of lips curved upwards nonetheless. “One more time.”  
   
Armin looked at him. “You don’t want to play, Master?”  
   
“I will.” Levi nodded. “Next round. This is just… It’s quite a sight. I enjoy watching.”  
   
Eren’s cheeks flushed as he was assaulted with the memory of Armin riding Levi just over a week ago.  
   
Armin grabbed another pocky stick and held it between his fingers like a cigarette. “I’m going to win this one.” He put it between his teeth and leaned forward.  
   
“Really?” Eren smirked and bit down on the other end.  
   
Armin’s hands ran up Eren’s thighs.  
   
Eren froze.  
   
Armin managed to take eighty percent of the candy and he chuckled as he ate it.  
   
Eren slapped Armin’s hands away. “Cheater! Rematch!”  
   
Armin just shrugged. “Sir?”  
   
Levi stood up and walked over to the couch. He sat next to Armin and reached in to grab a strawberry-coated stick. He looked at Armin as he put it between his teeth.  
   
Armin gave a light laugh before staring into those deep, steel blue eyes. He bit down on the other end and moved forward.  
   
Levi did as well.  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
   
Armin tried to gain the upper hand by putting his hands in Levi’s inner-thigh.  
   
Levi just smirked as he moved forward.  
   
The eye contact was burning.  
   
Armin’s cheeks turned pink and he broke away.  
   
Levi smirked in victory before he grabbed another stick. “Rematch? Or shall I play against Eren?”  
   
“Eren.”  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. Armin won against him, so why did he back down against Levi so quickly? He watched his Dom put the stick between his teeth and Eren licked his lips. “Ready, Sir?”  
   
Levi nodded.  
   
Eren bit down on the end and leaned forward.  
   
Levi did the same.  
   
And Eren almost screamed: Levi’s mouth was slowly moving towards him, and he was forced to move towards Levi’s lips. As he made eye contact, it was a ticking time bomb. The closer he got to Levi’s face, the tighter his chest squeezed. There was thrill running down to his crotch and his hands were shaking—until he broke away.  
   
Levi chuckled and ate his treat. “You backed out even sooner than Armin.”  
   
“Well!” Eren used his outside voice. “It’s not my fault you’re so intimidating!”  
   
Levi smirked and his eyes drifted to Armin.  
   
Armin swallowed hard. “That was hot… I kinda wish you guys went further.”  
   
Levi’s smile disappeared. “Eren, you’ll do better this time, won’t you? For Armin?”  
   
Eren knew his face was red-hot. He took a deep breath and sighed. “Okay, okay!”  
   
“Good boy.” Levi slipped the stick between his teeth.  
   
Eren took another deep breath and bit down on the end. He was always the kind of guy that kissed someone quickly, the kind of guy that would try to get it over with, so the slow movements towards each other were making his toes curl. He leaned forward, taking small, almost chipmunk-bites, before Levi was less than a centimeter away. He broke away again, cheeks burning.  
   
Armin licked his lips.  
   
Levi chewed on the strawberry cream snack before he swallowed. “Better this time, Pup.”  
   
Eren smiled wryly. “Th-Thanks.”  
   
“One more time,” Armin insisted.  
   
Levi snickered and pulled out another stick. “See if you can win this time, Eren.”  
   
“I can’t!”  
   
“Try. For me.” Levi put the pocky between his teeth.  
   
Eren took a deep breath and bit down. He moved closer and it was like a doomsday prophecy. He already knew he was done for. Not knowing what else to do, he poked Levi’s forehead.  
   
Levi paused.  
   
Eren took the biggest bite and moved away, taking more than half the stick with him.  
   
Armin chuckled. “He technically won.”  
   
Levi shook his head as he munched. “Cheater.”  
   
“It’s not cheating,” Eren said. “It’s me being clever!”  
   
Levi kept shaking his head. “Cleverness is overrated.”  
   
“Nuh uh! You’re just saying that!”  
   
Levi looked at Armin.  
   
Armin laughed. “No, Levi actually says that a lot.”  
   
“Wit would be decent,” Levi explained, “But cleverness? Overrated.”  
   
Eren pouted and if he had dog ears they would have drooped. “Don’t say that! Cleverness is all I have!”  
   
Levi looked at him for several seconds before smiling. “You have so much more, Eren.”  
   
Eren blinked and blushed. “Thank you.”  
   
“And,” Armin spoke up, “You’re not _that_ clever.”  
   
“Hey!”  
   
Levi didn’t disagree.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
After a couple hours of dicking around, Armin and Eren ended up in the kitchen together again. Armin glanced to the side. “Ready to make burger patties?”  
   
Eren smirked. “I was born ready.”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes. “We’re going to make turkey burgers.”  
   
“Turkey burgers?” Eren tilted his head. “You can do that?”  
   
Armin grabbed a large glass bowl and placed it down. “Yes, we can do that.” He opened the fridge door and pulled out something wrapped in pink butcher wrapper. He checked the label, making sure it was three pounds. He closed the fridge door behind him and tore the little price tag sticker that held it together. He placed it on the counter and his nimble hands unwrapped it. It was a large pale pink mush in a plastic bag. “What looks better than ground turkey breast?”  
   
Eren winced. “Um…”  
   
“Everything.” Armin chuckled. “It was a joke. Everything looks better than ground turkey breast.”  
   
“Oh,” Eren laughed.  
   
Armin smiled and didn’t tell Eren he stole the joke from the internet. He grabbed the plastic bag and lifted it then aimed it down so it dropped in the bowl.  
   
“So we just make patties out of this?”  
   
“Oh, no. No, no, no.” Armin shook his head about ninety seven times to get the message across. “Turkey is the leanest meat, well at least the meats we eat on this side of the world. In a hundred grams of turkey breast… there’s probably like two or three grams of fat. That’s why there’s almost always gravy with turkey, because it’s very dry… Unless we do it right.”  
   
Eren nodded. “So what are we going to do?”  
   
“Well, for now…” Armin headed back to the fridge. He pulled out red onions, scallions, garlic, parsley, and a block of white cheese. He handed them all to Eren. “So start chopping the onions and scallions, and the parsley. As small as possible, okay?”  
   
“Okay.” He put them on the counter and washed his hands before he grabbed a knife. He gave the scallion a quick rinse and got to work.  
   
Armin hummed and washed as well, then grabbed his own knife. He peeled the garlic and sliced the cloves into the smallest pieces before throwing it on the turkey. “Just throw it in the bowl when you’re done. We’re going to mix it all together afterwards.”  
   
“Okay.” Eren quickly got to chopping the scallions; he made tiny slices and then proceeded to chop those even further. When he was done he raised his cutting board and used his knife to slide them in the bowl. He grabbed the red onion and looked over. “How much should I cut?”  
   
“Hmm…” Armin shrugged. “The whole thing? There’s really no rules when it comes to patties. I mean, you generally want to make sure it’s moist and not wet, but yeah you can go wild. There’s no such thing as too much garlic, and no such thing as too much onions either.”  
   
“Uh, yeah there is…”  
   
“Not if it’s cooked.” Armin made eye contact. “No such thing as too much onion or garlic. I’m not going to feed anyone anything ever if they don’t like onion or garlic—unless they’re allergic. Then they’re exempt.”  
   
Eren snickered and peeled the outer layer of the onion. It was a small onion so he figured he should just do as he was told. He diced it as small as possible then threw it in with the rest.  
   
Armin had grabbed a large cheese grater and ran the block of Swiss cheese over it. “Turkey doesn’t have fat, so it burns easy on the grill. I like to put some cheese in it; when it melts it helps hold it together, but too much and it becomes a mess.” He put the block of cheese down and threw the grated white strings in the bowl. “It keeps it from being too dry.”  
   
“Kitten.”  
   
They both paused and looked up.  
   
Levi stepped in the doorway. “If it’s dry, you can always add sauce.”  
   
Armin’s eye twitched. “Don’t.”  
   
Levi smirked. “Maybe I should order you to add sauce.”  
   
“Fuck you!” Armin pouted. “I am not! Will not!”  
   
Levi snickered. “Is that how you talk to your master?”  
   
“Don’t joke about my food!”  
   
“Who says I’m joking.”  
   
Armin gasped. He grabbed his knife and pointed to the doorway. “Get the fuck out of my kitchen, Mutt!”  
   
Levi laughed louder than he should have and crossed his arms. “Very well.” He glanced to Eren. “I actually just wanted to check up on him.”  
   
Eren looked up. “Me?”  
   
Levi nodded. “How did you sleep?”  
   
“Oh.” Eren smiled. “Well, apparently I tossed and turned, but I slept in and got my sleep.”  
   
Levi glanced to Armin.  
   
Armin nodded.  
   
Levi relaxed a little and nodded. “Okay.” He seemed content with that answer, so he turned around and left.  
   
Eren chuckled. “Isn’t he cute when he pretends he doesn’t care?”  
   
“Hella cute,” Armin agreed. He paused and looked up. “You are feeling okay, though, right?”  
   
Eren smooched his cheek. “Yes, I am. Okay?”  
   
“Okay.” Armin looked at the bowl. “Hmm okay, now the bread crumbs and the eggs.”  
   
“Eggs?”  
   
“It keeps it together and keeps it moist.” Armin saw the face Eren made and he chuckled. “It gets cooked, Eren.”  
   
“Oh. Right.”  
   
Armin headed back to the fridge and grabbed two eggs. He closed the door and grabbed a ceramic bowl. “Crack these.”  
   
“Sure.” Eren put the bowl down and cracked both eggs.  
   
Armin came back with a box of bread crumbs and he grabbed a large metal measuring spoon for a quarter of a cup. He tossed a heaping amount on top of the turkey and paused. “I’m only supposed to put one, but I haven’t been tied up in a while so I’m gonna put another.”  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. He watched Armin heave another and then another inside. “Uh…”  
   
“What?”  
   
Eren chuckled. “It’s just, you’re usually so… specific and making sure everything’s right. And now you don’t seem to care.”  
   
“Part of the recipe is not caring.” Armin nodded sagely. “If you overthink turkey burgers, everything will go bad. Pass the eggs?”  
   
Eren grabbed the grey ceramic bowl and offered it.  
   
Armin pulled out the drawer and grabbed chopsticks. He broke the yolk of both eggs and began beating them quickly. “Annie taught me this, actually. Beat eggs with chopsticks and you save yourself like twenty minutes.”  
   
Eren smiled. “She does that a lot when she makes omelettes.”  
   
Armin looked at him, then smiled. “That’s right—I keep forgetting you were her roommate.”  
   
“We didn’t talk much,” he admitted. “Except movie night. We liked the same movies, and we agreed Mikasa was boring.”  
   
Armin laughed as he kept beating them. “Is she that bad?”  
   
“She just joined us for the popcorn.”  
   
Armin laughed a little louder and poured the eggs into the bowl. “Now the fun part. We mix it.”  
   
Eren irked. “With our hands?”  
   
“Well, yeah.”  
   
“But it’s like, raw meat, and eggs, and stuff.”  
   
“But, you’re a man,” Armin reminded, “I’m not supposed to worry about you.”  
   
Eren took the bait and rolled up his sleeves. He washed his hands then whipped them at the sink to make the water droplets fly off. “Okay. I’m gonna do this. I’m a man.”  
   
“Have fun.”  
   
Eren tapped the raw egg with his pointer finger and then winced. “Eww no I don’t want to.”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes. He washed his hands again, just to make sure, then hip-bumped Eren aside. He got to work, not givin’ a fuck about the freaky texture, and just mixed it all together. His eyes narrowed and he hummed. “It’s a bit wet, but it’ll hold together. Might be good to use some flour, though. Can you get the flour? From the pantry?”  
   
Eren washed his hands and dried them on the towel. “Sure thing.”  He walked over to the pantry and opened the door. He looked around and saw the all-purpose unbleached white flour. He grabbed the bag and walked back and put it on the counter. “What should I do with this?”  
   
“Um.” Armin stopped. “Get a bowl that’s like… well kind of a low and wide bowl? And just sift the flour into it?”  
   
“Sift? Oh! The uh, the big spoon thingy and you do the shaky thingy and it looks like snow.”  
   
“That’s… actually a perfect description, yeah.”  
   
Eren grinned and walked over to the other side of the kitchen. He opened one of the cupboards and found a bowl that seemed to fit Armin’s description. He put it down next to the flour, then grabbed the spoon-shaped colander. “So how much flour am I going to sift?”  
   
“Uh?” Armin thought about it as he mushed the mushy mush. “A lot. Like a cup and a half?”  
   
Eren looked around. “Where’s the cup-per thing?”  
   
“Copper?” Armin raised an eyebrow. “Why do you want copper?”  
   
“No, the uh, thing that tells you cups and cup-per thingy…”  
   
“Measuring cup?”  
   
“Yeah!”  
   
Armin chuckled and grabbed the measuring cup he used for the bread crumbs. He shook it over the sink then figured it was clean enough. He offered it. “This is a fourth of a cup, so use six of these.”  
   
“I can do math!” Eren pouted. “I just can’t words.”  
   
“Clearly.”  
   
Eren looked at him. “What was that?”  
   
“Nothing!”  
   
Eren snickered and scooped up the flour into the sieve and then shook it to make snow. And it was totally snow. Not sifted flour. Snow. Eren paused and smiled. He guessed he could say he was… letting it go.  
   
“Eren.”  
   
“Huh? Yeah?”  
   
“You have that look on your face that says you’re thinking of something stupid.”  
   
“No I’m not!” Eren frowned and got back to sifting. “And she’s the Snow Queen, not the Ice Queen. Get it right.”  
   
“I didn’t say anything…”  
   
“You were thinking it.”  
   
Armin laughed and patted the big blob of things in the bowl. “I’m done. Do you want to make the patties, Mister Man?”  
   
“Sure!”  
   
Armin turned the tap on and washed his hands. He listened to the running water before glancing to the brunet. “You know that means you have to touch it with your hands again. It’s not as bad with the eggs mixed in with the raw meat.”  
   
Eren shivered and put the sieve down. “I’ll pass.”  
   
Armin pretended to be surprised. “But you’re a man!”  
   
“Shush!”  
   
Armin smirked. “Didn’t you call me a fairy earlier?”  
   
“Affectionately!”  
   
Armin shut off the water and shook his head. “Well, I’m going to make the patties, then, because I’m not afraid of raw food.”  
   
“Well it’s gross!” Eren wiggled violently. “It’s like, ground chicken and you’re putting eggs in it! You’re putting a grinded up bird in its own period!”  
   
Armin snorted and grabbed a cutting board. He washed it quickly and put it down. “Turkey and chicken are not the same bird, first of all. Second of all, don’t overthink it. Everything we eat is either alive or comes from something that was alive. It’s the circle of life.”  
   
“Hakuna Matata,” Eren agreed with a shrug. “It just looks yucky.”  
   
“Well, when I cook it it’ll look yummy.”  
   
“I’ll hold you to that.”  
   
Armin smiled and began placing the patties on the cutting board. He knew he probably wouldn’t eat more than two burgers with all the veggies, Eren and Levi would probably eat two each, maybe three each. He went with nine patties just in case. He patted them each in the flour and sprinkled some more on top of them, then tapped them some more to make sure they were still mushy, but they could hold their shape. He nodded. “Okay, so I’ll clean the grill. Could you chop up some tomatoes and pickles and lettuce and burger things?”  
   
“Sure.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
It didn’t take Eren long. He soon had a large plate filled with condiments and he couldn’t help but snatch a slice of tomato as he arranged them to look somewhat pretty. He knew if Armin was doing it then it would look Photoshop perfect, but he did the best he could. He grabbed the tray and headed outside.  
   
Armin had already put a couple patties on the grill and closed the lid.  
   
Levi was sitting at the patio table, which Eren noticed had been recently wiped down probably because Levi made a comment about savages. He placed the condiment plate down and snagged a sliced pickle.  
   
Levi grabbed a large piece of lettuce, but paused before he took a bite. “Eren.”  
   
“Yes, Sir?”  
   
“This… doesn’t bother you does it?”  
   
Eren tilted his head. “Sir?”  
   
“I just mean…” Levi twirled the lettuce in his hand while he tried to think of a euphemism. Deciding he couldn’t, he just figured fuck it. “Fire.”  
   
“No, Sir.” Eren smiled.  
   
Levi nodded and took a bite of his lettuce.  
   
Eren headed over to Armin. He took one sniff of the air and he swore his private parts tingled. It was like a summer barbecue and Thanksgiving had a baby that was twenty hours short of being the age of consent: It was a full-bodied hot stud so your conscious was okay with it, but still had that little naughtiness of _technically_ being jailbait. He glanced to the skewers of veggies, toasting buns, and the burgers; Eren almost felt a little guilty with how his mouth salivated.  
   
Armin flipped them to show the perfect grill marks and he hummed, dancing on his feet a little.  
   
The burgers were a much whiter colour than beef burgers, of course, but they still looked rich and uniform… and then Eren imagined them in a school girl uniform and he blushed. “Can I help with anything?”  
   
Armin looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah.” He used his nimble fingers to push the buns on the spatula.  
   
“H-Hey!”  
   
Armin moved his hand back and brought the spatula to one of the plates. “What?”  
   
“Don’t, don’t put your finger so close to the fire.”  
   
Armin blinked. “Don’t worry. It’s still pretty far away from the fire.” He did it again and heard a muffled scream come from beside him. He couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s okay, you dork.”  
   
Eren frowned. “No it’s not.”  
   
“Eren.”  
   
“Stop.”  
   
Armin paused and looked at him. “Eren, it’s okay.”  
   
Eren took a breath and sighed.  
   
Armin scouted his eyes, searching one then the other. “Do you really want me to stop?”  
   
“Yeah…”  
   
“Then I’ll stop.”  
   
Eren leaned in and pushed their lips together. The kiss was stronger than he had wanted, tasting of desperation, but he eventually broke away and smiled. “Th-Thanks.”  
   
Armin offered a small smile, but his eyes were filled with blue concern.  
   
Eren smiled and looked at the grill. “What did you want me to do?”  
   
Armin kept his hand back as he scooped up the buns onto the plates. He put a burger each then put his spatula down. He grabbed the skewers and used tongs to push down the veggies. Two skewers had veggies lightly glazed with the touch of maroon. “These two are yours.” He pushed down the vegetables of his and put the skewer away. “That one’s mine.” He grabbed the spatula again and just pushed down on the burgers once. “These guys are ready.” He reached to push the burger onto his spatula.  
   
“Hand!” Eren eeped.  
   
Armin paused. “Sorry.” He brought his hand back and only used the spatula to put one burger on each bun. “Could you bring those to the table?”  
   
Eren took them and nodded. “Sure.” He brought the plates to the patio set and put them down. He noticed Levi eyeing him… He was a little disappointed (and yet thankful) it wasn’t the usual eye-fucking eying. It was more… analytical. “Sir?”  
   
“You worked as a waiter before?”  
   
“Uh…” Where did that come from? “Yes, Sir.”  
   
“I’ve noticed this for a while.” Levi smirked, pleased with himself. “You can carry plates and mugs and everything fine, while Armin or I would have to slow down.”  
   
Eren chuckled and took his seat. He scratched the tip of his nose. “Well, I worked as a waiter when I was… sixteen? Summer job, or something. Mom just wanted me to do something and not waste away.”  
   
Levi’s eyes flicked to the side and he watched Armin approach. “Shall we dig in?”  
   
Armin took his seat and nodded. He grabbed a fork and stabbed a zucchini. He blew on it slowly.  
   
Levi used a fork to grab a couple slices of tomatoes and he placed them on his plate. He grabbed some pickles and more lettuce as well, but he did not put them on his burger.  
   
Eren looked around. “No ketchup or mustard?”  
   
Armin looked up and tensed.  
   
“No.” Levi glared. “Because they are messy and I am not a savage.”  
   
“Ah yes,” Eren said quickly. “Of course, Sir.”  
   
Armin snickered.  
   
They eventually built their burgers (Eren had a full house with equal parts meat and condiments, Armin liked a couple things on his burger, while Levi was rather plain and seemed content with eating the veggies and condiments on the side) and ate.  
   
Even though it wasn’t as juicy as a beef burger, Eren was impressed. It was still juicy and moist, and the flavours from all the array of ingredients had melded together to make a mouth-watering meal. Eren never cared about health and eating right, but if the only burgers he was ever allowed to eat for the rest of his life were Armin’s turkey burgers—he would have no problem with that!  
   
While Eren did love super beefy burgers, even he had to admit he liked the lack of grease too.  
   
In individual bites, it always seemed to taste different; one area seemed to have more cheese, some bites had more onions (and Armin was right: When the onions were cooked, they weren’t so bad), some mouthfuls had more delicious roasted herbs. He just kept wanting to bite more.  
   
Levi cut his burger into quadrants before grabbing one side. “Eren, slow down.”  
   
Eren paused.  
   
“I know you don’t have a gag reflex, but you’ll still die if you choke.”  
   
Armin stood up and grabbed the pitcher of water. He quickly poured for everyone.  
   
Eren swallowed what was in his mouth then sipped his drink. “Thank you.”  
   
“Welcome,” Armin chimed before taking his seat again. “You don’t have a gag reflex?”  
   
“Nope. Never had one.”  
   
“Never?” Armin looked at Levi. “Not even a little one?”  
   
Levi shook his head. “Nope.”  
   
Armin looked at Eren. “Wow.”  
   
Eren looked at him. “Wanna try?”  
   
Armin snorted and bit down on his burger.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Dinner happily munched down on, the three of them eventually moved to the living room, where Armin snuggled on Levi’s left and Eren took his right.  
   
Levi was not impressed.  
   
Armin purred as he nuzzled Levi’s shoulder.  
   
Eren just hugged his arm and smiled.  
   
“Okay. Enough.” Levi shuddered. “Off.”  
   
“But, Sir…”  
   
“Master…”  
   
“Now.”  
   
Eren backed away and took a seat on the floor in front of him. Armin soon joined him, and Eren wrapped his arms around the blond pulling him close.  
   
Levi wiped off his shoulders, as if wiping off dust, and shook his head. “You two can cuddle fine with each other.”  
   
“But.” Eren wiggled. “We want to cuddle with you.”  
   
Levi crossed his legs and shook his head. “You two are freaks. Don’t you have better things to do?”  
   
“Nope,” Armin replied simply. “That’s okay. We can make him jealous!”  
   
Eren’s eyes lit up at the idea and he cuddled Armin even closer.  
   
Armin nuzzled into the crook of Eren’s neck and moved himself so he was sitting in Eren’s lap.  
   
Eren smooched his cheek and smiled.  
   
Armin chuckled and looked back. “Jealous yet?”  
   
Levi closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “Not really, no. If this is all you’re going to do, I’m going to entertain myself with something else.”  
   
Armin pouted and danger danced in his blue eyes. He moved his arms around Eren’s neck and leaned back.  
   
“H-Hey,” Eren yelped.  
   
Armin moved onto his back, pulling the brunet on top of him. “I’m sure we could do something to keep our Dom’s attention.”  
   
Eren smirked and kissed Armin roughly.  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow.  
   
Armin slipped his tongue into Eren’s mouth and let out a soft moan into the kiss. His legs wrapped around Eren’s waist and he pulled the other closer.  
   
Eren smiled into the kiss and he adjusted his knees so they took a more proper missionary position. He broke the kiss and trailed his mouth over Armin’s neck.  
   
Armin gasped and he tugged his shirt.  
   
Eren backed away just a little.  
   
Armin threw his shirt aside, then grabbed Eren’s.  
   
Eren’s shirt soon came off as well and their hands undid their belts before those too were tossed.  
   
Armin flashed his eyes up to his Dom.  
   
Levi tilted his head, only slightly, and took in the view.  
   
Armin snickered and began unbuttoning his pants. When he unzipped the zipper, Eren helped pull them off, with his underwear, leaving him in his socks. He took those off with his big toe, hooking into the cloth and stripping the last of his clothing.  
   
Eren’s pants and boxers joined Armin’s, aside, and he kissed the blond again.  
   
Armin captured both of their hardening lengths in one hand, squeezing them together as he began stroking.  
   
“Stop.”  
   
They both paused, lips frozen as eyes opened.  
   
“Let’s play a game.” Levi smirked.  
   
Eren and Armin both looked up, eyes wide and afraid.  
   
Levi looked at Eren. “I want you to fuck him.”  
   
Eren nodded. “Y-Yes, Sir.”  
   
There, Levi smirked. There was the fear, the hesitation, that flicker in Eren’s eyes that Levi adored.  
   
Armin leaned back and smiled. “Is that how you prefer us, Sir? Him on top of me?”  
   
“I don’t care, to be honest.” Levi glanced to the blond. “I prefer you do whatever you want. If Eren wants to bottom, that’s fine, but now I want to see him on top. I’ve seen how he looks when he’s being fucked, and it’s a face I recommend seeing.”  
   
“Oh really?” Armin looked at the brunet and played with his hair. “I guess I’ll just have to fuck you some time, huh?”  
   
Eren smirked and kissed the corner of his mouth. “I can’t wait.”  
   
Armin raised an eyebrow. “You don’t mind? Me fucking you?”  
   
“Of course not.” Eren chuckled. “I don’t know what the other subs thought, but I want to know what you look like when you’re fucking someone.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks burned and he looked away, smile wide on his face.  
   
Levi smiled as well. He was content with that answer. Too often in Dominance and submission being on ‘Top’ meant ‘Dominance’ and that somehow meant status when nothing could be further from the truth. In an attempt to be above another sub, some would want to be on top and only on top. Levi had expected Eren to be like that, and he mentally chastised himself for thinking so lowly of his own sub. “Honestly, that’s the same reason I want you to fuck Armin. I want to see your face when you’re inside him.”  
   
Eren felt his own cheeks redden. “Your turn to be a voyeur, huh?”  
   
Levi stared into those deep green eyes and he gave a little nod. “You will put on a show for me, won’t you?”  
   
“Yes, Master.”  
   
“Of course, Sir.”  
   
“Good pets.” Levi uncrossed his legs. “But that’s not all. Armin, I want you to follow Eren’s every order. Eren, Dominate him.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened. “Sir?”  
   
“Do it.” Levi’s eyes were hard on him. “For my viewing.”  
   
Eren felt his knees wiggle but he looked down and bit his lip. “This is okay with you, right?”  
   
Armin nodded slowly. “More than okay.”  
   
“You know the safe words?”  
   
Armin grinned. “You sound just like Levi.”  
   
Levi snorted.  
   
Eren smiled and gave a meek little shrug. “Um. Lube?”  
   
Armin knew better than to argue.  
   
Levi removed a small bottle from his pocket and tossed it.  
   
Eren raised his back and caught it. He looked at Levi and chuckled. “You came prepared.”  
   
“Of course, Pup. I always am.”  
   
Armin chuckled and he wiggled his hips. “Eren.”  
   
Eren moved back down. “Yeah, babe?”  
   
“I’m yours.” He made eye contact. “Sir.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened and he felt his fingers twitch. He fumbled the bottle of lube as he opened it up.  
   
“What would you have me do, _Sir?”_  
   
Levi watched, eyes widening with arousal.  
   
Eren swallowed hard. He was still trying to process what was going on. Armin was submitting to him. To him. Armin, who loved to tease and flirt and blush when he got embarrassed was going to give him everything. Absolutely everything. No limits. He moved his hips back and smeared some lube on his fingers. He brought his hand to Armin’s entrance. “Relax.” That wasn’t really a command, but…  
   
“Yes, Sir.” Armin took a deep breath and let his muscles unwind. His lips parted slightly when the first finger slid inside and he curiously looked up to Levi.  
   
That was when he noticed it.  
   
Levi’s eyes were wide with blue arousal, but they held a hint of steel hardness to them.  
   
Armin felt his cheeks warm.  
   
Levi was testing Eren.  
   
Levi wanted to see how Eren would handle him.  
   
Armin felt his cheeks burn.  
   
Levi was protecting him.  
   
The second finger pushed in and Armin moved his knees together, then apart. He let out a small noise and looked at the brunet. “I can take more, Sir.”  
   
“I-I know.” Eren pushed in the third finger, very slowly, carefully. His fingers glided over that certain spot.  
   
Armin bit his lip.  
   
Eren smiled, feeling the tightness in his shoulders melt away now that he had found that spot again. He looked at the blond and swallowed hard. “Are you ready?”  
   
“Always for you, Sir.”  
   
Eren felt his cock twitch and he took a deep breath. “Armin…”  
   
“Yes, Sir,” Armin purred. “I’m ready.”  
   
Eren grabbed his hard length and brought it to Armin’s entrance; slowly, he pushed in. he felt the slick tightness around the head of his cock and he closed his eyes.  
   
Armin hid a smile as he squeezed down on Eren.  
   
Eren shivered and slowly pushed in. He felt Levi’s eyes on him; he knew he had to be dominant, but… He grabbed Armin’s cock and stroked it slowly, moving the foreskin back to expose the pink head.  
   
Armin put a hand over Eren’s and shook his head. “Please… Focus on yourself. Only yourself, Sir.”  
   
Eren paused and stared at him. “I-I c-can’t do that.”  
   
“Please,” Armin begged. “Please use my body, Sir.”  
   
Eren breathed through his nose. He knew if he was in Armin’s place, and Levi was in his place, he would be feeling the same thing. He would be head over heels just by the thought of being able to serve Levi. Eren would go through endless chastity if it means serving Levi even once… And the thought that Armin was… for him…  
   
“Eren,” Levi spoke up. “A sub doesn’t feel fulfilled unless they can serve their Dom. Denying Armin that could be considered punishment.”  
   
Armin pouted. “I don’t deserve to be punished, Sir, do I? If you think so, then…”  
   
“N-No.” Eren nodded. “I just, sorry, this is…” He took a deep breath and pushed in, slowly, one inch at a time, bit by bit, the tight walls around his cock. He closed his eyes and let out a noise. He pushed until he was completely buried inside the heat and he felt his cheeks flush. He looked at Armin, a little shy, a little nervous, but he moved his hips back, sliding his cock out of that feeling, only to push it in again.  
   
“Ah,” Armin let out.  
   
Eren continued rocking in and out of the blond. A part of him almost felt guilty, for being the only one getting pleasure, but the more he looked into those blue eyes the more he realised Armin was enjoying it. Pleasure through submission, Eren reminded himself. He was a sub; he understood. “It’s just, weird, being on the other side.”  
   
Armin nodded. “Of course… but please, focus on yourself.”  
   
“I just.” Eren bit his lip. “I feel selfish…”  
   
“Eren,” Levi’s smooth voice reached his ears. “If I did this to you, would you consider me selfish?”  
   
“Not at all!” Eren looked up. “I want to serve you!”  
   
Armin pulled himself up and kissed Eren. “I want to serve you.”  
   
Eren closed his eyes and continued to rock in and out of that heat. “Fuck.” He grabbed Armin’s ass with one hand, using his other arm to support them. He needed to keep his eyes closed, then he could focus on the feeling. It was strange, it was weird, and it was primal. It felt so… hedonistic, to only care about himself. Armin’s ass was tight around him and he kept moving, only caring about himself. His hips bucked a little faster.  
   
Armin reminded himself to relax and he felt Eren use him. His cheeks flushed and his heart fluttered a little faster. His blue eyes focused on Eren’s face, watching lust and pleasure and need wash over those smooth features.  
   
Levi watched with fascination. He watched Eren become ‘selfish’ and watched Armin love every second of it. Like Armin, his eyes were focused on Eren’s face, listening to the shallow breathing like calm waves, occasionally interrupted by a grunt. Levi watched how smoothly and fluidly Eren rocked into Armin, and how Armin’s body was calm and at ease.  
   
“Fuck,” Eren whispered.  
   
Levi moved a hand down to his crotch, rubbing at the clothed manhood that twitched beneath the fibres of his pants. He leaned back on the sofa, watching. Watching. He noted and noticed everything: The way Armin couldn’t take his eyes off Eren, the way Armin would rock his body to Eren’s rhythm, the way Eren was speeding up but still taking his time—not going at it like a wild animal; although, Levi also noticed the way Eren seemed to be stopping himself from going too fast. Was Eren afraid of hurting Armin? Even when focusing on himself, Eren couldn’t forget he was with someone else?  
   
“Mmm.” Eren breathed through his nose. “Armin.”  
   
“Yes, Sir?”  
   
“Can I…?” Eren bit his lip and opened his eyes. “Can I call you, Kitten?”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow.  
   
Armin’s cheeks burned deep red and he looked away. “If you want, Sir.”  
   
Eren kissed his neck. “But do you want me to?”  
   
Armin looked at him again and bit his lip. “I think so. I like the way you say it, Sir.”  
   
“Kitten,” Eren breathed into his ear. His hips moved faster and he pushed Armin down and leaned over him. “Raise your ass, K-Kitten.”  
   
Armin put his feet down and lifted his rear; he began moving as Eren thrusted deeper inside him. He put his arms around Eren’s neck and smiled. “Do you like my body? Am I good enough for you?”  
   
Eren replied with a hungry kiss. He pushed in and out, in and out, in and out, feeling the heat around his cock. “I’m,” he broke the kiss, “I’m going to cum.”  
   
“Please cum, Sir. Please cum inside me, Sir.”  
   
“I will, Kitten.” Eren smirked. “I’ll fucking cum inside you.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. His hand now moving at a quick pace over his groin, Levi was surprised to see Eren so… assertive. It was different than what he was used to. A part of it was probably the proximity to having a mind-blowing orgasm, but Levi smiled. He had no idea there was potential for such a beast inside the brunet.  
   
Eren attacked Armin’s mouth again, roughly claiming it as his.  
   
Armin moaned into the kiss, pulling Eren closer to deepen it.  
   
“Fuck!” Eren grabbed Armin’s waist and pushed it down against the floor. He arched his back, looking up to the ceiling as he slammed repeatedly into the tight heat. “Fuck! Fuck!”  
   
“Ah!” Armin’s knees wiggled and he reached a hand down and began stroking himself quickly.  
   
Eren’s nails were short, but they still dug into Armin’s hips.  
   
Armin hissed; the nails weren’t long enough to break skin, but the mix of shivering pain and sharp pleasure made him close his eyes. He whined as he stroked himself faster. He couldn’t help himself, “Eren!” he cried out as he shot white over his own stomach.  
   
Eren looked down just in time to see Armin cum on himself and his mind went blank; nothing registered but the rolling, quaking pleasure and he came deep inside the blond. He was almost breathless as he let out a whimper. His whole body shook as he spilled himself.  
   
Levi moved his hand away from his pants. He so badly wanted to get off like they had, but not yet. He watched the sight, two subs rolling in the after-pleasure, before Eren leaned down and kissed Armin so softly it almost surprised him.  
   
Eren’s lips moved seamlessly over Armin’s before he backed away. All he could do was stare into his eyes and grin.  
   
Armin bit his lip and smiled back.  
   
Levi leaned back in his chair, letting his two subs bathe in the afterglow. He badly wanted his turn, but he was a patient man. Plus, he thought they deserved a little moment together.  
   
After some whispers, Eren and Armin both looked up at him.  
   
Armin chuckled. “Did we put on a good show for you, Master?”  
   
Levi smirked. “Yeah. You fucking did.”  
   
Eren moved his hips back, closing his eyes as he pulled out.  
   
Armin whined a little, but eventually gave his attention back to Levi.  
   
Levi unzipped his pants and stood up. After reaching in, he pulled out his cock and almost let out a noise with his manhood finally being free. “Get to work. Both of you.”  
   
Eren backed away to let Armin go.  
   
Armin sat up and instantly turned around. He moved onto his knees in front of Levi and stroked the cock. He made eye contact with his Master before slipping it into his mouth.  
   
Levi closed his eyes, feeling the wetness around his aching member. “Always eager to serve.”  
   
Eren moved next to Armin and ran his tongue over the side of Levi’s cock.  
   
“Good boy.” Levi slipped a hand in each of their hair and brought their mouths closer.  
   
Armin felt the whole of Levi’s manhood slide in his mouth and he relaxed his throat.  
   
Eren kissed the base of Levi’s cock and nuzzled the trimmed black hair.  
   
Levi shuddered and let out a breath through his teeth. He moved Armin’s head back, feeling his wet cock exposed to cool air. He guided Eren’s mouth to the tip of his cock and pushed Eren closer until he felt his brunet sub deep throat him. He moved his head back, feeling Armin’s fingers move into his pants and take out his balls before the blond’s tongue ran over them.  
   
Eren sucked hard and almost whined when he felt Levi slide out.  
   
“Good, you two can share.” Levi fisted their hair and brought their mouths to the side of his cock.  
   
Armin and Eren both licked left and right, running up and down the side. Armin sucked on the head for a moment before he felt Eren’s lips. He shared a quick kiss before watching Eren take the head in his mouth. He licked the corner of Eren’s mouth then left a trail of hot kisses down Levi’s shaft.  
   
Levi watched the two of them as they worked his cock.  
   
Eren sucked the head once more before he dipped down and kissed the underside.  
   
Armin grabbed Levi’s cock and stroked it several times; he nipped the foreskin between his lip teasingly before letting it go and moving the skin back. He pushed the head into his mouth and sucked, swirling his tongue around it.  
   
Levi felt a thrill run through his body and he let out a smooth moan.  
   
Eren kissed Levi’s balls before kissing the side. He looked up and made eye contact with his Dom as he licked the side.  
   
“Fuck.” Levi moved both their mouth back and grabbed his cock. “I’m going to cum.” He stroked himself, quickly, and felt two warm tongues on the head. He threw his head back and bit his lip. He’d already been rubbing himself through his confining pants, and now the double attention was all he needed. He didn’t look where he was aiming as he came, just grunting as shot.  
   
Armin yelped as the sticky whiteness shot at his face.  
   
Eren chuckled, not getting hit.  
   
Levi looked down and smiled. “Sorry Kitten.”  
   
Armin grinned, keeping one eye closed. “I don’t mind, Master.”  
   
Levi smirked. “Clean him up, Pup.”  
   
Eren licked up Armin’s cheek, tasting the salty whiteness.  
   
Levi covered his face with his hand. “I meant with a tissue.”  
   
Eren paused, mid-lick.  
   
“I don’t mind,” Armin cooed. “A little more fun.”  
   
Eren lapped it up and smooched Armin’s cheek. “We make a good team.”  
   
Armin grinned and smooched him back. “I think we do… Don’t we, Master?”  
   
Levi had to agree with that: “Your teamwork is notable. I can say I am a pleased Dom.”  
   
Both of them grinned wide.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
It was the second time he came _after_ getting sucked off by his subs, so three orgasms in all. Levi was breathing heavy, back against his bed, staring at the ceiling, cum-covered limp cock in hand. He should have been disgusted with himself, ashamed for being so taken by his own urges. He was a thirty year old man, not a pubescent child. He should be better; He should have been in control of himself.  
   
He should have probably given a fuck, but he did not.  
   
Levi grabbed two tissues from his bedside table and cleaned himself off. He threw the soiled tissues away and looked up at the ceiling.  
   
Levi had a healthy sex drive, of course, but it wasn’t like him to just whack off back to back. If he wasn’t worn out from a long day, he knew he would have probably jerked himself off a third time before bed. But, damn… _damn_.  
   
Levi bit his lip as he thought about it.  
   
Seeing Eren dominant; seeing Armin so submissive—and then seeing both of them submit to him. And it wasn’t that they submitted to him, but that they submitted to him together.  
   
Over the years Levi had an array of subs, and most of the time he had more than one at once. Sometimes it was friendly competition, sometimes it wasn’t, but he was used to subs trying to one up each other. He was used to subs being selfish, wanting to be the one to service their Dom or Master the most.  
   
But Eren and Armin…  
   
He was sure both of them wanted his cock in their mouths the whole time, but they shared. They worked together. They knew, above all else, it was Levi’s pleasure that was important. Their bond, their chemistry, was used as a tool to serve him. They, both of them, used their bond and their chemistry to serve him, and it felt better than having them individually submit or serve.  
   
His breathing calmed eventually.  
   
He grabbed his phone, checking his messages for anything work related.  
   
Nothing.  
   
Good.  
   
He plugged his phone into his charger and put that out of his mind.  
   
Levi rested on his bed again, staring at the ceiling.  
   
He had no idea how he was going keep control with the way these two were.  
   
Armin had always been a bit of a tease, poking boundaries every once in a while, sometimes being naughty to get a quick spank, but he never overdid it. Levi couldn’t deny that he found it nerve-wracking and enticing. He knew Armin was asking him to exert his Dominance. It drove him crazy. But it was never a problem: He never lost his cool, he always kept in control, and both of them were always pleased.  
   
Eren was different. Eren was the opposite of Armin. Eren wanted to do everything right, down to the smallest detail. From the bottom of his heart, he wanted nothing more than to just honestly serve Levi as the best sub he could be. There was something… endearing about it that Levi couldn’t quite describe. He had seen that heartfelt devotion before, but usually by those who were inexperienced or naive. Eren was neither. Eren knew that not all Doms were fair and that perfect relationships were fantasy.  
   
And yet Eren wanted to serve him.  
   
He paused for a moment.  
   
He wouldn’t describe his relationship with Armin as perfect, but in terms of companionship it was wonderful. It was undeniable. He had felt jealousy from others over the years… from assholes he could not care about, Dieter for one, and even close friends, such as Erwin and Hanji. People were jealous of how well he and Armin worked together.  
   
It dawned on him, in that moment, the realisation that made his breath hitch in his throat.  
   
Eren was not jealous.  
   
Eren was just happy to be a part of it.  
   
Levi sat up and raised one knee. He placed his elbow on that knee and his chin on his elbow.  
   
“It’s the third week,” he muttered aloud. “It’s time I really take this contract seriously.”


	18. The Third Week (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Hold up!** If you guys remember Breezy ([Personal Blog](http://breezerkawaii.tumblr.com/), [Art Blog](http://breezerkawaiiart.tumblr.com/)) who drew fan art of Chapter 11, she drew a [Tentative Bliss/Batman Crossover](http://breezerkawaiiart.tumblr.com/post/82627388810/sarah-and-i-were-discussing-the-immense-likelihood) and I just... please follow her. It would warm my heart like you have no idea.
> 
> Oh, and I'm actually writing TB for Camp NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo is an event that happens every November, where you try to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Camp NaNo is similar: It happens twice a year as a sort of practice run for NaNo, and you set your own goal. Most people choose smaller goals like 25k or 40k words but me being the ambitious (and slightly addicted) writer I am, I am pushing myself for 60k. If you want to see how I'm doing: [Click Here](http://campnanowrimo.org/campers/remmyremrem/novels/tentative-bliss/stats) (I'm the graph on the left, where it says "My Novel"—ignore the cabin bit). I'm ahead, mostly because I'm entering the Tentative Bliss Series, so my word count from midnight of April 1st includes the last bit of Girl's Night as well as TS11, 12, 13, and 14, and TB16, 17, 18, and 19 (which is halfway written!).
> 
> Chapter Warning: Minor pain play and a bit of fire for those who have a phobia. It's pretty minimal, you could totally say it... doesn't hold a candle (snrk) to the Erwin chapter, but it's there in a small amount for those who have requested warnings.

* * *

 

 

“Hey.”  
  
Eren rolled over and snatched Armin into his arms. “Yeah?”  
  
Armin stifled a giggle in Eren’s neck and closed his eyes. Lying in the soft bed together, with arms around him, Armin grinned as wide as he could. “I’m just wondering how it went for you. I mean, me calling you Sir? Did you, like it?”  
  
Eren thought about it and smiled. “Yeah… It was kind of stressful though.”  
  
“O-Oh…”  
  
“But! Not in a bad way! I liked it.” Eren nuzzled into Armin’s hair. “I just, I guess I was really afraid of going too far, you know? I mean, I’m not an experienced Dom, so I didn’t want to hurt you.”  
  
Armin smooched Eren’s jaw. “I’m not that weak, Eren.”  
  
“Well, yeah…” Eren bit his lip and let go of Armin to back away. They looked at each other, face to face, and Eren sighed. “You’ve mostly been with Levi, Arm’, and I think any other Dom you’ve been with was probably approved by him, too, right?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Yeah, well, see…” Eren rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “I’ve been with a lot of other Doms. I mean only three I signed a contract with, but a lot of casual meet ups and hook ups, and… I guess what I want to say is that not all Doms are good. And I mean, I’m sure you know how lucky we are to have Levi, but I don’t think you realise just how bad some of the other Doms can be. Selfish, self-centred, careless… I just, the last thing I wanted, Armin, was to be like that to you.”  
  
Armin rolled over and rested his head on Eren’s chest. “You don’t have to worry. Not at all, okay? You were amazing… I mean that, Eren. My ass hurts, but fuck it was worth it.”  
  
Eren’s cheeks warmed and he looked at Armin. He cupped his cheek and smiled. “Really?”  
  
“Yeah.” Armin smiled. “You’re… Heh,” he looked away, “It’s so weird, Eren.”  
  
“What is?”  
  
Armin sat up in bed and hugged his knees. “I told this to Levi… about a week ago, and I guess I kind of… I don’t really want to tell you but I want to tell you?”  
  
“What is it?” Eren sat up, slipping his arms around the blond and pulling him into his lap.  
  
Armin smiled as he was cuddled from behind and he leaned back. He stared out the window to the night sky and the endless blue expanse of ocean. “I’m just happy that you care about me. A lot of the other subs… I was competition to them.”  
  
“Competition?” Eren blinked. “Why? For what?”  
  
“For Levi,” he explained. “And I feel like, with you, I’m okay and things are okay, and it’s something I haven’t felt in a while. I mean there have only been a couple people who I ever got along like this with, and they’re all gone now. I mean, I still talk to Marco but… I um…” He breathed in through his nose and let it out through his mouth. “I have no idea what I want to say.”  
  
“That’s okay.” Eren kissed the back of his head. “Take as long as you want, and when you want to tell me I’ll be right here, okay?”  
  
Armin closed his eyes and smiled. “Thanks.”  
  
“But, um, you said your ass hurts. Was I too rough, or?”  
  
“No, you were fine.” Armin looked back and then shook his head to wiggle the blond hair out of his eyes. “You made a pretty good Dom, you know?”  
  
“Really?” Eren raised both eyebrows. “I was scared shitless. I have no idea how Levi does it.”  
  
“You don’t?”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
“It’s not that hard,” Armin teased.  
  
Eren smooched his cheek. “And do you Dom every once in a while?”  
  
Armin laughed. “If you want to hear testimonials, you can always ask Jean, Marco and Annie.”  
  
“Even Annie?” _Now_ Eren was impressed. “You?”  
  
“I like to change it up a bit from time to time.”  
  
Eren couldn’t help but laugh, and he laughed loud as if he was trying to keep up with a football game. He knew he should have been quieter, lest he wake up Levi who had gone to bed earlier than them.  
  
Armin pouted and quickly turned around. He shoved Eren down on the bed.  
  
Eren yelped and suddenly felt the blond straddle his hips.  
  
Armin wiggled his body over Eren’s crotch. “You don’t think I can be a Dom?”  
  
“Honestly?” Eren bit his lip. “Sorry… I just can’t!”  
  
Armin smirked. “I look hot when I’ll all clad up in leather, with a whip in my hand, Eren.”  
  
Eren paused. He imagined it: Armin wearing leather pants and probably a sleeveless leather vest that exposed some of his midriff; with leather wristbands, exposing as much skin while being in leather. The thought of a whip in his hand with a dangerous smirk… “Mmm.” He chuckled. “Okay, gotta hand it to you there. It sounds nice. I’d like to see it one day.”  
  
Armin chuckled. “I make a good Dom. Don’t question me on that.”  
  
The dangerous tone made Eren grin. “I think you would make a great Dom, actually. Probably better than me, for sure.”  
  
Armin leaned down and kissed him gently. “Maybe. I have more experience.” He eventually got off the brunet and landed next to him. He yawned and covered his mouth. “But maybe another night. I’m pretty sleepy face.”  
  
Eren smooched his forehead and got up. He turned off the lights and then stripped to his boxers. He heard rustling and figured Armin was stripping as well. He got back in bed and pulled the covers over them.  
  
Armin found his rightful place against Eren’s chest and closed his eyes. “Night night.”  
  
“Don’t let the Eren bite!”  
  


⁂

  
  
Four or five hours of sleep passed before Eren found himself waking. There was some kind of sound. Talking? Glass breaking? He opened his eyes and got up, only to feel Armin pull him back down. He felt his heart beat fast, until he heard some kind of background music.  
  
A movie?  
  
An action movie?  
  
He relaxed and realised that was probably what he was hearing. He rubbed his eyes and tried to move away, but Armin’s hold on him was strong. He chuckled and smooched the blond before slowly taking his hands and taking them off himself. He pulled an Indiana Jones and replaced himself with a pillow (which Armin squeezed tight) and slipped out of bed. He put the covers over Armin and glanced at the bedside table.  
  
He grabbed his phone. He pressed the button.  
  
“Nya,” he whined from the bright light then blinked a couple times.  
  
It was four in the morning.  
  
He put his phone down and stepped outside the room. He walked down the halls, slowly, making sure none of his footsteps made a sound, then walked down the stairs. He scratched his nose and walked to the T.V. room, where indeed there was a movie playing. He closed the door behind him and noticed Levi sitting in the sofa chair. “Sir?”  
  
Levi turned his head quickly. “Shit.” He grabbed the remote and lowered the volume. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”  
  
“No, it’s okay.” Eren rubbed his eyes and eventually slipped into Levi’s lap.  
  
Levi pursed his lips. “Eren. Off.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Eren. Off. Now.”  
  
Eren pouted. “Do you know how many guys your age would die for a half-naked hot stud muffin like me to just drop in their lap at four in the morning?”  
  
Levi chuckled and sighed in defeat. “Eren…”  
  
“You woke me up. It’s only fair.”  
  
“Fine.” Levi rolled his eyes and slipped an arm around his pet. “You make an awful sub sometimes.”  
  
“Hmm.” Eren closed his eyes and leaned into Levi’s neck. “I think you’re just a bad Dom if you can’t contain me.”  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
Eren chuckled. “But it’s okay, you’re allowed to be a weak Dom at four in the morning.”  
  
Levi considered it then shrugged. “Hm. Maybe you’re right.”  
  
“Just don’t think and let me stay here.”  
  
“Okay,” Levi said in defeat.  
  
Eren wasn’t sure how long had passed but he leaned into Levi and took in the fading smell of his cologne. “Sir, permission to ask a question?”  
  
“Shoot.”  
  
“Why don’t you like cuddling?”  
  
Levi frowned at the question. “Some people just don’t like it.”  
  
“Hmmm, no.” Eren shook his head and backed away a bit. He rubbed his tired eyes. “Let me pherase it.”  
  
“Sorry?”  
  
“Pherase… Rephrase?”  
  
“Rephrase.”  
  
“Let me rephrase it: I can sort of tell you like cuddling, but you never do it. And I don’t know why.”  
  
Levi tensed a bit and gave a one shoulder shrug. “I…” He sighed. “I don’t know, Eren. I suppose, on some level, it’s odd… and it is too intimate, too… It’s too much, sometimes. I don’t mind affectionate gestures, you’re right. When you lay your head in my lap, I… it makes my day. It does. I just, when someone is entirely in my arms, and I am entirely in theirs… It’s frightening. It’s horrifying and scary and it’s too close for comfort.”  
  
Eren closed his eyes then opened them. “I only heard about half of that.”  
  
“You dork.” Levi stared at him. “You should go back to bed.”  
  
Eren shook his head.  
  
“You’re tired. Sleep is important.”  
  
“Levi is important.”  
  
No matter how hard he tried, Levi could not fight off the smile that formed on his lips. He leaned in, kissing Eren’s cheek, then moved away. “Let’s go to bed.”  
  
Eren nodded slowly and slipped off Levi’s lap.  
  
Levi turned off the T.V., which had been the only light in the room, and carefully guided Eren out.  
  
Eren’s hand dipped down and took Levi’s. “We’re holding hands.”  
  
“No.” Levi frowned, trying to pull his away from Eren.  
  
“Buddy system.”  
  
“You’re a fucking sleepy dork,” Levi muttered. He decided it would take too much energy to fight a stubborn sleepy fuck-face so he guided Eren up the stairs. He pondered how long it had been since he had held someone’s hand. The thought itself was almost unnerving. As he stepped up the stairs, he glanced to the top.  
  
A shadow glared down at them.  
  
Eren clutched onto Levi’s arm.  
  
Levi felt his heart stop.  
  
“You,” it whispered, “You stole him from me.”  
  
Levi relaxed instantly. “Shit Armin, you scared the fuck out of me.”  
  
Armin pouted. “You stole my cuddle buddy…”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes and continued up the stairs. “Yeah, whatever. You can have him.”  
  
Armin’s pout intensified. “You’re holding his hand? Nobody ever holds my hand…”  
  
Eren took his hand and smiled like an idiot. “Now we’re all holding hands.”  
  
Levi used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “This is so fucking gay…”  
  
Armin took his hand and they formed a circle. He was smiling equally as idiotically as Eren. “Sir, sleep with us tonight.”  
  
“Armin,” Levi warned.  
  
“Nope.” Armin shook his head, blond hair flying every-which-where. “Come on.”  
  
Eren and Armin broke their link and guided Levi to bed with them.  
  
Levi scowled as he ended up being thrown on the bed and assaulted by sleepy dorky fuck-faces from both sides. “You’re lucky I’m too fucking tired to throw you both down the stairs.”  
  
Armin smooched his cheek.  
  
Eren smooched his other cheek.  
  
“I hate you both.”  
  
Eren smiled. “We know.”  
  
Armin chuckled. “We do.”  
  
Levi shook his head and sighed, but resigned in defeat.  
  


⁂

  
  
He figured an hour or so passed before Levi wiggled free from their hold. He scurried out of bed and shivered in disgust. He glanced to the bed, watching as Eren and Armin rolled closer together to close the gap between them like the parting sides of the red sea. Levi wanted to be angry, but it all melted away as he shook his head. He had two adorable fucking pretty boys and one day he’d be able to admit to himself he adored them.  
  
Levi stepped out of the room and went up the stairs. He walked down the hall and ran a hand through his hair. He opened the door to his room and closed the door behind him. He slipped in his own bed and sighed.  
  
“Much better.”  
  
He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes.  
  
Pretty boys.  
  
He felt something squeeze inside him and he brought his hand over his scars.  
  
 _”You like that don’t you, pretty boy?”_  
  
There was a twist deep inside and he held back the acidic bile burning in the back of his throat.  
  
Why?  
  
Why did he have to think about this now?  
  
He grabbed his phone on the bedside table and figured he wasn’t getting any sleep anyway. Maybe he could distract himself until morning.  
  


⁂

  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“No!”  
  
The early peaks of sun rose and melted away night. Refreshed and revived, Armin had attempted to get out of bed at six thirty, but… “Eren.”  
  
“No!” Eren whined and cuddled him tightly. “Stay.”  
  
“I have to get up and run!” Armin laughed. “I promised Krista. We both got fat from eating nachos.”  
  
“Nope.” Eren leaned down and smooched Armin’s tummy. “You’re so skinny, what are you even talking about? You’re perfect the way you are!”  
  
Armin felt his cheeks warm and he tried to wiggle free. “Eren!”  
  
“Shhh, just shut up and cuddle me.”  
  
“No!”  
  
Eren frowned. “You made me do this…” He sighed. “It’s your fault you’re the victim.”  
  
“Eren.” Armin paused. “What are you…?” He suddenly felt them roll and his eyes widened. “Eren, no!”  
  
“Burrito Mode, Activate!”  
  
“No! Eren!”  
  
Eren provided the sound effects for the magical transformation as the universe shifted positions in existence to swirl their bed sheets under the sweet silver light of Jupiter’s four moons. He felt Armin wiggle against him, but he had the power of the stars at his disposal. Nothing could stop him now. Maybe Jane Austen, but she had passed away over a century ago, leaving no one to inherit the great power to stop Eren’s Ultimate K.O. Finisher. “There,” Eren said once he was happy with their position. “This is your fault.”  
  
Armin groaned.  
  
“Now smooch me.”  
  
“No!”  
  
“Smooch me!”  
  
Armin chuckled and smooched him. “Fine.”  
  
As soon as Eren closed his eyes, sound started playing. He realised it was Armin’s phone and moved an arm out of the burrito fortress 3.0 to grab it. Because of his status as a sleepy face, the letters were blurry. “It’s your history teacher.”  
  
Armin blinked and grabbed his phone. “Oh,” he chuckled. He swiped his thumb across the screen and brought it to his ear. “Hey Krista… No I can’t… I know I promised, but I can’t… No, I mean I physically cannot… I’m trapped… Yes, I’m okay. Eren trapped me… In his burrito… Like a bed sheet burrito… Like he rolled up the bed sheets and made a burrito… I don’t know…” He looked at Eren and offered the phone. “Here. She wants to talk to you.”  
  
Eren took the phone and brought it to his ear. “This is Captain Burrito Picard of the USS Eren-prise. How can I help you?”  
  
“Oh my God,” Armin muttered before shoving his head in Eren’s chest.  
  
Krista squawked the ugliest laugh Eren had ever heard before mumbling something about how she’ll call them back.  
  
Eren took his victory with a sagely nod and tossed Armin’s phone aside. “Now, snuggle time.” He mumbled something else and squeezed Armin closer.  
  
Armin shook his head and closed his eyes.  
  
It took five minutes, but Armin’s phone went off again.  
  
Eren answered the phone. “Captain speaking.”  
  
 _”Eren… Please let Armin go.”_  
  
“Nope.” Eren shook his head. “I can’t let the second-in-command off the ship.”  
  
 _”Are you sure?”_  
  
“Mhm. It’s a two-man ship.”  
  
 _”We really need to run though. We ate so much on girls night. Please?”_  
  
“You’re beautiful the way you are.”  
  
 _”Aww!”_  
  
“Yep. So beautiful. Let me cuddle.”  
  
 _”No!”_  
  
“Krista please…”  
  
 _”You can come with us…”_  
  
“Nope.”  
  
Armin managed to wiggle free.  
  
“Armin!” Eren screamed into the phone. “Okay, he’s coming. I hate you.”  
  
 _”How about I just owe you one?”_  
  
“Okay fine… Good luck.” He handed the phone over to Armin.  
  
Armin chuckled and took the phone. “Okay, K, I’m coming!”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren stretched in bed… or he tried to, but his burrito fortress kept him contained. “Traitors,” he muttered as he rubbed his face. He wiggled out of his burrito and yawned loudly. Slipping out of bed, he threw himself in the shower and blasted hot water (not quite Satan’s ass though) at himself until he (finally) woke up. He used his usual soap and shampoo, taking a smell of the foresty scent, and smiling happily. He washed off all the foamy white bubbles and slipped out. He towel dried himself quickly.  
  
He was going through his underwear when he found a bright red one with thunderbolts.  
  
“Fuck yeah.” He put them on and felt like he could rule the world.  
  
He went with a red shirt, for the same reason, and then made the bed. He glanced out the window and pouted. It was raining. He decided to put on a pair of black slacks and he found a thin summer hoodie that was also black. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. “Nobody’s gonna know I’m wearing my power underwear.”  
  
Eren yawned and rubbed his face about seven hundred times before leaving the room.  
  
The morning routine of walking out the room and going down the stairs was simple, although he heard voices in the kitchen. He instantly pouted as he stepped in. “Both of you left me!”  
  
“Is that so?” Levi asked as Armin was sucking him off.  
  
Eren paused.  
  
Levi was leaning on the fridge, sipping a mug of coffee, while Armin was on his knees, bobbing his head on Levi’s cock. Armin has his eyes closed, nose wrinkled just a little as he focused on providing as much pleasure as he could.  
  
Eren glanced at them. “Oh.”  
  
Levi slipped a hand into those blond strands of hair and fisted it. He tipped the bottom of his mug upwards, finishing his coffee, then offered his cup to Eren. “Refill it.”  
  
“Y-Yes, Sir!” Eren grabbed it instantly and walked over to the coffee pot. He poured the usual amount then grabbed the milk – the purple milk – and poured. He offered it back to Levi, green eyes focused on the way Armin took Levi’s entire length into his throat.  
  
“Fuck.” Levi closed his eyes for a moment before taking the mug. “Good Pup, good Kitten.”  
  
Armin was too focused on the task at hand to blush.  
  
“Ngh.” Levi sipped his drink and sighed warmly. “Armin.”  
  
Armin backed his head away and finished Levi off with his hand.  
  
Levi threw his head back as he came and felt Armin’s tongue swirl around the head of his cock once more. “Good boy.”  
  
Armin swallowed and looked at Eren. “Morning.”  
  
“Morning you slut,” Eren chuckled.  
  
Armin laughed as well.  
  
Levi smirked before he put his manhood back in his pants. “You know what they say: Blowjob is the most important meal of the day.”  
  
Eren snorted as he poured himself a cup of coffee.  
  
Armin got up and chuckled. “Speaking of, I have breakfast for you, Eren.”  
  
Eren looked over his shoulder. “Oh goodie… Just me?”  
  
“We ate,” Levi answered. “I’m off.”  
  
Eren walked over and kissed his cheek.  
  
Levi smiled. “Be good today, alright?”  
  
“I’m always good!”  
  
“Of course you are, Pup.”  
  
Eren frowned. “What do you mean by that?”  
  
Levi turned and left.  
  
“What do you mean by that?”  
  
Levi opened the front door and left.  
  
“Sir?”  
  
The door closed.  
  
Eren turned to Armin. “What does he mean by that?”  
  
Armin shrugged. “I have no idea.”  
  


⁂

  
  
After shoving delicious breakfast in his mouth – eggs, pancakes, sausages, blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupes, turkey bacon, and orange slices – Eren patted his tummy and smiled. “Armin, you’re the best. Ever. Okay?”  
  
Armin, who was sitting on the kitchen counter, looked up from the game he was playing on his phone. “Huh?”  
  
“Nothing.” Eren stood up and grabbed his plate and cutlery. He walked over to the sink and gave it all a quick rinse before putting it down. “So, what are we doing today?”  
  
“Hmmmmm.” Armin put his phone in his pocket. “Nothing. Just being losers.”  
  
Eren walked over to him and booped his nose. “That sounds fun.”  
  
Armin chuckled. He tilted his head. “You like doing nothing?”  
  
“You don’t?”  
  
“I love it,” Armin admitted with a chuckle. “But I’m just wondering… I mean, you’re kind of a more, pro-active guy, you know? I figure you’d get impatient or restless.”  
  
Eren smiled and shrugged. “Nah. Well, maybe? I guess I’m just… It’s nice getting pampered, you know? I used to work full time, and part time at another place, I used to pay rent and other things. Now I’m just here in this big house and all I really have to do is sweep and dust.”  
  
“It’s still work,” Armin pointed out.  
  
“Well…” Eren paused and looked at him. “I wish I was doing more work, to be honest.”  
  
Armin raised an eyebrow. “Why?”  
  
“You do everything, so it’s only fair that I do some more.”  
  
“No, it’s okay.”  
  
Eren shook his head. “Nope, nope, nope. Don’t fight me on this. I know I’m not even doing one third of the housework, Armin. Before you told me it was because I needed time to ease in and stuff, right? But now I’m eased in. I know where everything is… including the pantry and the dining room and the dungeon.”  
  
Armin snickered.  
  
“So, it’s only fair that I do more work. Come on, Armin. Please?”  
  
Armin shrugged. “I’m used to it, though.”  
  
Eren planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “Don’t fight me on this, okay? I want to help.”  
  
Armin smiled softly. He brought his hand up and scratched the underside of Eren’s chin, as Levi always did. “Okay. You can unload the dishes, maybe? That’s always annoying.”  
  
Eren grinned and ran over to the dishwasher. He opened it up and pulled out the top rack. “It’s clean?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“Awesome!”  
  


⁂

  
  
By the time Eren finished the dishes, Armin had wandered off. Eren eventually found him again in the library, asleep on the soft couch there. His position looked like he was asking for a sore neck, so Eren repositioned him and made him more comfy. He went down the stairs twice and was a little surprised by the doorbell. He walked over to the front entrance and opened the door.  
  
“Hey,” said a tall man with black hair. “Delivery for a Levi?”  
  
“Uh, yeah, he’s not home right now.”  
  
“Doesn’t matter, just sign this…” He grabbed a piece of paper and offered a pen.  
  
Eren looked around then put the piece of paper over the door. He quickly scribbled his last name then gave it back.  
  
“Here you go.” The man gave him a box the size of his chest.  
  
Eren took it and smiled. “Thanks.”  
  
“Bye!”  
  
“Bye.” Eren closed the door with his foot and looked at the package. He walked over to the kitchen table and put it down. He reached in his pocket and scrolled through his contacts. He hit Levi’s name, then hit ‘Add to Favourites’, then clicked his mobile number. He put his phone to his ear and heard the ring go on and on a couple times.  
  
 _“What did you break?”_  
  
Eren blinked. “Nothing, Sir!”  
  
 _“What did Armin break?”_  
  
“Nothing Sir!”  
  
 _“Eren?”_  
  
“Sir–”  
  
 _“Don’t lie to me, Eren?”_  
  
Eren chuckled. “No, Sir, just a package came for you.”  
  
 _“A what? Package?”_  
  
“Yeah, delivery service package thingy box thing.”  
  
 _“Have you considered being a novelist?”_  
  
Eren chuckled. “Sorry…”  
  
 _“It’s alright. Package… I didn’t order anything. Oh, Armin did. I’ll let him know. I was actually going to call you. I’m stopping by Tim Horton’s, want anything?”_  
  
“Oh!” Eren bounced up. “Ice cap!”  
  
 _“Of course you would… Anything else you need, Pup?”_  
  
“No, Sir. That’s all.”  
  
 _“Great. I’ll be home soon.”_  
  
“Okay!” He smooched his speaker.  
  
 _“The fuck was that?”_  
  
“A kiss!”  
  
 _“You fucking loser…”_  
  
“That’s me!”  
  
Levi snorted on the other end before hanging up on him.  
  
Eren put his phone in his pocket and figured he’d get a knife or scissors or something if Armin wanted to open it right away, but he was interrupted by thunderous stomping above. He looked up and heard the booming around the whole house before something tackled him from behind.  
  
“Piggy back ride!” Armin shouted with a squeal. “My package is here!”  
  
Eren practically flew forward, but he managed to catch his footing. “Armin!”  
  
“Package! Package! Package! Package! Package!”  
  
Eren rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. Geez. Calm down. It’s just a package!”  
  
“Package! Package! Package!” Armin chuckled. “Let’s open it!”  
  
“Oy, calm down for half a second,” Eren chuckled. “Levi’s going to be home soon, shouldn’t we have a late lunch ready for him, or something?”  
  
“Package…”  
  
Eren shook his head. “Weren’t you asleep?”  
  
“Well Levi called, woke me up.”  
  
“Oh, I’m guessing right after he spoke to me?”  
  
“I have no idea. I hung up on him.” He paused. “Package!”  
  
“Armin!”  
  
“But, package!”  
  
Eren sighed. “We should make lunch for Levi.”  
  
Armin relaxed a little. “Fine…” He smiled. “Want to know how to make the best possible grilled cheese sandwich in the world?”  
  
“Sure.” Eren grinned, but his grin quickly faltered. “But, cheese strings?”  
  
“Just make sure to cut them.”  
  


⁂

  
  
“Package, package, package.” Armin quickly grabbed everything from the fridge and shoved it in Eren’s arms. Then he pointed to the counter. “Put it all down there.”  
  
Eren paused. “Why didn’t you just put them down yourself instead of giving it to me?”  
  
Armin considered it and shrugged.  
  
Eren shook his head and put everything down. There were several blocks of cheese and a stick of butter that was in a green wrapping. It wasn’t the same one as before, and it wasn’t from the freezer, so as he put everything else down he picked it up and examined it. “Garlic and Herb infused Butter,” he read aloud. “Why garlic infused? What does that even mean.”  
  
“Shh.” Armin put his fingers to his lips. “Don’t give away the secret.” He closed the fridge door and then grabbed the sliced bread in a plastic bag. “Let’s analyse a classic grilled cheese sandwich. There are, usually, three components to a grilled cheese. Cheese, bread, and butter.”  
  
“Butter?” Eren raised an eyebrow. “I don’t remember grilled cheese being buttery.”  
  
Armin chuckled as he grabbed the stick of butter and opened it up. “Get me a small plate.” He used a butter knife to cut a piece off.  
  
Eren turned around and opened up the wooden cupboards.  
  
“Package, package, package.”  
  
Eren scouted for a small plate before handing it to Armin.  
  
Armin took it with a whispered ‘thank you’ before he pushed the block of butter on it. He cut it into smaller pieces and pushed them away from each other. “You don’t use a lot, just a little. You put a bit of butter on the outside, and that gives it that nice colour, gives a tiny bit of flavour, and it also serves as the grease for the pan, so you don’t have to add oil or anything. Some people like to butter both sides for flavour but…”  
  
Eren lowered his voice for his best Levi impression, “Savages.”  
  
Armin snorted and instantly covered his nose with his hand.  
  
Eren chuckled. “So what do we do?”  
  
“First,” Armin handed Eren the bag of bread, “Hold this.”  
  
“Yes Sir!”  
  
Armin snickered and grabbed a large plate. “There’s three of us, so six sandwiches sounds good. Can you just put all the slices on it?”  
  
Eren nodded and got to work. He glanced at the bread, unbleached white bread, and then began putting them on the plate.  
  
Armin poked the butter; it wasn’t quite room temperature but it was good enough. He added a thin layer of the garlic and herb butter to one side of each loaf of bread and hummed. “Okay. So, back to what I was saying: A grilled cheese is made of three parts. Cheese, bread, and butter. You can get higher quality bread, sure, but nothing fancy or that takes away from the spirit of the grilled cheese sandwich.”  
  
Fancy bread, -2 to Spirit. Eren nodded. “Noted.”  
  
“Cheese is probably the best way to fancy it up. I usually go with three slices of cheese for a grilled cheese. It of course depends how thick your slices are, but I like going in threes. But it’s not so much about the size of the cheese as the types of cheese.”  
  
“Types of cheese?”  
  
Armin finished buttering them up and grabbed the blocks of cheese. “Most people go for American or cheddar, which is okay… I’ve got nothing against either of them.” He shrugged. “American’s a bit, eh, but I think cheddar’s probably the best. The thing is, if we’re going to do three slices of cheese, only one has to be cheddar.” He began cutting up the cheese blocks into slices.  
  
“So we’re mixing cheese?”  
  
“Yep!”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Okay, so what are these? They all just look like blocks of white. Except that one, that looks yellow.”  
  
Armin grinned. “White cheddar, marble, Swiss, mozzarella, and gruyere.”  
  
“Grew-what?”  
  
“Gruyere. Grew–” Armin said slowly, “–Yair.”  
  
“Uhuh.”  
  
“Gruyere is famous for the way it melts,” Armin explained. “The cheese on French Onion soups are almost always gruyere… Actually, any time you want to melt cheese and get quality, I suggest gruyere. It’s gorgeous.”  
  
“Not as gorgeous as you.”  
  
Armin chuckled and shook his head. He counted the slices, eighteen in all, and nodded. He opened the cupboard beneath them and grabbed a pan. He put it on the stove and twisted the dial. The blue jet burner beneath brimmed to life and Armin turned the dial again. “Another secret. Medium heat. Don’t ever make a grilled cheese on high heat. It doesn’t take a lot for cheese to melt, and it doesn’t take long for it to burn.”  
  
Eren nodded. “Med’ heat, okay, got it.”  
  
“So, three parts to a grilled cheese.” Armin put a piece of bread on the pan, butter-side down, and then put three slices of cheese, one marble, one cheddar, one gruyere, on top. “It doesn’t really matter, but I usually don’t put the second slice of bread until I want to flip it.”  
  
Eren watched with interest. “So, what about the butter? You said there’s three parts.”  
  
“Well there’s usually three parts.” Armin frowned. “Some people like to add a slice of tomato to it and pretend they’re healthy, but that just makes the bread soggy and ruins your sandwich and you’re not going to get many vitamins from one cooked slice of tomato.”  
  
Eren chuckled and kissed Armin’s cheek.  
  
Armin blinked. “Huh?”  
  
“Your opinions on food could host a reality show.”  
  
“Armin’s Kitchen?”  
  
“Considering your break down on sauce yesterday, you’re kinda like Gordon Ramsey, right?”  
  
Armin chuckled. “Well, tomatoes are evil. I only eat them whole. Like an apple.”  
  
“Wait,” Eren tilted his head, “What?”  
  
“I don’t like slicing tomatoes, and I don’t like cooking tomatoes… Maybe roasting the small ones, but ew.”  
  
“How do you eat a tomato like an apple, anyway?”  
  
“You suck in when you bite.” Armin sighed. “It’s simple. It’s full of juice so just suck in. That’s the only way I will willingly eat a tomato.”  
  
“Um… you made a thing with chicken and tomato before, though.”  
  
“Huh?” Armin looked at him. “Oh. That doesn’t count. I was using the tomato to keep the chicken moist. It served a purpose. Anyway, we’re off topic.” Armin added the second slice of bread to the sandwich then reached for a spatula. He slipped it underneath then gave it a flip. “Look. At. That!”  
  
The bread had turned a golden colour, with bits of green.  
  
“See,” Armin said with a smile. “Using the garlic and herb butter on these bad boys pretty much turns the toast into garlic bread. It’s only a light flavour, but mmm.”  
  
Eren chuckled and nodded. “It looks really good. The cheese is melting pretty nicely too.”  
  
“Mhm.”  
  
“My mom used to use shredded cheese,” Eren said with a smile. “Those blends of like four or five cheeses.”  
  
“No.” Armin shook his head. “No. No. No. No.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “No?”  
  
“Slicing the cheese is important. Never, never use shredded cheese. That is a disaster waiting to happen. I mean, yeah, it’ll probably still taste great, but Eren… It’s a disaster. It’ll make cleaning the kitchen four times longer, okay? The beauty of grilled cheese is simplicity. Some people put roast beef or ham or yadda yadda in their sandwiches, but it’s just…”  
  
Eren knew the answer to this: “It takes away from the spirit of the grilled cheese!”  
  
“Exactly!” Armin practically bounced. “First one’s done!”  
  
Eren put an arm around his waist. “You’re the best second-in-command.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Levi kicked off his shoes and organised them neatly with his feet before he stepped in. He had a brown Styrofoam tray with three large drinks squished on it. He walked down the hallway into the kitchen and glanced to the two of them. “Hey.”  
  
Armin was on the floor, with a book in his hand above him. He was too busy reading the pages to notice his Master.  
  
But Eren offered a smile. “Hey.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “Here, take yours.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.” Eren walked over and took the frothy ice cappuccino and the straw it came with. He ripped off the white wrapping of the straw before poking it in. “He’s been like that for ten minutes.”  
  
Levi smiled softly before putting the tray down. “I’m glad. He finally got something for himself, so let him enjoy it. What did he end up getting?”  
  
“Like ten manga books and a fondue set.”  
  
“Fondue set?”  
  
Armin snapped up. “Fondue set!”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t seen him like this since that time I got him a tablet.” He pulled a coffee cup off the tray and offered it. “Here. French vanilla, one espresso shot, two chocolate shots.”  
  
Armin bounced to his feet and took it. He kissed Levi’s cheek. “Thanks!” He walked over to the kitchen table and took his seat.  
  
Eren smiled. “Wow, he’s… really happy.”  
  
“For once,” Levi muttered below his breath. He looked up at Eren. “I think we can leave him alone for a bit. There’s… something I wanted to ask you.”  
  
Eren’s chest squeezed. “I didn’t break anything.”  
  
Levi shook his head. “It’s nothing like that…” He pursed his lips, keeping his voice low. “It’s about your issue with fire… There is an activity I was looking forward to doing, but I wanted to make sure you would be comfortable with it.”  
  
“An activity?”  
  
Armin zoomed by and grabbed both of their hands. “Talk later. We made food.”  
  
Eren made his way to the table and eventually Armin dragged Levi. They took their usual seats. The white plates and stainless steel cutlery was placed for them, with cups and a pitcher of water. At the centre was a plate of six grilled cheese sandwiches, cut in half (with no gooey cheese strings connecting the two halves because Armin wasn’t a savage). Armin had also made another, small, spinach salad on the side to act as the greens of the table and they quickly got to eating.  
  
Eren watched them both.  
  
Levi used his fork and knife to cut it into small pieces, slaughtering any cheese string that dared to make its presence known on his plate.  
  
Armin also used a fork and knife, though his pieces were bigger and he was less of a freak.  
  
Eren decided to copy Armin, making sure to cut those devilish cheese lines of loquacious dairy. He suddenly paused and looked up. “What does loquacious mean?”  
  
Levi looked up, slightly surprised. “Talkative.”  
  
“Oh.” He looked down at his grilled cheese sandwich. Were those cheese strings really loquacious? In a way, they were. He nodded to himself and continued eating.  
  
Armin laughed for a reason he couldn’t quite put his finger on.  
  
Levi shook his head.  
  
Eren looked at them. “What?”  
  
“Nothing, Pup.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren and Levi left Armin to oogle and google all over his present and they moved to the living room together. Levi took a seat and Eren took one next to him. Levi slipped an arm around Eren’s waist and offered a small smile. “How do you feel about candles?”  
  
Eren blinked. “Huh?”  
  
“Candles, and hot wax.”  
  
Armin appeared out of nowhere like a character from a pop-up book. “Hot wax?”  
  
Levi stared at the blond for a while before shaking his head. “What’s with him today?”  
  
Armin started wiggling around and shuffling his feet in an interpretive dance on the spot.  
  
Eren stood up and put his hands on Armin’s shoulders. “Don’t bump into anything.”  
  
“He’s excitable,” Levi commented.  
  
“Yeah,” Eren chuckled. “I think he needs the nickname ‘Puppy’ today.”  
  
Armin spun around Eren and then jumped on his back. “Piggy back ride!”  
  
“Wh-Whoa!” Eren smiled as he barely caught Armin.  
  
“Woof!” Armin snickered.  
  
“Arf!” Eren shouted before smooching Armin’s cheek.  
  
Levi watched the way Armin readjusted himself on Eren’s back and he crossed his legs. “Perhaps monkey is a little more fitting.”  
  
Armin smooched the side of Eren’s head. “I’m just really happy… because I’ve wanted this stuff for a while but I always told myself it was stupid and that I was stupid and that yadda yadda, and yeah.”  
  
“Aww.” Eren kissed his cheek. “Isn’t it nice to treat yourself, though?”  
  
Armin nodded and hugged Eren in his position. “Yeah.”  
  
Eren smooched his cheek again.  
  
And Armin smooched his cheek in return.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “Back to what I was saying, about wax play.”  
  
“Hot wax,” Armin purred in Eren’s ear. “Dropping the hot wax off a candle, feeling the burn.”  
  
Eren nodded. “Yeah, I’ve done that… That hurts a lot.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “It shouldn’t hurt too much. You have a fairly high pain tolerance.”  
  
“Well, maybe I just had a bad Dom before.”  
  
Levi frowned at that, but his expression eventually faded. “We can try, if you’re comfortable.”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
Levi tensed and shifted in his seat. “I meant, if you’re comfortable with candles, lit candles.”  
  
Eren understood what he meant and he smiled. “Oh candles are fine, that’s just a small one.”  
  
“Small?” Armin tilted his head, clearly missing out on the conversation. “What’s small?”  
  
Eren turned to look at him. “Your dick.”  
  
Armin silently gasped.  
  
Levi snorted and covered his face with his hands. “Eren.”  
  
“I’m sorry!” Eren chuckled and kissed Armin’s cheek. “It’s just a bad joke. Nothin’s small. I love your dick.”  
  
Armin squeezed Eren and frowned. “You guys are being mean to me today.”  
  
Levi raised one hand defensively. “I haven’t done anything.”  
  
“You wouldn’t smooch me.”  
  
Levi shook his head. “Smooch. What a fucking ugly word. Well, then let’s get to it. Armin, set up the dungeon would you? Light the candles and get them ready.”  
  
Armin’s lower lip wibbled. “But my comic books… and my fondue set. I wanted to make a little chocolate fondue.”  
  
“Well,” Eren spoke up, “We just ate so why don’t we do some hot wax and then we can have fondue for dinner?”  
  
Levi frowned. “That wouldn’t be a very good dinner.”  
  
“Oh.” Armin pursed his lips. “He’s right.”  
  
Eren made eye contact with Levi. “You know we can dip strawberries in chocolate, right?”  
  
Armin snickered.  
  
Levi pretended to mull it over before giving a shrug, the faintest smile on his lips. “I suppose…”  
  
Armin laughed and nibbled Eren’s ear. “You’re a genius.”  
  
Eren chuckled and kissed Armin’s jaw.  
  
“Levi, Master, could we invite some people over?”  
  
Levi got up slowly and headed to the kitchen. “Do we have enough fruits, though? You mentioned we have to do groceries this morning.”  
  
Armin tapped Eren’s shoulder and then pointed to the kitchen. Armin’s steed eventually moved to the fridge and he opened the fridge. “Yep! And we have a ton of strawberries, too. We need to do groceries for savory dinner stuff, but we’re packed on fruits.”  
  
“Great,” Levi said honestly. “Then why don’t you set up the dungeon and Eren can clear the table for after.”  
  


⁂

  
  
“Strip.”  
  
Eren did as he was told, slipping off each article of clothing, his black sweater, black slacks, red shirt, but a giggle stopped him.  
  
Armin actually looked away from the fire of the candelabrum, the thing that held multiple candles, and smiled. “Cute undies.”  
  
“It’s my lucky underwear,” Eren chuckled. He wiggled his hips to make his loose boxers, bright red with thunderbolts, move and shake like a skirt. “Do you like it?”  
  
“I love it,” Armin admitted. “My lucky underwear is boring in comparison.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Lucky underwear?”  
  
Eren gasped. “Sir! Everyone has lucky underwear!”  
  
Levi made a disgusted face. “Strip. And kneel. Now.”  
  
“Yes Sir.” Before anyone could say anything else, Eren was on his knees at the centre of the dungeon. He was surprised, again, to find out the floors were heated. He looked around to see Armin focused on the candelabrum, examining the several white, long candles. His green eyes flashed to Levi and he saw the man walk up to him.  
  
Levi had handcuffs in his hands; or, rather, he had half of one. It was one handcuff and the metal chain that was supposed to lead to another. He kneeled behind Eren and cuffed his left hand.  
  
Eren snickered. “What are you going to do with one.”  
  
There was another click.  
  
Eren tried to move his hands away from each other, but he was bound. “Wait, what?” He looked over his shoulder and he gasped. “My collar?”  
  
“Of course.” Levi smiled. His thumb moved over the leather lines of Eren’s wrist guard. “Modern B.D.S.M. toys are crafted around the idea of subtlety.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Sub-tlety?”  
  
Armin tried not to laugh and ended up giggle snorting.  
  
Levi’s smile fell and he rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a smart ass.” To instill the lesson, he gave Eren a quick strike on his rump.  
  
“Ouch!”  
  
Levi snickered and stood up. “You know your safe words?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
Levi walked around Eren and squatted down in front of him. “Good.” He stroked Eren’s cheek with his thumb. “I want you to communicate with me, alright? You mentioned it hurt with your Dom?”  
  
“My _previous_ Dom,” Eren chuckled. “You’re my Dom now. Nothing hurts with you.”  
  
Levi’s fingers twitched and he graced Eren with a small smile. “What kind of candles did your last Dom use?”  
  
“Uhhh…” Eren thought about it and shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess they were just whatever he had? They were scented, and lots of pretty colours.”  
  
Levi frowned.  
  
“S-Sorry.” Eren dipped his head. “I’ll try to be more specific.”  
  
“No. That’s fine.” Levi pushed the bottom of Eren’s chin up. “That’s all I need to know. Different candles have different melting points. Most people prefer paraffin candles, since they’re fairly neutral. That’s what churches use, so the smell kind of reminds me of that… We use soy candles. Same melting point. The problem with scented candles or coloured candles is that they have to add things. That adjusts the melting point.”  
  
“So then some wax burns hotter?”  
  
“And hurts more than it should.” Levi nodded.  
  
“Um.” Eren bit his lip. “Mikasa uses coloured candles though.”  
  
“Well, Annie is quite experienced for one,” Levi stated. “Two, not all coloured candles have to have a different melting point. Companies don’t really care, since they’re not made to be used against humans, but some want their candles to have high melting points so their candles last longer. Which is dangerous for wax play. Some coloured or scented candles have lower points too, though. It’s all about research. If these ones are too hot, we can bring out some that have a lower temperature.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren smiled. “Okay.”  
  
“Master,” Armin called out. “It is all ready for you here.”  
  
“Alright.” Levi stood up and walked over. “What about you, are you ready?”  
  
Armin kicked a small bucket, which Eren assumed was either full of water or ice, and patted the fire blanket. “All ready.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Is it that big of a deal? Isn’t this room fireproof?”  
  
“Yeah.” Levi nodded. “It just doesn’t hurt to be safe. It also gives Armin something to do.”  
  
Armin practically wiggled in place.  
  
Eren chuckled.  
  
Levi rolled up one sleeve and grabbed a candle with his opposite hand. He turned it slowly and let a drip of hot wax his wrist. He visibly flinched and a smirk formed on his lips. He handed the candle to Armin; and, with his newly free hand, he rubbed his thumb, making sure the oil didn’t separate. Not that he expected it to, but he always had to test it on himself before ever putting his sub in harm’s way.  
  
Armin tilted his head. “Good temperature?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi took the candle back and turned to Eren. “You’re a darling, Kitten.”  
  
Armin smiled and danced on his feet.  
  
Levi walked behind Eren.  
  
Eren tried to look over his shoulder, but the half a second of eye contact they made told him to face forward.  
  
“How do you feel Eren?”  
  
“Um, alright?”  
  
“Don’t hide anything from me, Mutt.”  
  
Eren smiled. “I feel alright. I trust you.”  
  
Levi paused and examined Eren’s back for a moment. “Do you?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Trust me.”  
  
“Do I trust you?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Eren laughed. “I thought I was the one who was supposed to ask stupid questions.”  
  
Levi tilted the candle over Eren’s back and gave it a little shake, letting three drops fall.  
  
They cooled through the air but Eren straightened his spine as they hit his back. He bit his lip and felt the searing pleasure. He let out a small noise. With his back upright, the droplets moved down his back, creating a trail of heat.  
  
Levi put his foot on Eren’s shoulder and pushed him to the floor. “Down, boy.”  
  
Eren meeped.  
  
Levi smirked and moved his foot off. “How did that feel?”  
  
“Good!” Eren admitted with no shame. “Mmm.” He closed his eyes. “There’s a bit of a sting to it.”  
  
Levi tilted his head. “Is there?”  
  
“Mhm. It’s a light one.”  
  
“You like stings, don’t you?”  
  
“Yes Sir!”  
  
Levi shook his head. “How is the temperature. Is it better than your last experience?”  
  
“A hell of a lot better,” Eren admitted with a firm nod. “Yeah.”  
  
Levi nodded, seeming pleased with it. “Stay down.” He aimed the candle down again, moving it as the drops fell, so they would hit across Eren’s back.  
  
Eren winced as a large drop hit his shoulder blade. Smaller specks hit across his body and he wiggled in place as he tried to keep himself calm. The warmth made his cheeks flush and he loved the liquidy feel to the pain as it moved.  
  
Levi walked over to the candelabra and placed his candle down. He opted for a wider candle and took it with one hand. “Let’s try out the basics a little more, then we can move on to some of the fun stuff. How does that sound, Pup?”  
  
“Sounds like a plan!” Eren grinned. He made eye contact with the man as he walked over.  
  
“Wonderful.” Levi tilted the candle and the fresh wax came down, hitting Eren’s nape. “Straighten your back.”  
  
As soon as the sear tickled his nape he gasped. He straightened his posture and felt the hot wax drip down. It hardened as it moved, but the warmth moving down his spine made him close his eyes and let out a noise. “Bicycles.”  
  
Armin raised an eyebrow.  
  
Levi let the fire warm some of the wax before he nudged Eren’s shoulder. “Down again.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
“Would you mind if the temperature was hotter?”  
  
“Not at all, Levi, Sir!”  
  
Levi nodded. He lowered the candle a bit, so the wax would not cool down through the air as much, before he let it drip just below Eren’s shoulder blades.  
  
Eren wiggled and let out another noise.  
  
Armin smirked. “He seems to be enjoying it, Sir.”  
  
Levi seemed proud of that.  
  
“Should we move on, Master?”  
  
Levi considered it for a moment before looking down to his sub. “Pup, would you be fine with moving to something more intense?”  
  
Eren nodded. “Yeah.”  
  
“Armin,” Levi walked over, “My brush.”  
  
Armin grabbed a wide brush and handed it over.  
  
Levi put the candle down and grabbed the brush. He grabbed a much larger candle that his hand could not fully wrap around, and he walked back over to Eren. “I want you to communicate with me. If it’s too much, let me know.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Do you smell that, Armin?”  
  
Armin blinked for a second, then it registered and he chuckled.  
  
Levi frowned. “What?”  
  
Eren grinned wide. “I smell a Tender Dom!”  
  
Levi scowled and turned the candle upside down; a significant amount of white wax fell on Eren’s back.  
  
Eren, unprepared, gasped loudly and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. It felt like a pool of heat was swirling on his back and his fingers and toes twitched. He heard the metal tug of his handcuffs as he wiggled.  
  
Levi kneeled down and dipped his brush into the hot wax. He trailed a line up Eren’s spine.  
  
“Oh shit!” Eren whimpered. “Shit, shit, don’t stop.”  
  
“Say please.”  
  
“Please, Sir!”  
  
Levi smirked and moved the brush down, gliding over the bumps of Eren’s spine.  
  
Eren wiggled around, keeping his forehead against the heated floor. He wiggled and felt his inner thighs quiver. The searing river flowed and he was being washed away in the burning pleasure. “Sir…”  
  
Levi paused. “What is it?”  
  
“N-Nothing.” Eren blushed. “I just… wanted to say your name.”  
  
Levi smirked and continued.  
  
Eren felt the hot wax begin to cool and wiggled. “More, Sir.”  
  
Levi removed his brush and glanced to the candle. There was a pool of hot wax in the dip of the candle and Levi decided to wait a little longer. “Are you enjoying yourself, Pup?”  
  
“Hell yeah.” Eren looked over his shoulder. “Are you?”  
  
“Straighten your back.”  
  
Eren did as he was instructed.  
  
Levi kissed Eren’s shoulder tenderly, then his neck, finally the end of his jawline. “I love seeing you writhe, Pup.”  
  
Eren’s cheeks warmed. “I love writhing for you.”  
  
Levi seemed amused and he nudged his chin forward.  
  
Eren understood and lowered his head so it touched the ground.  
  
“A bit higher; level yourself for me.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.” Eren raised his head and tried to make his back parallel to the ground.  
  
Levi poured the hot wax and watched his sub wiggle beneath. He poured on the untouched shoulder blade and watched as the wax moved down.  
  
Levi swept it up with his brush and swirled the burning liquid to the other side of Eren’s body.  
  
“Oh shit!”  
  
“Language,” Levi teased.  
  
Eren bit his lip and muffled another curse into it.  
  
Levi smirked and kept moving his brush over the sub’s body. He moved his brush away and glanced at the candle. “Armin bring another large candle here, would you?”  
  
“Yes, Master.” Armin grabbed one, roughly the same size, slightly bigger, and looked at the top. There was glistening, translucent white wax and Armin smiled. He walked slowly, carefully, and placed it down near Levi. “He’s quite covered already.”  
  
“Mmm.” Levi nodded. “He’s a good pet.”  
  
“You know,” Armin used his teasing voice, “I think one day he should be _my_ pet.”  
  
Levi turned to face him. “A whole day?”  
  
“A whole day,” Armin agreed.  
  
Levi leaned over to bring their lips together, then paused. “As if I would ever give a slave like you that much power.”  
  
Armin whined and sprawled out on the floor.  
  
“Get back to your post, Kitten. Safety first, complaining like a bitch second.”  
  
Armin snickered and kissed Levi’s cheek before he moved back to the fire blanket and ice bucket.  
  
Levi turned to Eren and grabbed the fresh candle. “Do you think you can handle something a little more intense?”  
  
Eren nodded about three hundred and sixty seven and a half times. “Yes!”  
  
“Good Pup, but tell me if it’s too much.”  
  
“I want to serve you to the fullest.”  
  
“Of course.” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “But lying to me about your limits is not serving me. Do you understand me, Eren?”  
  
“Yes.” Eren nodded slowly. “I do, Sir.”  
  
“Good.” Levi leaned down and kissed the back of Eren’s head. He moved back and put the brush down. He grabbed both candles and then tilted them over Eren’s back, right at the centre.  
  
Eren’s eyes went wide before they rolled to the back of his head. The heat was caressing him in such a large pool, melting the other dried wax and Levi’s brush swirled, stroking his back with the tiny strands, guiding the heat in swirls and circular swishes. Up and down his back, the heat was pulled and pushed and Eren leaned down and gasped, letting out a heavy noise.  
  
Levi smirked and then put the brush down. He moved behind Eren and put his hands on Eren’s back. His fingers dove into the wax and he kneaded with his thumbs.  
  
Eren whimpered. The mix of liquid wax and a back massage made him writhe and he began breathing heavily. His arms, cuffed together, wiggled against his sides and he curled his toes. His back arched, desperate for Levi’s touch. “S-Sir!”  
  
“Good Pup,” Levi whispered into his ear. “You’re a good pet.”  
  
Eren blushed and nodded. “Th-Thank you.”  
  
Levi found tension just under Eren’s shoulder blades and his thumbs moved in slow circles.  
  
“Not fair,” Eren blurted out. “How are you so good at everything?”  
  
Levi paused, blinking twice.  
  
Armin gigglesnorted.  
  
Levi smiled and kissed Eren’s shoulder. “Because I want nothing but pleasure for my pets.”  
  
Eren’s cheeks burned and he smiled.  
  
“Blow out the candles,” Levi ordered. “And prepare the bath.”  
  
“Yes, Master.”  
  
Eren pouted. “It’s over?”  
  
Levi blew out the two candles next to him and then kissed the side of Eren’s neck. “Yes. Let’s get you cleaned up. We still have an evening ahead of us.”  
  
Eren grinned and leaned back to smooch Levi’s cheek.  
  


⁂

  
  
They used the bath on the first floor, simply because it was closer. It was a one person bath, and Eren sat in the tub, not shy about his nudity in front of Levi for once. Levi stroked Eren’s face with his thumb then leaned in to kiss his cheek.  
  
Eren chuckled. “You’re awfully affectionate all of a sudden.”  
  
Levi let himself smile for once. “Affection is necessary for after care.” He lapped the warm water up Eren’s back and used his trimmed fingernails to pick at the wax. “It’s one of the few times that I should care about the sub, and only the sub. My feelings and needs are secondary to you.”  
  
Eren shook his head, which accidentally made water drops fly in every direction.  
  
Levi closed his eyes after being hit by one and chuckled. “Puppy indeed.”  
  
“Sorry,” Eren muttered. He looked down. “Why do you say that it should only be about me; I mean, yeah, after care is important for the sub… but that doesn’t mean the Dom shouldn’t enjoy it…”  
  
“And I never said I don’t,” Levi added. The dried wax seemed to fall with ease and Levi was grateful. “I am only saying… right now, I am secondary to you, the sub.” He leaned in and kissed Eren’s shoulder. “I’m giving you what you want.” His eyes moved to Eren’s face and he noted the brunet’s lips were not in a smile.  
  
Eren stared at him and then nodded. “Okay.”  
  
Levi paused.  
  
“I mean… I mean, yeah, thanks. I just, I guess this is stupid, but don’t give me something just because you think I want it…”  
  
“I don’t understand,” Levi admitted. “I thought this would make you happy.”  
  
“It does.” Eren pursed his lips. “I guess it’s just… I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, Sir! I am thankful and–”  
  
“Eren,” Levi’s smooth voice cut him off. “Speak freely. I won’t judge or punish you.”  
  
“Well, I guess.” Eren shrugged. “I’d rather you do something because you want to, not just because you know I want you to. I mean, if you asked me to suck you off, would you enjoy it if you knew I hated it but was forcing myself to do it, or would you enjoy it more if you knew I really wanted to?”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. He looked away and gave a small smile. “Eren… I never said I didn’t want to and I never said I didn’t enjoy giving you affection.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren looked down and wiggled, moving the water in the tub. “So… You know, I really don’t understand you.”  
  
“I would be surprised if you did.” Levi began picking at the wax again. “It’s… Perhaps it’s a stupid thing about me, but… I don’t know.”  
  
“Sir?”  
  
“I enjoy giving affection, especially when I want to give it. I want to give it to you, I do. And, some part of me… Some part of me knows that you and Armin deserve so much more than what I give you. It’s just… It’s not easy. It’s not something that comes naturally. When I see you and Armin, the way you hug and cuddle and just latch on to each other, I’m just so…”  
  
Eren swallowed hard. “Jealous?”  
  
“Relieved.” Levi looked up at him. “I can’t give him what he needs. I can’t squeeze him and caress him and make him feel like he’s the world. I can’t do that to you either.”  
  
“Sir–”  
  
“—Let me finish.”  
  
“What happened to speak freely?”  
  
Levi smirked and kissed Eren softly. “Just let me say this, alright, Pup?”  
  
Eren smiled. “Sure.”  
  
“I… Yes, some part of me wishes I could be more open about my feelings. But I’m in my thirties, I’ve had more time to come and just accept myself for all my bonuses and all my skills and all my shits and all my downfalls. I’m not going to pretend you’ll suddenly love yourself when you’re thirty—No, you’ll probably still have trouble accepting yourself. Everyone always will. But you get closer. You realise there are some things that can’t be changed. And that’s okay.” Levi frowned. “Sorry. I’m going off topic…”  
  
“Levi…”  
  
“But, what I want to say, basically…” Levi scouted for words. “It goes back to what I was saying. You can give Armin something I can’t. And you can give me something Armin can’t. And Armin can give you something I can’t.” He sighed. “Anyway… Fuck. What am I even trying to say?”  
  
Eren chuckled and smooched Levi’s cheek. “After care.”  
  
“Right. After care.” Levi gave a lopsided smile. “What I mean to say is, when it comes to after care… It’s about the sub, and about you, and what you want, so I just tell myself to suck it up and maybe it’s not comfortable and maybe it’s not first nature for me to get all… cute, with you, but that’s my job. To give you everything you need. To make sure you’re okay, and to make sure you’re happy, and content, and that this contract is what you’re looking for.”  
  
“Levi.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“This is everything I’m looking for.” Eren grinned. “You moron.”  
  
Levi swallowed hard. “You mean that?”  
  
“Yep, you’re a moron.”  
  
Levi frowned and flicked Eren’s forehead.  
  
“Ow!” Eren frowned. “What happened to after care?”  
  
Levi smirked. “Don’t be a shit.”  
  
“Fine.” Eren smiled. “Thanks… for taking care of me.”  
  
“You’re my responsibility, Eren.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “You really need to stop that.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Stop always brushing it off like ‘You’re my responsibility’ or ‘I’m your Dom’. One day you should just admit you care.”  
  
Levi paused and his eyes fell to the water. “It’s just… complicated.”  
  
Eren chuckled again.  
  
Levi looked up. “Why are you laughing?”  
  
“I’m just happy.”  
  
Levi shook his head as he picked off the last bits of wax. “Freak.”  
  
“I just, I feel like… I don’t know. I might not ever understand you, Sir, but I like who you are, and I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to be yours.” Eren’s smile turned shy. “Are you… happy I’m here?”  
  
“Well…” Levi shrugged. “If… you contribute as a member of the household, I am satisfied…”  
  
Eren looked at Levi.  
  
Levi looked at Eren.  
  
Eren looked at Levi.  
  
Levi looked at Eren.  
  
“And the award for the understatement of the year goes to…”  
  
Levi laughed, actually laughed, low and dark, smooth and free.  
  
Eren felt a tickle up his sides from knowing he had caused that.  
  
“I, just…” Levi attempted, but his words went nowhere fast.  
  
“It’s okay. I understand.” He leaned over and kissed Levi once. “It’s like you said yesterday, or this morning, I woke up at like three in the morning. Sometimes things are too much for you, and too close for comfort. You like it, but it can be a bit much and that’s cool.”  
  
Levi sighed. “I was hoping you would be too tired to remember that.”  
  
“Well, it was important to me.”  
  
Levi ran his hand over Eren’s back once more. He stood up and flicked his wet hand at the brunet. “Get dressed soon; Armin’s inviting people over for his fondue party.”  
  
“Okay, Sir.”  
  
Levi turned to leave but paused. “And yes… I’m happy you’re here.”


	19. The Third Week (3)

Blinded, his eyes peered into the blackness of the blindfolds; his face was pressed into a pillow that smelled of sweet velvet and leather. He moved his arms, but the metallic clang of the handcuffs held him where he was.  
   
“Are you trying to move?” Jean laughed from behind him.  
   
Marco smirked into the pillow, but that confidence all but vanished at the crack of a belt.  
   
“I thought you were going to be my good boy tonight. Wasn’t that the plan?”  
   
Marco could have easily retorted, if it weren’t for the cloth tied around his mouth. He never liked ball gags, they… well, they made him gag, but a cloth was nice. It gave him something to bite down on when he got nervous but still did its job. Marco had grown up as someone who bit his nails; and, although he grew out of that habit, he found himself chewing on the cloth to ease himself.  
   
“What is it, pet?”  
   
Marco said nothing.  
   
“That’s what I thought.”  
   
The voice seemed to come closer, but Marco wasn’t sure. That was the problem when his sight was taken away. He couldn’t be sure about anything. It didn’t help that Jean always played these mind games. He would walk away, say something to appear far, then strike Marco when he least expected. Marco swallowed hard, smiling again. His arms were tied behind his back by a silver handcuff with leather casing for comfort. His knees were together, rear slightly raised.  
   
Jean’s hand moved over his back.  
   
Marco shivered; he could feel the lines of Jean’s hand. Somehow, his touch was both roughened and calloused, and yet it moved so smoothly over his body that he couldn’t help but shiver.  
   
“You like that?”  
   
Marco didn’t reply.  
   
A hand struck his ass.  
   
Marco gasped and wiggled.  
   
“Don’t move. You’re supposed to be good to me.”  
   
Marco smiled and tried to relax.  
   
Jean moved his hand back and began walking.  
   
Marco followed the movement with his ear. Jean was moving from his side, around the bed, to the other side. His eyes, even though they could see nothing but darkness, shifted to where he thought his Dom was. He was trying to anticipate every action, but—  
   
“Marco.”  
   
His shoulders spiked up, tensing, before he relaxed, sighing into the cloth around his face. He looked at the other side, seeing nothing, but knowing Jean was not where he thought he was.  
   
“What’s wrong, did I scare you?”  
   
Marco gave a small nod.  
   
“Sorry, babe.” Jean laughed. He slipped a finger under the cloth silencing his sub and tugged it free.  
   
Marco breathed out of his mouth and chuckled. “Come on. I got in position and all you’re going to do is watch?”  
   
“Are you saying you don’t like my domination?”  
   
“Nope.” Marco smirked and his voice spilled with tease, “You’re kind of bo-oh-oring.”  
   
Jean whipped his belt against Marco’s ass, cracking a loud smack.  
   
Marco winced, feeling happy tingles roll through his body, under his skin, to his core. “That’s a _bit_ better, Jean.”  
   
“Don’t mock me,” Jean cursed. He stepped closer and shoved his hand in Marco’s hair, shifting his fingers through the strands.  
   
Marco couldn’t deny how hard he was. He so badly needed attention, which would only come from being a good sub; but, the only thing he could do… “That all you got?”  
   
“Oh, so you like teasing me? Huh?”  
   
“Mhm. You make it so easy.”  
   
Jean’s hand struck his ass again.  
   
Marco fought back the urge to moan. “Harder.”  
   
“What was that?”  
   
“I said: Harder.” Marco turned his head to face Jean and smiled. “Sir…”  
   
“Good boy.”  
   
Another strike of pain made his body shake.  
   
“What do you say?”  
   
Marco said nothing.  
   
“I said, what do you say?”  
   
“Nothing.”  
   
Another strike right on the sting of the last.  
   
Marco shivered. “Thank you.”  
   
“Thank you, who?”  
   
“Thank you, Sir.”  
   
“Good.” Jean chuckled. “Good, you’re learning.”  
   
Marco silently snickered. He pushed his face back in the pillow to hide his smile.  
   
Jean put his hand over Marco’s nape and then ran it down his back, over the curve of his rump, then glided it down his outer thigh. “I’m so lucky to have a thing like you.”  
   
“I know. You don’t really deserve me.”  
   
Jean stopped. “What did you say?”  
   
Marco laughed.  
   
“Oh, you’re in for it.”  
   
Despite the warning words, Marco could hear the smile in that voice. Another smack on his ass made him jump, but that was fine. It was what came next. Being blinded, he didn’t expect it, but the leather belt cracked against his spine and he yelped and shot up so he was sitting on his knees.  
   
“Oh look at that.” Jean grabbed his cock. “You’re all hard for me.”  
   
Marco smiled. “Who says it’s for you?”  
   
“Well who else could it be for, pet?”  
   
Marco couldn’t think of anything so he just chuckled.  
   
Jean squeezed his cock. “You’re fucking cute when you smile, you know that?”  
   
Marco felt his cheeks redden and he chuckled again, but this one spilled out his nervousness.  
   
“You get cute little dimples,” Jean’s voice came closer, “Right here.” Jean kissed just under the corner of his lips. “And here.” He did the same to the other side. “Makes me wonder how someone so darn cute can be so fucking sexy.”  
   
The nervousness refused to leave his voice as he laughed again.  
   
“Mmm,” Jean seemed amused. “Looks like I finally have control over you, don’t I?”  
   
Marco didn’t want to answer.  
   
Jean’s lips moved to his neck.  
   
Marco gasped and his cock twitched in Jean’s hand.  
   
“Good things happen when you don’t fight me, Marco.”  
   
“Better things happen when I do fight you, though.”  
   
“Oh.” Jean squeezed his cock before stroking it. “Really?”  
   
Any comeback Marco prepared melted into a moan; his shoulders shivered and his thighs quivered. He opened his legs just a little and bit his lip.  
   
“You really need to stop fighting me, Marco.”  
   
“But where’s the f-fun in th-that?”  
   
Jean laughed and his voice moved downwards.  
   
Marco was confused for a moment—but then Jean’s mouth, warm and wet, moved over the head of his cock. Marco shuddered and threw his head back. A needy moan left his lips; and, in that moment, they both knew—Marco had given him control.  
   
Jean bobbed his head on Marco’s cock and sucked hard.  
   
“F-Fu,” Marco gasped, “Frick!”  
   
Jean slipped it out of his mouth and continued to stroke it, rolling the skin over the head and back down again. “You still can’t say ‘fuck’ in bed?”  
   
“Sh-Shush!”  
   
“Say it.” Jean smirked. “Say it.”  
   
“N-No… it’s a bad word.”  
   
Jean laughed.  
   
Marco shivered.  
   
“Say it,” he ordered.  
   
“Fffff…. Fff… F-Fu–”  
   
Saved by the bell; or, rather, the ring of the telephone.  
   
Marco swallowed hard. “You should get that!”  
   
“No fucking way,” Jean muttered. “You’re going to say it. For your Dom, you are.”  
   
Marco shuddered.  
   
But the phone rang again, and the caller I.D. chimed loudly: “Call from ‘Levi Rivaille’.”  
   
“You should totally get that!” Marco insisted. “It might be for my work!”  
   
“Fine!” Jean let go of Marco’s cock. “Damnit.”  
   
Marco sighed and relaxed. He heard Jean’s footsteps move away and then the ringing stopped.  
   
“Hello?” Jean said in an annoyed voice. “Oh.” His voice relaxed. “Um, well, Marco and I are kind of… busy, if you know what I mean… Uhuh… Sure. Another time… Great… Later.”  
   
Marco turned to the origin of the voice. “What did Levi want?”  
   
“It was Armin,” Jean explained. “Something about a fondue party?”  
  


⁂

  
  
“Annie,” Mikasa’s voice was curt and to the point. “Focus.”  
   
“I am focusing. On this table.” Her forehead was pressed against the glass and her eyes were closed. She felt Mikasa pet her head and she sighed. “I don’t want to know. I don’t want to know anything. I want to curl up and buy a boat and find a bunch of dolphins and jump into the oceans and become a part of their family.”  
   
Mikasa chuckled and shook her head. She moved some black hair out of her eyes and placed it behind her ear. “Study.”  
   
“No.”  
   
“Study.”  
   
“No.”  
   
“Study.”  
   
Annie silently groaned and cursed the existence of everything. She sat up in her chair and looked across her living room table. “I am done studying. I can’t. I really can’t.”  
   
“You took a ten minute break.” Mikasa stared at her. “You can.”  
   
Annie mumbled something and looked at the colourful pages of her biology textbook. “Why the fuck am I learning this?”  
   
“Because you need it for your degree.”  
   
“I don’t need it to be a marine biologist.”  
   
“But you need your undergrad before you can specialise.”  
   
Annie sighed. “You’re too fucking patient with me.”  
   
“I know.” Mikasa smiled at that. “Study.”  
   
“Fine.” Annie read about three lines before she gave up. “This is our last final, isn’t it?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
Annie leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. “We’re going to have four months off… Four months off. Holy shit.”  
   
“Focus, Annie.”  
   
“You know how much beer I can drink in four months?” Annie looked at her. “I can kill myself with the wonders of alcohol.”  
   
“Focus.”  
   
“Do you know how many dicks I can take in four months?”  
   
Mikasa looked at her and tilted her head.  
   
“I could turn my vagina into a clown car.”  
   
Mikasa snorted and slapped both of her hands on her face. “What the fuck, Annie?”  
   
“I could put a little red nose thing on my clit and go honk-honk like clowns do.”  
   
“What the _fuck_ , Annie? Focus!”  
   
“I could do anything in four months. I could drive to Paris.”  
   
“No you can’t, there’s the ocean.” Mikasa put her hands down. “Plus, you don’t want to go back to Paris. Your father is in Paris.”  
   
“Oh.” Annie nodded. “Right.”  
   
“For fuck’s sake…” Mikasa sighed. “Focus. Just, please, focus.”  
   
Annie sighed and flipped the page. “I could kidnap a child in four months.”  
   
Mikasa closed her eyes.  
   
“I could kidnap four children in one month, so that’s like sixteen children in four months—I could be a part of an underground child stealing mafia in four months.”  
   
“Annie.”  
   
“Okay… Okay. Sorry.”  
   
Mikasa did her best to fight her smile, but she knew that was a losing battle. “It’s not that bad. One more final exam, and we have four months off. We can survive one more final.”  
   
“But why do we have to study now?” Annie grunted. “Why can’t we study tomorrow?”  
   
“Because we almost failed the midterm.”  
   
“Everyone almost failed the midterm! Fuck, half of them did!”  
   
“It’s not a bell curved course,” she reminded. “But it’s required. It’s designed to bring our GPA down.”  
   
Annie rubbed her face.  
   
“That means, if we can get a good mark on a course that’s supposed to make other people lower their GPA–”  
   
“–Yeah, yeah.” Annie took a deep breath. “I get it. Basically, it’s a great way to get a good GPA, great. Fun fucking times. I’m going to hurt someone… Sometimes I wish Eren was still here. He was an amazing punching bag.”  
   
Mikasa smiled, but said nothing.  
   
Their phone went off.  
   
Annie jumped to her feet and flew across the room to grab it. She snatched it and hit the green button. “Hello?”  
   
Mikasa watched from the table.  
   
“Sure. We’re not doing anything.”  
   
Mikasa got up and walked across the room.  
   
Annie circled around the sofa. “Yes. We can come over right now.”  
   
“Oh you bitch,” Mikasa whispered before she lunged onto the couch.  
   
“Yeah, sure—Hey!”  
   
Mikasa yanked the phone out of Annie’s hand and put it to her ear. “Hello?”  
   
Annie put her hands together and begged.  
   
“I’m sorry, Armin.” Mikasa ignored her. “We have our last final and we need to study.”  
   
Annie dropped to the floor, accepting defeat.  
   
“Tell Eren I apologise,” Mikasa said. “Alright. Goodbye.”  
   
“I hate you. You cunt.”  
   
Mikasa watched her for a moment before smiling. “If we can finish another three chapters, I’ll do that thing you like tonight.”  
   
Annie sat up. She was half-tempted to jump up, but, “Three chapters?”  
   
“Mhm.”  
   
“Two chapters.”  
   
“Two and a half chapters?”  
   
“Deal.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Krista held a white circular cold cut that had an orange tint to it above her mouth. She opened wide and made a noise before she let go and felt it fall on her tongue. She clapped excitedly for herself and began chewing. She turned to her Dom to see if she saw, but then she remembered Ymir went to the bathroom. She pursed her lips, lips wiggling up and down as she chewed. After, eventually, swallowing, she looked at the television and stared at the paused screen.  
   
She wiggled impatiently. “Ymir!”  
   
She wanted to watch more of the horror movie.  
   
“God damn girlfriends,” Krista grumbled. She looked at the coffee table in front of the couch and smiled.  
   
There was the rich white and dark chocolate raspberry cake, and next to it was what was left of seven hundred grams of Cajun chicken. Chicken and chocolate. She had a feeling that, wherever he was, Armin was screaming at their food pairing. She leaned over and cut another massive slice of the cake before moving it to her plate. She grabbed her fork and shoved about half of it in her mouth.  
   
No regrets.  
   
The sweet white with the tart dark chocolates fused and merged and consummated with the raspberry glaze, creating a bastion of glory and richness that whispered sweet nothings and sang her a ballad of emotions. She closed her eyes and let the river of time take her to a new world. She was free.  
   
Krista swallowed.  
   
She took another bite and waited for her stupid girlfriend.  
   
Ymir’s phone went off.  
   
Krista frowned at it. She wanted to grab it and snoop and see who was calling, but she also kind of liked the ring tone. It was mostly high notes, with a couple low ones. It was nice.  
   
After going off several times, Ymir’s phone went quiet.  
   
Krista heard her phone go off.  
   
Krista blinked and looked around. She glanced to the coffee table, but it was on the other side.  
   
“I’m going to have to stretch,” she realised. Instead, she let it play and shoved the other half of her massive cake slice in her mouth.  
   
No regrets.  
  


⁂

  
  
Endless pain.  
   
Deep solitude.  
   
Hanji screamed into the night and rain as she grabbed another exam. She flipped the page and began marking the answers once again. She sat back in her desk and crossed her legs, sighing angrily as she continued marking. She half considered giving up. Maybe she could be a hermit and live under a rock. No, that would be horrible. Hanji shook her head, then she had the greatest idea in the world.  
   
She could be a hermit and live at Levi’s house!  
   
Hanji giggled and wiggled in her chair before she bounced up. She walked out of her office, over to her kitchen, and walked to her coffee pot. She opened a wooden overhead cupboard and grabbed a white porcelain cup that said “World’s Best Dad” and put it down. Levi had bought her the cup. Why? Even Hanji didn’t know, but there was something about Levi’s sense of humour that was funny in its own right. She grabbed the pot of coffee and poured before putting it down.  
   
Hanji walked over to the fridge, opened the door, and grabbed the homo milk. She poured it into her cup, just a bit to turn it from black to a dark beige, before she put the milk back in her fridge.  
   
“Ah,” she sighed. She grabbed her mug and inhaled the robust smell of coffee. Coffee. Nothing like coffee. Except bondage. But that was a given. She sipped her drink and glanced around her kitchen. It was a small, quaint little cute thing. And for once in her life, it was spotless.  
   
Her home phone went off.  
   
Hanji blinked and put her cup down. She grabbed the phone and glanced at the number. She cringed before she brought it to her ear. “Hello?”  
   
 _“Hi Hanji!”_  
   
Hanji grinned. “Army!” She put her back against the fridge. “I was scared; when I saw Levi’s number I thought he was going to bitch at me for being better than him.”  
   
Armin laughed on the other end.  
   
“So how can I help you?”  
   
 _“I was wondering if you were busy this evening?”_  
   
Hanji made an audible pout. “Aww, Army! You had to call me the one night I’m busy… I’m grading papers and it’s going to take me forever.”  
   
 _“Oh! That’s okay.”_  
   
Hanji pouted. “I actually called Erwin and guilted him to come over and help me mark and enter in the grades, but he was falling asleep, so I put him to bed. He’s still jet lagged and his hours are all messed up from the flight. If he wakes up again, maybe we can zoom through it and I can come over! But… I’m sorry!”  
   
Armin chuckled on the other end. _“That’s alright, Hanji. It was short notice, please don’t feel bad. Levi’s going to hate me for saying this, but you can make it up by coming over unannounced again some time.”_  
   
Hanji cackled madly and nodded about six hundred times. “Will do, Armin! Will do!”  
  


⁂

  
  
Back in the first floor bathroom, Eren stepped out of the bath and dried himself with the provided towel. He got dressed again, with his lucky red underwear with lucky thunderbolts, and back in his dark blue jeans and red shirt. He omitted his black sweater and folded it up quickly. He stepped out of the bathroom and felt a breeze of chill air move over him.  
   
He felt refreshed.  
   
Eren walked down the hall, into the kitchen, and glanced to see Levi making tea. “Hello Sir.”  
   
“Do me a favour,” Levi wasted no time. “Check on Armin for me, would you?”  
   
“Sure!” Eren smiled. “Where is he?”  
   
“Living room.”  
   
Eren nodded and walked out of the kitchen to the living room.  
   
Armin was sitting in the middle of the couch, head down as he pouted.  
   
“Hey!” Eren jumped on the couch next to him and bounced. He looked at Armin and examined his face, and Eren suddenly frowned. “What’s wrong?”  
   
“No one wanted to come to my fondue party…”  
   
“Armin…” Eren hugged him tight and pulled him close. “I want to come to your fondue party! And there will be strawberries there, so you know Levi wants to come too!”  
   
Armin looked up, big blue eyes wide. “Really?”  
   
“Yeah!”  
   
“Like, really? You’re not just saying that?”  
   
“Armin.” Eren laughed. “There’s going to be chocolate and _you._ Why wouldn’t I want to go?”  
   
Armin suddenly smiled and leaned into Eren. “I guess that makes a rather convincing argument…”  
   
“Hmm, only thing that could make it better is if Levi took his shirt off.”  
   
Armin chuckled and kissed Eren’s cheek. “You’re great.”  
   
Eren smiled and watched Armin do the same. He paused for a minute, making eye contact before his eyes fell to Armin’s lips, and back up again. “You have a beautiful smile.”  
   
“H-Huh?” Armin’s eyes widened, cheeks going from pale to red in half a second. “What?”  
   
“I said you have a beautiful smile, Armin.”  
   
“Me?”  
   
“Yes, you.”  
   
Armin grinned and shoved himself in Eren’s chest. “Don’t say things like that!—It’s embarrassing!”  
   
“But it’s true!”  
   
“No! Stop!”  
   
“I’m not gonna stop! Can’t stop; won’t stop!”  
   
Armin chuckled and slipped his arms around Eren’s waist.  
   
Eren wasn’t sure how, but somehow his back ended up on the couch, with Armin on top of him. He ran a hand through Armin’s hair—Armin’s fairy hair—and smiled. “You’re such a dork.”  
   
“Me?” Armin almost looked offended. “You’re the biggest dork on this side of the world.”  
   
“Shush!” Eren smooched him quickly. “I’m not a dork!”  
   
Armin nuzzled Eren’s neck and closed his eyes.  
   
“Oy.”  
   
They both jumped.  
   
Levi frowned. “Don’t you dare take a fucking nap. I want strawberries.”  
   
Armin groaned as he got off Eren. “Okay, okay. Let’s cut up some fruits.”  
   
Eren got up as well. “Sure.” He looked at Levi. “Want to help?”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “No.”  
   
“Oh come on,” Eren said with a smile. “We never do anything together, like the three of us. I know you’re pretty much useless in the kitchen, but you can wash and cut fruits… Right?”  
   
Levi knew he was taking a bait, but he sighed. “Of course I can, Eren.”  
   
“Prove it,” Armin teased.  
   
Levi stared at them. “I don’t know if I want to laugh or backhand you two.”  
  


⁂

  
  
The three of them moved into the kitchen, Levi grumbling about something or another, God damn subs, why bother having them if they make me work, but no one really paid him any attention. Armin opened the fridge and did the usual load up on Eren’s arms. He gave him the strawberries, of course, then followed it up with apples, oranges, cherries, star fruit, and something that looked like an anime fireball with green things sticking up.  
   
“The fuck is this?” Eren tilted his head.  
   
It was a red fruit, spherical in shape, with an exterior layered like cabbage.  
   
“Dragon fruit,” Armin explained. He moved to the kitchen counter and grabbed a couple bananas and shoved them in Eren’s arms. “There. You two cut those up, okay?”  
   
Levi frowned. “What about you?”  
   
“Well I’m gonna wash the fondue thing and figure it out.” Armin chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m doing work too.”  
   
Levi seemed fine with that. “I’ll get the knives.” He opened a drawer and then frowned.  
   
“It’s okay, Sir,” Eren said quickly. He put the fruits down on the counter, then walked across the kitchen and opened another drawer, where the knives were. “I’ll do most of the work.”  
   
“No, I can do it.”  
   
“Well, Sir…”  
   
“It’s fine. I’m not a disaster in the kitchen.”  
   
Eren didn’t reply, but he didn’t need to.  
   
Armin snickered.  
   
Levi looked at the fruits and tilted his head. “So… how should we cut them?”  
   
“Well first,” Armin sighed, “You have to wash them.”  
   
“Right. I knew that.”  
   
Eren turned to Armin. “Is this a good idea?”  
   
Levi frowned.  
   
Armin chuckled. “Just keep an eye on him, okay? He’s good with knives, so he can cut fruit, just not much else.”  
   
“Okay… if you say so.”  
   
Levi sighed. “How big should we cut them?”  
   
“The strawberries are pretty big so… make them halves, oranges… just how they naturally separate, apple slices about the same size as oranges and the rest… Just kinda well, like two-bite brownies. We’re going to be skewering them with the fondue skewers, or maybe by hand, I don’t care.”  
   
Levi nodded slowly.  
   
Eventually, Armin got to washing the fondue thing and going through the instruction manual. Meanwhile, Eren and Levi washed their hands and the fruits. Both of them seemed to silently understand that neither of them knew what the fuck that dragon thing was, so they just pretended it didn’t exist as they got to work.  
   
Levi quickly made work of the carton of strawberries. In all, there was a kilogram, just over two pounds of strawberries. He swirled his knife around the top, removing the leafy top and then sliced them each with speed akin to a hunting animal.  
   
Eren couldn’t help but look; it was a fascinating, fluid hand motion.  
   
Levi’s hand stopped.  
   
Eren blinked, wondering why, until he looked up and saw Levi staring at him. He made a high noise and jumped back.  
   
Levi chuckled and went back to cutting.  
   
“Sorry Sir.” Eren peeled a banana and placed it on the cutting board. He starting slicing them and glanced over to Levi’s hands.  
   
“Focus.”  
   
“Sorry!”  
   
“Don’t be sorry,” Levi mumbled, “It just won’t be my fault if you cut your hand off.”  
   
Eren finished the banana then grabbed an orange. He put the knife down and began to peel it. The aroma quickly flavoured the air with its tangy sweetness and Eren couldn’t help but eat one of the separated segments.  
   
“Pup. Don’t eat.”  
   
“Sorry!”  
   
Levi frowned then glanced to the halved strawberries. He took a piece and tried to sneak it in his mouth.  
   
Eren laughed, loud, and bumped his shoulder on Levi’s.  
   
Levi said nothing as he ate another one, and then another.  
   
“Sir!”  
   
“Shush.”  
   
“I’ll tell Armin.”  
   
“I’ll spank you.”  
   
“Really?” Eren’s eyes lit up.  
   
Levi realised his mistake.  
   
“Armin!”  
   
From the other side of the kitchen, “What?”  
   
Levi’s eyes narrowed. “Nothing!”  
   
Eren cackled loudly.  
   
Armin gave them an amused little smile before he shook his head. “Just make sure no one gets hurt, okay?”  
   
Luckily, no one else was hurt. The apples were cut into spherical triangles, oranges peeled and segmented, bananas sliced, cherries skillfully pitted by Levi, strawberries halved, star fruit sliced into stars then cut into two-bite sized triangles.  
   
Which meant the two of them were staring at the red anime kapow fireball thingy.  
   
Armin eventually came to check up on them, and quickly started loading up a large plate with all the fruit. He eventually noticed the lack of something and he motioned to the dragon fruit on the counter with a nudge of his chin. “You have one left.”  
   
“Um,” Eren began.  
   
Levi looked between the two of them. “Go on, Eren. Do it.”  
   
“Uh.” Eren grabbed it. “How?”  
   
“Oh,” Armin said with a smile, “You could have just asked me if you guys didn’t know, you know?”  
   
“I knew.” Levi looked away. “I just wanted Eren to cut it because I cut more fruits.”  
   
Armin gave a teasing smile. “Oh?”  
   
“Shut the fuck up, Kitten. Just show him how to cut it.”  
   
Armin chuckled and grabbed the fruit in one hand and the knife in the other. He put it down on the cutting board. “You can’t eat the skin of a dragon fruit, it’s like an orange. The inside is the yummy stuff.” He sliced it in half, revealing an off white inside with marbled black dots.  
   
“The fuck is that?” Levi tilted his head.  
   
“Well this is the fruit,” Armin explained as he pointed to the white, which was the majority. “The black stuff are seeds. They’re edible, like the black seeds in a kiwi. Can you get me a spoon, Eren?”  
   
“Sure!” Eren walked over to a drawer and quickly pulled out a stainless steel tablespoon. “Here.”  
   
“Thanks.” Armin scooped out the inside of both halves and flipped them over. “Oh this one was clean. Sometimes there’s a pinkish, reddish stuff on the outside. You have to take that off. It comes right off with a knife so it’s not a problem, now.” He made two cuts vertically and three horizontally. “Cubes!”  
   
“Oh.” Eren grabbed a small piece with his fingers and threw it in his mouth. With a name like dragon fruit, he was half expecting it to taste like dragons; he was surprised, and rather pleased, with how… fresh, it tasted. Full of water, the fruit had a light citrus and melon-y flavour, but it was unique in its own right. It didn’t taste like dragons but, “Who says dragons can’t taste like melons?”  
   
Levi stared at him. “What?”  
   
Eren paused. He continued chewing and then swallowed. “Nothing. I like it!”  
   
Levi took a bite and nodded. “It’s a bit, bland, though.”  
   
“Yeah, there’s the dragon fruit that’s red on the inside, that one is a bit sweeter, but I like this one.” Armin smiled, then added, “It goes good with chocolate, though.”  
   
“Hmm. Okay.” Levi nodded. “Speaking of chocolate, how’s that coming along?”  
   
“I just need to melt it and put it in the thingy and we’re good.”  
   
“I’ll put this on the table, then.” Levi pushed the dragon fruit onto the plate, and then snagged another piece of the white fruit.  
   
Armin smiled and grabbed a small sauce pan. “Ever melted chocolate before?”  
   
“Nope,” Eren admitted. “Is it hard?”  
   
“Not at all.” Armin opened a small plastic tray of chocolate chips. “The important part is to make sure it doesn’t seize up. Some people like to be dramatic about it and say even one drop of water is enough to ruin a whole batch of chocolate but, eh.” Armin shrugged. He pointed to a tiny bowl of vegetable oil. “I just add a drop of oil to it and it’ll save the day, but anyway.” He grabbed the dial and spun it.  
   
Low blue flame puffed out the bottom.  
   
Armin turned it to low heat and threw in a handful of dark chocolate chips in the sauce pan. He opened up another plastic container, which had white chocolate chips, and only threw in a pinch of them. “Levi prefers dark chocolate, like dark dark chocolate.” He stopped and looked at Eren. “Like dark chocolate so dark it’s seen the abyss of time, the end of all worlds.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened. “That’s some dark chocolate.”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin shifted the sauce pan around. “Which is really not what I’m into, so I throw in a couple white chocolate pieces, since they’re pretty sweet. I add some milk to it too, later. It ends up somewhere between milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Honestly, the fruits are pretty sweet, so I don’t mind it being a bit bitter.”  
   
“Works for me,” Eren chuckled. He slipped his arms around Armin’s waist and watched the chips begin to melt. “So should we mix it?”  
   
“Nah.” Armin shook his head. “You’re not supposed to mix it too much until it’s done done, but to be honest I don’t know why. I figure it’s either because of the crystals or fluffing it up with air while it’s melting. I do mix it, when I add milk usually, but I try to limit how much I mix it.” He tilted the sauce pan with a circular movement of his wrist. “I don’t know anything about melting chocolate, except it comes out pretty good when I do it.”  
   
Eren nuzzled the back of his head. “Maybe it’s the fairies.”  
   
“Fairies?” Armin laughed. He moved his head back to look up at Eren. “Are you calling me a fairy again?”  
   
“No! I mean, well, you _are_ a fairy, just a manly fairy who doesn’t mind touching raw turkey, but you are a fairy.”  
   
Armin snickered and kissed Eren’s jaw.  
   
“But I meant the fairies in your hair.”  
   
Armin blinked. “What? I have fairies in my hair?”  
   
“Mhm. That’s how it poofs up.”  
   
Armin stared at Eren for a full minute before he looked back at the pot, shaking his head with a smile on his face. “You’re the biggest dork in the world.”  
   
Eren kissed the back of his head and smiled. “I don’t see you complaining, though.”  
   
“Because I’m not: With you, I have nothing to complain about.”  
  


⁂

  
  
With Eren slipping his hand under Armin’s shirt, he was eventually sent away to the kitchen table with Levi. And good thing, too, because he came to see one third of the strawberries gone. Levi pretended not to notice, but the slight red colouring around his thin lips and nimble fingers were all the evidence Eren needed.  
   
The table had the large plate of fruits in the centre of their usual three seats, next to Armin’s new fondue machine. The fondue machine was made of two metals, stainless steel and non-rusting copper, giving it a silver and bronze colour pallet. There was a base with a small circular area, which Eren assumed there would be some kind of candle, and then from four pillars the pot was raised. In the pot a huge spike stuck out at the top. Eren had no idea what it was, but it some kind of structure at the center that looked a pillar with a large circle near the base, a medium circle halfway up, and a small circle at the top.  
   
Armin eventually walked in with the sauce pan. He tilted the side and the dark milky chocolate poured in the pot. He used his spatula to push every bit inside and it came close to the top in the pot. He walked back in the kitchen, and he came back without the sauce pan and with a match. He put a small disc at the base of the fondue machine and he lit the match.  
   
Levi’s eyes moved to Eren.  
   
Eren didn’t seem to mind.  
   
Levi relaxed.  
   
Armin lit the circular disc and a low blue flame hummed to life. “That’s going to keep it warm… Now!” He pushed a button on the pot.  
   
The ‘water level’ of the chocolate suddenly decreased, and then–  
   
“Whoa!” Eren almost bounced out of his chair.  
   
Out of the top disc the chocolate poured out in a perfect ring, then fell to the medium disc where it fell to the last disc, and then to the pot below. It looked like a perfect chocolate wedding cake, but it was liquid and moving.  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Interesting.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “That part is removable, but it helps air the chocolate and make it smooth, and also easier to cover the fruits in.” He grabbed the little skewer picks and handed them to Eren and Levi. They both took one from him and Armin chuckled. “So just give it a minute to smooth the chocolate and we’re good.”  
   
Levi stabbed one of the strawberries then lifted his skewer. He was surprised by how much control he had. He looked at Armin. “I think you have the honours of the first.”  
   
“Oh, no Master, you should try it.”  
   
Eren shook his head. “He’s really something, huh?”  
   
Levi met Eren’s glance with a stare. “As if you’re one to talk, Pup.”  
   
“Hey!”  
   
Armin laughed and quickly forked one of the bananas. He bit his lip and ran it under the showering chocolate and he chuckled. He lifted it out and let a couple drips fall before he brought it to his mouth. The banana was not mushy at all, but it melted in his mouth with the heat of the warm, rich chocolate, decadent but light at the same time. He made a shameless noise; a noise he only reserved for when Levi was pleasuring him, and he almost felt unfaithful. Almost. He knew he was not to blame.  
   
Eren chuckled and stabbed a large piece of the dragon fruit. Chocolate dragon time!  
   
Levi went for the strawberries and the two of them totally pretended to be surprised.  
   
Armin chuckled. “Come on, there’s tons of fruits, so let’s dig in!”  
  


⁂

  
  
Strawberry was a bit bruised from the bullies, but luckily Apple and Orange came to his rescue. The bullies had actually laughed when they saw Apple charge at them, but when they noticed Apple’s adoptive sister, Orange, moving in his shadow, they ran like cowards. The three of them moved to the river, where they sat on the steps together.  
   
“So, after telling them that fruitkind needs to go outside eventually,” Strawberry explained, knees to his chest, hugging them tightly, “They beat me and called me a heretic.”  
   
“Damnit.” Apple cursed. “We just want to go outside. Why does everyone hate us?”  
   
“Well,” Strawberry hesitated, “It’s been peaceful living inside these walls for the past hundred years. The humans might enter the cell walls when fruits leave, so the King’s government banned people from showing interest in the outside world.”  
   
“We’re risking _our_ lives.” Apple frowned. “Nobody has the right to stop us.”  
   
Orange, who had stayed quiet until then, looked at him. “You can’t do that.” They stared at her. “No way.”  
   
“Orange!” Apple sighed. “How dare you tell my parents!”  
   
Strawberry gasped.  
   
Orange closed her eyes. “I don’t remember agreeing to help you.”  
   
“So,” Strawberry cut in, “How did it go?”  
   
“Well… They weren’t happy about me wanting to join the Survey Crops.”  
   
Strawberry sighed again and nodded. Wind swirled around them and the leaves picked up. “People are crazy for believing the cell walls will protect us forever. Even though they’ve been intact for a hundred years… there’s nothing that can guarantee they won’t be broken down today.”  
   
In the peaceful small town—a flash of thunder struck behind the gate.  
   
The force rippled through the town, shaking the earth violently. Screams filled the air and questions flew high.  
   
In a moment of stillness, everyone turned to the gate.  
   
“What was that?” Strawberry got up and ran to investigate.  
   
Apple ran to catch up, hearing Orange’s footsteps behind. “Hey, Strawberry! What happened?” He noticed the fear in his eyes. “What are you staring—at?” His eyes widened.  
   
Smoke rose from the gate and at the very top… was a hand. It squeezed, sending cracks throughout the wall.  
   
Strawberry could barely breathe. “That wall… is fifty meters high!”  
   
“It’s…” Apple felt his eyes water. “Them.” A shadow rose over the walls and a head lifted above. A brown haired, green eyed human stared down at them. Apple felt his chest squeeze. “Humans.”  
   
The human, Eren Jaeger, moved his foot back… and destroyed the gate.  
   
As bits of the wall flew into the town, crashing over houses and fruits, rolling in the savage massacre, the wind surged from the impact, sending fruits flying—blood soured the air and the smell of death and decay flared.  
   
   
“Eren.”  
   
   
On that day, fruits received a grim reminder. They lived in the fear of the Humans, and were disgraced to live in these cages they called cell walls.  
   
   
“Eren!” Levi called out again.  
   
Eren looked up to find himself in the kitchen. Both Armin and Levi were staring at him. He looked at the silver and copper chocolate fondue thing and noticed the fountain had been turned off and the fire below had been put out. There wasn’t that much chocolate left anyway. The fruits, sadly, were all eaten. Not one of them survived. The large plate had been coloured by the fruit juices, mostly the strawberries that bled red. It had been a helpless massacre. If only they had a human shifter or something. “Sorry,” Eren said quickly.  
   
Levi and Armin looked at each other; Armin giggled and Levi silently chuckled.  
   
“Wh-What?”  
   
“You had that look on your face,” Levi muttered.  
   
Armin smiled. “The one where you were thinking of something stupid.”  
   
“No way.” Eren frowned. “Dystopia about being eaten alive by giants would totally sell well.”  
   
Levi glanced to Armin.  
   
Armin met Levi’s glance with a look that said all it needed to say.  
   
“Anyway,” Levi chuckled. He leaned over and kissed Armin on the cheek. “Thank you for the dinner.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks tinted pink and he nodded politely.  
   
Levi seemed amused as he stood up. “The two of you, don’t forget to clean up before bed. I have a bit of work to do, won’t take me too long if neither of you distract me.”  
   
“Yes Sir.” Eren gave a mini salute.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes and left.  
   
Armin got up and took the large plate and the fondue skewers before he headed into the kitchen.  
   
Eren grabbed the fondue thing by the handles and lifted it up slowly. Once he was sure it wouldn’t explode, fall apart, or break like Wall Maria, he walked over to the kitchen as well and put it down.  
   
Armin twisted the knob of the faucet and tapped the running water until it was hot enough. “Did you like my fondue party?”  
   
“It was awesome!”  
   
Armin smiled. “Really?”  
   
“Yeah!” Eren chuckled and looked at the pot. “Oh there’s some chocolate left.”  
   
“Mine!” Armin shouted as he moved the plate under the running hot water.  
   
Eren dipped two fingers in the warm chocolate and lifted it up.  
   
Armin leaned over and captured one finger in his mouth; he made eye contact with Eren as he sucked then slipped it out of his mouth.  For the second finger, Armin kept eye contact and swirled his tongue around it.  
   
Eren chuckled and then dipped his hand back in the chocolate pot. He tapped his cheek, leaving some chocolate there.  
   
Armin put his hands on Eren’s shoulder and went on his tippy toes. He closed his eyes as he licked it up in a kiss.  
   
Eren bit his lip at the attention. He smeared some chocolate on his neck.  
   
Armin moved quickly and licked it up.  
   
That hot, wet mouth moving over his neck made him shiver. “You know, I can take off my pants and we can put this chocolate on other areas of my loquacious body.”  
   
Armin frowned. “No.”  
   
“Wait, what does loquacious mean again?”  
   
Armin snorted. “Talkative.”  
   
“Oh. Well, my amazing body.”  
   
“No.” Armin frowned. “That’s such a waste of chocolate.”  
   
“What?” Eren gasped. “It’ll make a blowjob taste like chocolate.”  
   
“No, dude.” Armin shook his head. “I’m not going to get chocolate flavoured dick, I’m just going to get dick flavoured chocolate. And as great as dick tastes, I’d rather not waste the chocolate.”  
   
Eren snorted. “Oh come on! Have some fun with me!”  
   
“Why don’t I just eat the chocolate now and blow you later?”  
   
“Fine.” Eren smiled. “But you owe me a blowie.”  
   
“Yeah, yeah.” Armin grabbed some paper towel and began scrubbing Eren’s neck and cheek. “You’re a mess. Levi’s going to freak.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren wasn’t sure where Levi or Armin had disappeared to, but as he walked around the first floor of the house, he realised he was alone. He hummed and looked around some more and then went up the stairs to the second floor. He searched every room, making sure to turn off the lights as he exited, and then went up to the third floor. He knocked on Levi’s study, received no answer, and opened the door. Empty. He did the same with Levi’s bedroom, then sighed.  
   
Eren glanced to the library.  
   
Of course!  
   
He had a spring in his step as he skipped inside. He looked left and right, expecting to see at least one of them, but… empty. He pouted and took a seat on the comfy couch. He glanced to the coffee table and noticed a book. He picked it up. _Riverless_. Weird-ass name for a book, but the cover was a hand surging out of rapid water. He tilted his head and turned it over.  
   
The summary was kind of interesting.  
   
Eren noticed a bookmark and he opened it to see it was flat on page two hundred. It would be easy to remember if the bookmark slipped out. He flipped to the first page and wondered if he should bother reading it. He didn’t know when he last read a book (eww, books; eww, reading), but a part of him couldn’t wait to see what Levi and Armin would say if they found out he was reading.  
   
Levi would be so proud of him. Levi would scratch the underside of his chin and give him a kiss then he would say he has a surprise, and roll out this huge strawberry cake on a tray and then—pow!—Armin would pop out like a stripper, frilly pink cake bits flying everywhere, and Armin would rip his clothes off and the three of them would roll into infinity.  
   
Eren nodded. “Yeah.” He didn’t know when he last read a book, but the reward would be worth it.  
   
He flipped the first few pages and got to the first chapter.  
  


⁂

  
  
Several hours later, Eren was on the couch, lying on his stomach, flipping page after page. His feet were wiggling in the air as the story continued. It reminded him of when he was young. He remembered he used to read a lot. He used to love books, until they weren’t cool anymore. Eren had always been that kid that didn’t care what anyone else thought, ever, but…  
   
Like all teenagers, there were bouts of wavering confidence, and even Eren felt pressured to be ‘cool’.  
   
Actually, the more he read, the more he realised there were many things he used to do that people used to laugh at him for. He used to love reading, and drawing, and painting (he was never good at it, but his mom used to do water colour and she never minded him wasting a canvas because of how much fun he had).  
   
He kept reading.  
   
It was a fantasy book, which meant it must have been Armin’s.  
   
A scorpion raised its tail and thrust it into the main character’s side.  
   
Eren winced. He could _feel_ the venomous sting! He quivered. It was almost too much to bear! The power of words—it was destroying him!  
   
It was only then that Eren looked to the side and saw a mosquito biting him.  
   
Eren screamed and threw the book in the air. He smacked his arm, effectively killing it. He grabbed a tissue from the Kleenex box on the coffee table and scrubbed himself.  
   
Someone was laughing.  
   
Eren paused.  
   
It was low and dark.  
   
“Sir?”  
   
Levi was sitting by the piano at corner of the library.  
   
Eren had seen the piano several times. It was sleek black and long, curved near the opposite end of the pianist. Hehe, pianist. But it was the first time he had seen the cover of the piano opened. He noticed Levi’s fingers over the keys of the piano and he was about to ask if Levi could play, when—  
   
“You can read?”  
   
Eren got up and checked the page before he put the book down. “Yeah, my attention span isn’t that bad.”  
   
“I was more surprised by the fact you’re literate, Savage.”  
   
Eren pouted. “Hey!”  
   
Levi smiled.  
   
Eren felt his breath stop. Hello, 911? Yeah, I’d like to report a really fucking nice smile. Eren wiggled in place before he stepped closer. He was pretty sure smiles that could turn him to mush in less than half a second were against both parts of the bi-jurisdictional legal system. Yep. He was willing to bet twenty bucks that Article 69 of the 1867 Constitutional Act said ‘No Melty Smiles’.  
   
“Eren?”  
   
“You play the piano?” Eren spoke quickly. “Could you play for me?”  
   
Levi seemed surprised by the question, but he didn’t say anything at first. He looked at the piano, then the keys. “I play a little… I’m rusty. Sit next to me.”  
   
Eren walked to the piano chair and he took a seat.  
   
Levi began to play.  
   
The melody was slow, and the cords were deep. It was a sad tune, but Eren found it fitting. He stretched up in his seat and looked at the inside of the piano while Levi played. It was almost like a harp, with cords being picked at by the keys. “Cool!”  
   
Levi nodded slowly. “Yes. You should see it when a fast song is being played.”  
   
“Oh, do one!”  
   
“I can’t, sadly. I’m out of touch.” Levi smiled. “Petra used to be able to.”  
   
Eren smiled as well and turned to him. “What was she like?”  
   
Levi looked at him for half a second before glancing down to the keys; his fingers dug deep into each key before moving to the next note. “So you know Petra is a she? You’ve been snooping?”  
   
“No!”  
   
Levi chuckled. “I’m teasing.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren bit his lip. “I just asked Armin, ‘cause her name was on the key rack.”  
   
“Mhm. Petra. We called her Pet’ for short.” Levi’s lips tugged up playfully. “She also was my pet, so it fit.”  
   
Eren grinned.  
   
“She was… something, though. I love people who have more than one side.” Levi’s eyes unfocused for a moment. “People who stay the same, at all times, are boring, but Petra… She wasn’t shy per se, but she had a timid side to her, she got flustered easily… and yet, when she got into the right mindset, when she reduced herself to nothing but an object of my pleasure…” Levi took a deep breath and hit the wrong key. “Shit.” He glanced to Eren, before he resumed playing. “I’m mostly into men, it’s just how I’m wired. I consider myself gay, most of the time, but sexuality is fluid. There are some women out there…”  
   
“Like Annie and Hanji?”  
   
“Annie, yes.” Levi kept playing. “Hanji’s not… Well she’s female, but she’s not exactly female.”  
   
“Oh. She’s uh, what’s the word—transgender? Like born a guy, but?”  
   
“No,” Levi said curtly. “She’s physically female, and has no interest in changing that. When it comes to pronouns, Hanji doesn’t really care. She identifies as genderqueer, though.”  
   
“Oh geez.”  
   
Levi’s fingers stopped. He glanced to Eren. “Why that sentiment?”  
   
“Oh! No!” Eren turned to him. “Sorry, that sounded bad! I’m gonna accept her and all that, it’s just like… There are so many terms, and… well I mean, I think you know I’m bad with words. I always say the wrong thing, but I don’t mean to!”  
   
Levi laughed. “You do trip over your own words daily.”  
   
“Yeah!” Eren paused. “Hey!”  
   
Levi laughed even louder, but he eventually contained himself. “There’s male and female, and anything that isn’t either A or B goes under the umbrella term ‘Genderqueer’. It’s not too hard.”  
   
“Oh.”  
   
“When you get specific about it, yes… It can be really confusing. Especially for my little savage.”  
   
Eren laughed, a little nervously.  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “I expected you to get mad at me, not laugh.”  
   
“Well…” Eren wiggled. “You said ‘my’.”  
   
“Yes. I did.”  
   
“It’s like…” Eren felt his cheeks warm. “When you said ‘my Pup’ the other day. You always say Pup, but I don’t know, it’s just… nice. It feels good when you say it like that.”  
   
Levi brought a hand to Eren’s chin and he scratched it. “You are mine. I own you.”  
   
“I know.” Eren kissed him on the lips for half a second. “But it’s just, I like it when you sort of just say it, naturally.”  
   
Levi began playing again and there was a loud ring of the wrong note again. “Shit.”  
   
Eren chuckled.  
   
Levi shook his head at himself. “I was playing while you read.”  
   
“Really?”  
   
“Shit.” Levi stopped. “I was playing with fewer mistakes…” He turned to Eren. “What were we talking about?”  
   
“Quendergeer!”  
   
Levi stared at him.  
   
Eren stared at Levi.  
   
Levi stared at him.  
   
“Genderqueer,” he corrected.  
   
Levi smiled. “Yes, that’s right.” He kept playing. “When you get specific, there are a lot of terms. Hanji doesn’t identify with anything specific, the umbrella term is enough for her, but that’s just how she is. Everyone is different, after all.”  
   
“Hmmm.” Eren sighed. “There are just so many and I’m dumb and I’m not gonna remember them, and then I’m gonna offend someone and I don’t wanna do that. I just wish there were no labels. I mean, really, who needs them? Things would be simple. Why don’t we just have no labels?”  
   
“That might be simpler for you, but there are a lot of people who die of relief when they find a word they can identify with. I told you, I met Hanji when she was sixteen. In a small little religious town in the nineties. When she found out there was a word for her, and that there were people out there who felt the way she did… I have never seen her so relieved. Labels aren’t good or bad in themselves. For many who exist in the grey areas of gender or sexuality, it is a huge relief.”  
   
“Hmmm.”  
   
“You don’t sound convinced.”  
   
“Oh, I am. I just… I mean it’s kind of a stupid question, but isn’t that because we live in a society where labels matter? I mean, if we lived in a world where nobody cared about labels or having to identify as something, then nobody would find the need to identify with something because having a word to identify with wasn’t a meaningful thing to anyone in that society.”  
   
Levi paused his playing and looked at Eren.  
   
“Sorry,” Eren mumbled. “That’s stupid.”  
   
“No, that’s brilliant.” Levi smiled and scratched the underside of his chin.  
   
“Huh?”  
   
“When one makes a thesis about sociology, it always exists in the hypothetical nebula, but that doesn’t decrease the gravity it holds, Eren.”  
   
Eren just stared. “What?”  
   
Levi snorted and shook his head. “Basically: We can only guess.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren pouted. “Then why didn’t you just say that?”  
   
“Because I like the word ‘Nebula’. It’s cool.”  
   
Eren chuckled and kissed his cheek.  
   
“We can only guess. It’s not impossible to see if our need to identify is a product of human nature or a factor of society, but… When something is seen throughout different independent cultures, with different values, the only explanation is that it is a biological element of our human condition. I’m sure someone who has thoroughly studied different societies can make a proper thesis.”  
   
“Huh.”  
   
Levi looked at him. “Yes?”  
   
“I think… I’m going to leave these talks for Armin.”  
   
Levi chuckled, low and smooth, before he leaned over and kissed Eren’s cheek.  
   
Eren blushed.  
   
“Not up for discussion, Pup?”  
   
“They remind me of my mom.”  
   
“I thought your mother was a psychiatrist?”  
   
“She did a double major in psychology and sociology, PhDs in both. _Then_ she went for her medical degree.”  
   
“Holy shit,” Levi muttered.  
   
“Yep.”  
   
Levi whistled. “That’s a large shadow to fill.”  
   
“Well,” Eren said slowly, “She got her medical degree when I was… eleven? She didn’t get it all one after another. She just loved what she did, and she said it called for her. My dad’s the same way. He cured some huge plague that was in poor countries and he managed a disease control thing that apparently saved a couple thousand lives…” Eren sighed. “They just wake up every morning with so much drive and purpose.”  
   
Levi examined his face. “And you? Do you have some kind of dream? Do you wake up every morning with a drive to do something?”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren smiled. “Get a smooch from you and a hug from Armin.”  
   
Levi grinned and kept playing. “Armin is out by the way.”  
   
“Out?”  
   
Levi nudged his head to motion towards the window. “Take a look.”  
   
Eren got up and walked over. He couldn’t see anything with how dark the night was until he got close and looked down. The pool was lit up, bright blue, and Armin was swimming. “Ooo!”  
   
“You can join him if you have a swim suit.”  
   
“No skinny dipping?”  
   
“No.”  
   
Eren pouted. “You’re no fun.”  
   
“Deal with it.”  
   
Eren walked over and kissed his cheek.  
   
Levi _tried_ not to smile.  
  


⁂

  
  
“Cannonball!”  
   
Armin screamed, arms flailing as a huge splash came out nowhere. “God damnit, Eren! Holy shit. Don’t scare me like that!”  
   
Eren shook his head left and right and left and right, like a wet dog, sending water drops everywhere. Chuckling, “I’m sorry!” He swam over to Armin and hugged him tight. “I’m sorry.”  
   
Armin closed his eyes, putting a hand over his beating heart. “Fuck.”  
   
Eren snickered and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry.”  
   
“It’s okay.” Armin opened his blue eyes which were a shade brighter from the light coming from below. It was the same colour as the water and his wet hair was flat against his head, looking at least half the size as before. The wavy light traced his features in a gentle way. “You’re such a dork.”  
   
Eren kissed Armin once before he moved away. He held his breath and dove his head into the water, but his hair seemed to fluff up when he rose again. “Mmm. Water’s warm.”  
   
Armin put his hand on Eren’s shoulders. “So are you.”  
   
Eren snickered.  
   
Armin grinned. “Hey… Wanna try kissing underwater?”  
   
“Sure! Is it fun?”  
   
“I don’t know,” Armin admitted. “I’ve never done it before. It was in this book I was reading.”  
   
Eren gave a knowing smile. “I bet it was a sappy scene.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Yeah.”  
   
“And the author skipped over the sex.”  
   
“Right again.”  
   
“And the romance, itself, was pretty rushed.”  
   
“You’re pretty good at guessing…”  
   
“Nope!” Eren snickered. “I read it.”  
   
Here it was—Here was the moment Armin was going to surge into happiness and his dark blue bathing suit was going to rip open and there was going to be strawberry cake flying every-which-where and not even the torrents of time could stop it from happening while Armin’s kokoro was going to go kawaii doki doki and all evil would be repelled from the world forever.  
   
But Armin just tilted his head. “Really?”  
   
Eren wasn’t disappointed. Disbelief was normal, after all. “Yeah! I got to page, one-eighty something? He was fighting the scorpion that the short guy summoned.”  
   
“Wow.” Armin’s eyes went wide in preparation for the rifts of history to rip to shreds like Armin’s bathing suit was about to. “Really?”  
   
“Yeah!” Eren chuckled. “I read it.”  
   
Armin messed up his hair a little. “You’re still a savage, you know?”  
   
Eren stared.  
   
Armin laughed.  
   
Eren deflated and slipped underwater; he was going to drown from disappointment.  
   
Armin chuckled and took a deep breath and moved underwater as well. He opened his eyes to see Eren staring back at him, albeit a bit blurry, and he cupped the sides of Eren’s face. He closed his eyes and pushed their lips together.  
   
The kiss was so magical Eren forgot to breathe—which meant he coughed violently against Armin’s lips and swam like a savage for air. He broke the surface of the water and heaved air into his lungs.  
   
Armin shook his hair to move it out of his eyes and sighed. “Romance is impossible with you.”  
   
“You took me by surprise!”  
   
“Okay, okay.” Armin laughed and swam closer. He put his arms around Eren’s neck. “Okay. Wanna try again?”  
   
Eren took one more breath before he nodded. “Yeah.”  
   
At the same time, they took in a deep breath, and moved underwater. They brought their lips together, and Eren’s arms moved around Armin’s waist. They kissed for several seconds, as long as they could, before moving back up. They were both breathless, foreheads touching, as close as possible, and they chuckled.  
   
“That was,” Eren breathed, “Weird.”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin laughed and kissed Eren one more time.  
   
Eren smiled into the kiss, before he broke it with a chuckle. He opened his eyes and saw Armin do the same.  
   
Armin grinned. “You’re such a puppy.”  
   
“Shut up.” Eren’s smile didn’t waver. “I just want to be close to you. I want to give you hugs.”  
   
Armin wiggled out of Eren’s arms with a teasing smile. “Why?”  
   
“You’re huggable.”  
   
Armin backed against the wall and tilted his head, blue eyes searching Eren’s green. The only light coming from the pool below, there was a slight hum of the heater, but the night was silent. “Why… why did you say you want to give me hugs? Why didn’t you say you want to hug me? Why not say you want to get hugs from me?”  
   
“Um. Same thing?”  
   
“There’s a difference… however subtle, it’s there.”  
   
“It’s just…” Eren looked to the steps going out of the pool and he swam towards them. “It’s just, I guess… Come here.” He turned around and took a seat on steps. The water was still up to his shoulders, but he silently patted his knees.  
   
Armin swam closer, small smile on his lips as he moved into Eren’s lap, moving his arms around Eren’s neck. “What is it?”  
   
“I guess just, giving you hugs is my job.”  
   
“Your job?”  
   
“Yeah… It’s like Levi says… You can give Levi something I can’t, and I can give Levi something you can’t. And you give me something Levi can’t.”  
   
“Good food?”  
   
Eren snorted. “Amongst other things, yeah.”  
   
Armin tilted his head. “Then what is it?”  
   
“Well, I can give you something Levi can’t, and maybe a hug might be stupid or something, but…”  
   
“I know,” Armin said slowly. “Thank you.”  
   
“And.” Eren bit his lip. “You’re alone, a lot.”  
   
Armin leaned against him, leaning his head on Eren’s shoulder. “I’m an introvert. I need to do things alone.”  
   
“Well…” Eren looked at him. “But then let me be around!”  
   
Armin laughed. “That wouldn’t be alone, Eren.”  
   
“No I mean… It’s like when you’re reading in bed and I’m either on my laptop or my phone, and I’m next to you. You’re alone and doing something alone, and that’s totally cool and okay, but I just want to be around. I don’t want you to be lonely.”  
   
Armin stared at him for a full minute.  
   
Eren looked away, then looked back at Armin. Silence had never been his strong suit. He bit his lip.  
   
Armin leaned in and pushed their lips together.  
   
Eren’s eyes widened, but he closed them as he kissed Armin; slow, subtle movements made up the kiss. He pulled Armin close; and, when the kiss ended, they stayed as close as possible, foreheads against each other again.  
   
“Thank you.”  
   
Eren opened his eyes and saw how calm Armin’s face was. He didn’t know what was going through Armin’s mind, but he seemed happy, so that was a good thing?  
   
“Oy.”  
   
They both looked up.  
   
“No semen in the pool,” Levi muttered as he whipped off his shirt. Only in a pair of black swimming trunks, he took a seat on the edge and dipped his feet in the water. “You know we fixed the dial, right?”  
   
Armin blinked. “We did?”  
   
“Mhm.” Levi spun something at the edge of the pool and the water bubbled before warming up. “Can you feel it?”  
   
“Yeah,” Eren said with a smile.  
   
Levi nodded and stood up; taking a step back, he dived cleanly into the pool.  
   
“Show off,” Armin muttered.  
   
Levi rose to the surface and looked at him. “Excuse me?”  
   
Armin gasped. “You’re not supposed to hear underwater!”  
   
Levi snorted and moved onto his back. Floating like a sea star, he looked up the night sky and looked at the blanket of stars. “It’s been a while…”  
   
Armin wiggled free from Eren and swam over to Levi. “As if you don’t swim often.”  
   
Levi shook his head. “I don’t really get to dick around and enjoy the water, though.”  
   
Eren chuckled and swam over as well. “Dick around.”  
   
Levi pushed his feet down and righted himself up. “No semen in the pool.”  
   
“No!” Eren laughed. “That’s not what I meant… I was just wondering, like why don’t you dick around if you swim often?”  
   
“Gym membership,” Levi explained, “It’s a big gym. I do laps.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren glanced to Levi’s body. He wasn’t that surprised. “You work out.”  
   
Levi nodded.  
   
Armin swam to Levi’s side and moved a hand over his Master’s body. “Mmm.”  
   
Eren swam to the other side and did the same. “Rock hard abs.”  
   
Levi smacked them both away. “Yes, I work out for them.” He glanced to Eren. “What about you? You have some muscle on you… Not that much, but you’ve got a nice body.”  
   
“Hmm.” Eren ignored the blush from the compliment and looked down at himself. “I don’t know; I used to work out. Oh, maybe we can go together?”  
   
Armin laughed.  
   
Eren looked at him, then to Levi. “What?”  
   
“Nothing,” Armin chimed.  
   
“It would be manly bonding time!”  
   
Levi smiled. “I’ll get you a gym membership if you really want. It’s a thousand dollars a month.”  
   
“Chicken!” Eren screamed.  
   
Armin raised an eyebrow.  
   
Levi continued on without pause, “But it’s a serious gym. You’ll get kicked around for fooling around with the expensive equipment. No dorks allowed. If you think you’re up for it, I don’t mind. A thousand dollars is nothing to me.”  
   
Armin tilted his head. “I still don’t see how chicken is an acceptable answer…”  
   
“Shh, little one.” Levi slipped an arm around Armin and pulled him close, then kissed the side of his head.  
   
Armin chuckled. “He’s a dork!”  
   
Eren pouted. “Shush!”  
   
“You won’t last in that elitist serious gym, Eren.”  
   
“Probably not.” He looked at Levi. “When do you go?”  
   
“It depends,” he admitted. “I try to go three times a week, before or after work.”  
   
“Oh cool.” Eren nodded. “I should go running with Armin more.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Yeah. It’s how I keep myself skinny. I don’t work, so all I do is cook, and clean, and eat… and I’m always eating.”  
   
Levi kissed his cheek. “You were pudgy when you showed up at my door the first time.”  
   
“Shut up!”  
   
“It was cute.”  
   
“Shut up!”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes and looked at Eren. “He was cute, and then he decided to trim down like those Skinny Bitches workout DVDs.”  
   
Armin shrugged. “Am I still cute?”  
   
“Yes.” Levi silently snickered. “Very.” He looked at Eren again. “I’m just happy to have him. But, exercise is important, you’re both young, and something about thirty minutes a day five times a week or some other medical shit, I don’t fucking know. But I figure, hey, neither of you are working, so you should take care of yourself, for me. I don’t care if you’re skinny or pudgy, or whatever, just keep healthy.”  
   
Eren smiled. “Okay.”  
   
Armin tilted his head. “How are you so skinny anyway, Eren? You eat as much as Levi does.”  
   
“Huh?”  
   
“Good question.” Levi nodded. “You haven’t gained a pound since you got here, even when you’re shoving all those cucumber sandwiches down your throat.”  
   
Eren chuckled and shrugged. “I just have a good metabolism?”  
   
“Lucky brat.”  
   
“Asshole,” Armin muttered.  
   
Eren snickered. “But, it’s not like I would have gained any weight anyway. I mean, all the food we’re eating is so good and healthy… I mean, I lived on fast food and microwaveable dinner, and now it’s all lean cuts of meat and veggies, and healthy substitutes, and fresh and organic ingredients… To be honest, I’ve felt better since I got here.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Good.”  
   
Armin chuckled.  
   
Levi glanced sidelong at Armin. “He’s proud of himself.”  
   
“Of course.” Armin detached himself from Levi and swam closer to Eren. Eren took him in his arms.  
   
Levi smiled and moved back onto his back. “I’m supposed to take care of you, Eren. I want you to take that seriously, because I mean it in a serious way.”  
   
“I take it serious.”  
   
“Eren.”  
   
“I do.”  
   
Levi put his arms at his side and dove backwards, going head-first into the water and doing an underwater backflip before rising again. He shook his head to move the hair stuck to his forehead. “I’m going.”  
   
Armin slipped away from Eren. “Already?”  
   
“Yeah. It’s late.”  
   
Eren swam over and latched himself onto Levi’s arm. “Not yet. Come on.”  
   
Levi smiled and tilted his head. “I’m going. Off.”  
   
Eren did not let go.  
   
Levi used his free hand to flick a speck of water at Eren.  
   
“Hey!” Eren backed away and splashed Levi.  
   
Armin’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.”  
   
Levi’s eyes narrowed.  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
   
Levi whipped his hand, causing a tidal wave to rise.  
   
“Oh bugger,” Eren whispered. The biggest splash in the world surged into his face. It disoriented him and he coughed. “Hey!” He opened his eyes, but instead of seeing Levi…  
   
Another splash hit him in the face.  
   
“Stop!”  
   
Water bitch slapped him.  
   
“Stop!” Eren tried to splash back, but it was futile. He tried to swim away, but Levi’s strength had caused waves in the swimming pool and it slowed his escape. “I’m sorry, Sir!”  
   
Levi stopped the big waves, but he raised both hands out of the water. He knifed the pool with both hands, sending an army of tiny splashes at Eren.  
   
“How are you even doing that?—Stop!” He swam to the steps and pulled himself out. He ran around the perimeter to run inside, but suddenly—  
   
Armin.  
   
Eren gasped as he was face to face with the blond.  
   
Armin grinned. “Long live the king.” He shoved Eren back in the pool.  
   
Eren screamed as he was thrown back in the water. He broke the surface and pouted. “No fair!”  
   
Armin laughed.  
   
Levi hugged Eren from behind.  
   
Eren instantly seized and froze, but eventually relaxed. “You win.”  
   
“I know.”  
   
Armin took a seat on the edge of the pool, dipping his feet into the water.  
   
Levi kissed Eren’s jaw before he moved away. He pulled himself up on the edge and sat next to Armin. “You’re wonderful.”  
   
Armin kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Master.”  
   
Eren kept pouting.  
   
“Eren,” Levi’s smooth voice washed away all ill feelings. “As a Dom, I correct and punish, but I also reward.”  
   
Eren swam closer to them. “Yes, Sir.”  
   
Levi leaned forward. “These past two weeks you’ve been wonderful. I want to reward you. Anything you want, I’ll get it for you.”  
   
Eren blinked. “Anything?”  
   
“What do you want? I’m rich. I can buy you a car, or a new computer, a dildo, a gold toilet plunger. I don’t care. As long as it makes you happy, I’ll do anything.”  
   
Eren thought about it. “Anything?”  
   
“I’ll do my best, yes.”  
   
“Then…” Eren looked up at him. “I want you home from work tomorrow.”  
   
Levi blinked.  
   
Armin glanced to Levi.  
   
Levi graced Eren with a sly smile. “I can’t take tomorrow off, but I can stay home on Friday.”  
   
“Oh. When’s Friday?”  
   
“Today’s Wednesday, tomorrow’s Thursday, day after is Friday.”  
   
“Awesome!” Eren grabbed Levi’s legs and hugged them. “Really?”  
   
“It’s your reward.”  
   
“I just want to spend more time with you—Well, all three of us.” He looked at Armin.  
   
Armin smiled. “Why don’t we go out?”  
   
Levi ran his hand through Eren’s hair. “It’s up to Pup. It’s his day.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Anything!”  
   
Levi looked at Armin.  
   
Armin grinned. “Total puppy.”  
   
Levi laughed louder than he should have.  
  


⁂

  
  
After drying off and heading back inside, Eren switched his bathing suit for his kapow magical and lucky thunderbolt underwear and his shirt. He didn’t bother with pants since it was around two in the morning by that point. Levi went to bed, grumbling about how he had to wake up, and Armin said he would be going soon. Eren wasn’t quite feeling tired yet. He knew he should go to bed, but, just, eh, he wasn’t feeling it.  
   
They would probably be running tomorrow morning…  
   
He decided to head back to the library and finish the book he had been reading. Good thing he did, because he noticed the window was open. After closing that, he took a seat and began reading again, picking up a couple page earlier from where he left off.  
   
Time slipped away, and before he knew it, one chapter spilled into two, which poured into three and four, then five, and he reached the conclusion of the book at six.  
   
He closed the book.  
   
There was some nostalgia to closing the last page of the book.  
   
Overall, it was okay. Eren knew fantasy wasn’t really his thing, but he enjoyed it.  
   
But it was only when he checked his phone, he realised he had spent an hour and a half reading.  
   
“Wow, time flies.” Eren stood up and stretched. “No wonder Armin always falls asleep in here.”  
   
Speaking of, he bet the blond was asleep and so was his Dom. So he turned off the lights of the library and silently walked the dark halls. He went down the stairs and took off his shirt before he opened the door to their room.  
   
There was soft light from the window, but the room was mostly darkness.  
   
Eren closed the door behind him, keeping the door handle turned as he did to make sure there would be no noise. Letting go slowly, he threw his shirt down and slipped in the bed. He was trying to be silent and he minimised the rustle of the bed sheets as he got comfy.  
   
“Hey, Eren.”  
   
Eren turned over. “You’re awake?”  
   
“A little.”  
   
Eren grinned. “What’s up?”  
   
“Eren…”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
Armin stayed silent.  
   
Eren’s chest squeezed.  
   
“What if the hokey pokey _is_ what it’s all about?”  
   
“Go the fuck to sleep, Armin.”  
   
“But… the hokey pokey.”  
   
Eren chuckled and pulled Armin close. “Is that your way of saying you want to snuggle?”  
   
“Maybe.”  
   
“You loser.”  
   
Armin chuckled and pulled Eren’s arms tighter around him; they were spooning, and he didn’t mind being the little spoon. “How did you figure out I wanted to snuggle, though?”  
   
Eren kissed the back of Armin’s head. “Because you always want to snuggle.”  
   
Armin laughed at that and closed his eyes. “Night night.”  
   
“Don’t let the Eren bite.”


	20. The Third Week (4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy buckets. Chapter 20. Can you believe we're already at Chapter 20? Sweet silverware. 20. Anyway, I aimed for five chapter updates this month, and here is number five! Thank you all for the support and just... everything. Thank you. Thank you so much~! 
> 
> Please enjoy!

* * *

 

 

Sleeping next to someone, by Eren’s standards, was a guarantee of warms, hugs, and feel good mornings. He was seriously debating getting a new cuddle buddy because Armin was not the cutie patootie he was pretending to be!  
   
“Wake up Eren! Come on!”  
   
Eren rolled over and ignored the hands tugging him. “No.”  
   
“Eren, please? You promised me.”  
   
“I didn’t promise anything,” he grumbled as he yanked the bed sheets and threw them over his head so he could turn off the sunlight. Once that was properly done, he retreated to the catacombs of darkness and expected Armin to go away, but the blond was insistent.  
   
“Come on, please?”  
   
“No. I’m gay.”  
   
“That’s not a good reason, Eren. You promised!”  
   
“Gay people don’t promise anything.”  
   
“What are you even talking about?”  
   
Eren said nothing and wiggled.  
   
“Rise and shine!”  
   
“Beep beep, I’m asleep!”  
   
Armin pulled the bed sheets away and kissed Eren’s face about eight times. “Please? Come on. Don’t make me sad… I don’t want to start crying. Come run with me, Eren, please?”  
   
“Never.”  
   
“You promised!”  
   
“I didn’t!”  
   
“You said you would!”  
   
“I didn’t say I would _today_.”  
   
Armin pouted. He watched Eren wiggle beneath him and he sighed. Then, he had an idea. A good idea. He grabbed Eren’s hand and tugged at it. “What if I showed you a secret?”  
   
Eren opened one eye. “A secret?”  
   
“A secret even Levi doesn’t know about.”  
   
Eren opened his other eye and had to blink several times. “What kinda secret…?”  
   
“A secret about me,” Armin purred. “Don’t you want to know a secret about me?”  
   
Eren thought about it for a moment then sighed. “Okay, okay. If it’s a good secret, I’ll go running with you. If not, I’m going back to bed.”  
   
Armin chuckled and pulled Eren’s hand and slipped it in his hair. His fingers carefully guided Eren’s.  
   
Eren scrunched up his face as he tried to figure out just what Armin was doing. He knew Armin’s hair was soft, probably because of the fairies, but he was pretty sure he was feeling Armin’s scalp and then… there was a dip.  
   
Armin laughed. “I have a dent in my head.”  
   
Eren blinked himself awake and rubbed the small dip. It was about the size of a quarter, a circular little dip. “Holy shit. You have a dent in your head!”  
   
“Yeah!” Armin smiled. “But we keep this between you and me, okay?”  
   
Eren sat up, properly and his fingers laced Armin’s hair. “What the fuck. Why?”  
   
“I hit my head when I was a baby,” Armin explained.  
   
Eren gasped, green eyes going wide. “Are you okay?”  
   
Armin giggled and kissed the tip of Eren’s nose. “It was like… eighteen years ago.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren suddenly felt like an idiot; it wasn’t a new feeling. “Right.” He pulled his hand back and rubbed his eyes.  
   
“Yep.” Armin kissed his cheek. “So, let’s go running, okay?”  
   
Eren sighed so heavily he swore he gained a pound. “Fine.”  
   
“Yes!” Armin bounced off the bed and started getting dressed.  
   
Eren dragged himself out and groaned as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was still wearing his lucky underwear. At least that was a good thing. He figured, since he was going to be sweating and have to take a shower anyway, he should just wear his clothes from yesterday. He put on the discarded shirt and then found a pair of sweatpants. He mumbled something about apples and cherries and fairies and world domination as he put them on.  
   
Armin grabbed his white headband and put it on. “Ready?”  
   
“Yeah, yeah…”  
   
Armin took his hand and pulled him out of the room; and, soon, together, they went down the stairs. Armin broke their link of hands to grab a pair of keys from the front entrance. He shoved it in his pocket and slipped on his runners.  
   
Eren made more annoyed noises as he did the same, grabbing keys, and putting shoes on.  
   
Armin opened the door and stepped out.  
   
Eren sighed and followed. A nice breeze brought the smell of something sweet and he looked at the cherry blossoms. His heart sank with disappointment. They still hadn’t bloomed. He closed the door behind him and locked it. He stepped down the stairs and glanced to Armin. “We’re still going to go downtown together, right?”  
   
Armin turned around. “Huh?”  
   
“For the cherry blossoms,” he said as he waved at the trees. He noticed a bit more pink than last time. They were going to bloom soon.  
   
“Oh!” Armin hopped up. “Right, the three of us. We promised!”  
   
“Mhm.” Eren examined them for a little while longer before glancing to Armin. “Should be another week, I think.”  
   
Armin began his usual stretches and warm ups, extending his knee and doing lunges. “I can’t wait!”  
   
“Mhm.” Eren was more than fine with just standing there.  
   
Armin switched legs and then hopped up. “Ready?”  
   
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he admitted.  
   
“Let’s go!” Armin started running.  
   
Eren started walking.  
   
Armin ran for a full minute before he turned around to see Eren’s snail pace. He ran back and grabbed his hands. “Come on!” he chuckled.  
   
Eren shook his head. “Slow and steady wins the race.”  
   
“We’re running!”  
   
“I’m too tired for running… How about, let’s just have a nice walk.” He saw Armin’s disappointment and he smiled. “I’m not a morning person… So, okay, how about this: We can walk and hold hands, and it’ll be like a nice morning date. Okay? Is that better?”  
   
Armin blinked. His cheeks turned pink and he shrugged. “I guess…”  
   
Eren smiled. He took one of Armin’s hands and his fingers slipped between Armin’s. He gave a little squeeze and he couldn’t help but smile. “Mmm, see, this is nice.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks turned red and he mumbled something.  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything.  
   
They started walking together.  
   
Armin started taking silent but deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.  
   
Eren half wanted to ask if Armin had never held anyone’s hand romantically before, and then it occurred to him: If Armin had only really been with Levi (as well as a couple of Levi’s subs) in the past three years, and probably never had a boyfriend before, it probably was Armin’s first boyfriend-esque thing. He had to remind himself that Armin was technically younger than him (not that two years mattered a hell of a lot, but it was factually there).  
   
Armin leaned into Eren happily and smiled.  
   
“Hey!”  
   
They both looked up.  
   
Krista stood in her usual athletic uniform, short shorts, white t-shirt, runners and hair tied up in a ponytail. She gave them a wave and smiled. “Taking it easy today?”  
   
“No!” Armin shouted at her. “You’re not joining us.”  
   
Krista tilted her head then chuckled. “Oh I see, so this is kind of like a together time, thing, right?”  
   
“No it’s not that,” Armin whined. “You didn’t come to my fondue party yesterday, so I’m not running with you.”  
   
Eren snorted. “You’re such a child.”  
   
Armin bumped his hip. “As if you and Levi aren’t.”  
   
Krista blinked. “Fondue party?”  
   
Eren smiled. “See, she didn’t know.”  
   
“I called like four times!”  
   
Krista scratched her cheek and stared at him. “Actually, you called like six times, but you called Ymir four times… We were just too lazy to pick up our phones so we ignored them and just kinda waited for you to get bored and stop calling us.”  
   
Armin gasped and yanked Eren’s hand. “Come on!” He started running full speed ahead.  
   
Eren yelped as he was being pulled along.  
   
“Hey!” Krista started running as well. “Wait up!”  
   
“No!” Armin charged forward. “Keep up, Eren!”  
   
Eren had to break their cute little hand holding as he forced himself to run faster. “Why are we running?”  
   
“Because Krista’s a bitch!”  
   
Krista couldn’t help but explode with laughter behind them. “It was our date night! Plus, I bet your chocolate fondue wasn’t even that good!”  
   
Armin gasped and sprinted. “Shut up! None of your names even start with a ‘K’!”  
   
Eren gave up and watched Armin zoom ahead. He stopped and put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. Krista passed him and Eren started running again, keeping an even pace with her. “Good morning to you too.”  
   
“Good morning!” Krista giggled. “This is one way to start off the day.”  
   
“I’m going back to sleep right after this, I swear.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
After the run, Armin had spent a full five minutes ignoring Eren for not leaving Krista behind, but eventually he got lonely and started pawing at Eren for attention. They stripped and headed into the shower together. They compromised on the shower temperature as they washed themselves off.  
   
Levi wasn’t awake yet, but because they had gotten home a little behind schedule, Armin lathered up and rinsed as fast as possible. He left Eren with a small kiss on the cheek before he hopped out, grabbed a towel, and dried off.  
   
Eren, who wasn’t on breakfast duty, took his time to enjoy the hot shower. He played with the knobs, bringing the temperature down a bit and really let himself unwind.  
   
He shut off the water and shook his head like a dog, and stepped out of the shower seven or eight minutes later. He grabbed his own towel and dried off slowly. He moved into their attached bedroom and tossed the towel on the bed. He yawned and half considered passing out, but he wanted to see Levi before he went off to work. He opened a drawer and picked out a pair of blue boxers and a black buttoned up shirt, the same black buttoned up shirt Levi had complimented him for earlier.  
   
He put it on and remembered he had to do the laundry tomorrow.  
   
But that was tomorrow.  
   
He looked at his pants and eventually chose navy jeans; they were a dark navy and a little loose around the waist. He searched his drawers and eventually found where he put his belt. It was a black leather belt, but with white streaks at the very top and bottom throughout the entire thing. The buckle was the stylish part (or at least Eren thought it was, and he didn’t delude himself to think he was any good at knowing fashion). It was comprised of two half-moons, one smaller than the other, and they curved inwards at the end. He put it on and checked himself out in the mirror.  
   
Not bad.  
   
He tried to remember where he got that belt…  
   
Annie.  
   
Annie had gotten him that belt, actually.  
   
She gave it to him as a gift.  
   
Well, technically she threw it at his face and told him he needed one.  
   
Eren chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. It was a little damp, but not really. He took his towel off the bed and gazed romantically at the bed sheets. Oh how badly he wanted to sleep. He sighed and walked to the bathroom and hung his towel.  
   
He went down to the kitchen.  
   
Armin was doing his kitchen thing in the kitchen.  
   
“Need help?”  
   
Armin glanced over his shoulder and paused. “Wow.”  
   
Eren blinked. “What?”  
   
“You look,” Armin said, “Good.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Really?”  
   
“Mhm…” Armin stared for a while, and then remembered he was asked a question. “Oh, uh. No I’m good, but could you set the table, please?”  
   
“Sure thing, Sunshine.” Eren moved to the other side of the kitchen and opened the overhead cupboards. He pulled out three plates and walked over to the table. He set them down, in their usual manner, then walked back in the kitchen. “Forks and knives? Or do you want spoons too?”  
   
“Uh… Just forks and knives, yeah.”  
   
Eren nodded and grabbed three forks and three knives, hearing them clang against each other. He set the table then tilted his head as he tried to remember what was missing. Cups. He looked at Armin. “Glasses or mugs?”  
   
“Mug for Levi, glass for me. Whatever you want for you.”  
   
Eren nodded and walked over to where they kept the mugs. He grabbed one, then paused. Did he want something hot, or something cold? Well, that would depend on what his choices were, wouldn’t it? “Are we drinking coffee or tea?”  
   
“Coffee.”  
   
Eren pondered it over, then closed the cupboard. He grabbed two glasses from another cupboard and put them down at the table. He opened the fridge and glanced at Armin. “What do you want to drink?”  
   
Armin turned to Eren for half a second before looking back to the sizzling pan on the stove. “What do we have?”  
   
“Uh.” Eren looked through the shelves. “The usual, I guess, orange juice, apple juice, cranberry juice, grape juice.”  
   
“Cranberry.”  
   
“Weirdo.” Eren smiled and chuckled when he heard Armin laugh. It was nice… to exist like that, together. He grabbed the cranberry juice and the orange juice for himself. He used his foot to close the door and he headed to the table. He was putting the cartons down when he heard a third voice.  
   
“Morning.”  
   
Armin glanced to the side. “Good morning, Master.”  
   
Eren walked over to him and leaned down to kiss his cheek, “Morning smooch!”  
   
Levi turned his head at the last moment, capturing Eren’s lips with his own for half a second.  
   
Eren blinked and his cheeks burned.  
   
Levi chuckled. “Get me coffee, Pup.”  
   
“Yes, Sir!”  
   
Levi headed over to the table and crashed in his seat. He rubbed his face and watched his two subs.  
   
Eren poured the coffee then headed to the fridge to grab the purple milk, and he quickly added that in as well.  
   
Levi waited for Eren to put back the milk and coffee pot before he was offered his mug. “Thank you.” He sipped it once and nodded before he put it down.”  
   
Eren took his seat and smiled. “How did you sleep, Sir?”  
   
“Well. Very well.” Levi sighed. “I just slept so well it was a struggle to get out of bed this morning.”  
   
Eren smiled. “That’s good… I think.”  
   
“It is.” Levi graced him with a subtle smile. “Were you in the library last night?”  
   
“I was, yes, Sir.” Eren straightened his back. “I uh, I tried to be quiet… I hope I didn’t wake you up or something like that.”  
   
“No, you didn’t. You’re fine.” Levi ran a hand through his hair and he closed his eyes for a full second. “I just noticed the lights were on and someone was in the library before I slept. It didn’t bother me. Armin said he was going to bed early, so I just figured it was you.”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren nodded. “I wasn’t as tired as you guys, so I read a little before bed.”  
   
Levi sipped his drink and put it down again, wincing at the small clatter from descending his cup too quickly. “You look tired now, though.”  
   
“Yeah, I might have a nap or something,” Eren admitted. “I was just caught up reading, forgot how time flies when you do it.”  
   
Armin came to the table with his steaming pan. “How far did you get?”  
   
“I finished the book actually.”  
   
“Really?” Armin smiled and added some scrambled eggs to everyone’s plate. He had cooked the turkey bacon in the same pan, so all he had to do was shake it to guide the pieces of meat to their plates. “I’m impressed.”  
   
Eren smiled wide. It wasn’t an Armin stripper in a cake; but, hey, Eren wasn’t picky—he’d take what he could get.  
   
“So, what did you think of it?” Armin asked as he turned around and put the pan down.  
   
“It was,” Eren thought it over, “It was okay, I guess?”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow.  
   
“Yeah,” Armin agreed with a nod. “I feel the same way about it. I mean, I have a little bit left, but yeah. It’s pretty… I mean it’s good, it’s just not, you know, _good_.”  
   
“Yeah. It wasn’t bad, though, so that was good.”  
   
Armin smiled. “We do have a library full of good books, though, if you want me to maybe recommend a few?”  
   
“Sure!”  
   
Levi sipped his coffee. “If you want rec’s, I know a few good ones as well.”  
   
Armin turned to him. “What would you recommend him?”  
   
“Nietzsche.”  
   
Armin cackled and threw his head back in a giggle fit.  
   
Eren blinked.  
   
Levi smirked as he cut a piece of turkey bacon with his fork and knife. “He’s an asshole philosopher. You’ll throw yourself off a bridge before you can get through his brilliant bullshit.”  
   
Armin grinned. “Don’t read it, Eren.”  
   
Eren gave a tentative little smile. “I won’t, then.”  
   
“Sorry,” Levi said quietly. “I didn’t mean to exclude you from the conversation with an inside joke.”  
   
“Oh, no, it’s fine.” Eren chuckled. “I’m used to most conversations being pretty weird at this table.”  
   
Armin laughed and Levi smirked.  
   
Eren shoved the eggs in his mouth and moaned. “I have no idea how you do it, Armin.”  
   
“I can teach you, you know,” Armin cooed. “Eggs are pretty easy if you know the secret.”  
   
“Hmm, maybe I’ll take you up on that.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Levi eventually had to leave, sadly, and Eren was adamant about seeing him off. Levi grumbled and muttered and complained about something or another, but he let Eren know (in his own way) that the gesture was appreciated… sort of.  
   
Eren chuckled and kissed Levi on the cheek. “Good luck today, Sir. One more day until the weekend.”  
   
Levi smiled. “That’s right; I’m taking tomorrow off.”  
   
“Yes, Sir!”  
   
Levi slipped on his shoes and checked himself out in the mirror. He glanced to Eren. “By the way, you look good today.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Thank you, Sir!”  
   
Levi glanced down to Eren’s pants and he reached for it.  
   
Eren gasped; Levi was reaching for his crotch! Of course, he was filled with both disappointment and relief when he realised Levi grabbed his belt. Levi was interested in his belt. Only his belt. He looked at it, then glanced back up to his Dom. “Sir?”  
   
“This,” Levi said in an amused voice, “Is from my store.” He looked away and let go, as if it meant nothing.  
   
Eren blinked. “Really?”  
   
Levi’s smile became crooked. “Have you ever been to my store, Eren?”  
   
“Um…” Eren tilted his head and thought about it. They talked about Rivaille a lot, but when he tried to visualise it in his head… Blank. Nadda. Zip. Yadda. Chortle. British North American Act. Zilch. Jiminy Cricket. Nothing. “Nope.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Of course.” He laughed. “I doubt someone of your… calibre, would go to my store, after all.”  
   
“Thanks!”  
   
“That wasn’t a compliment, Pup.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren looked at his feet like a scolded child, then looked back up. “Have a good day at work, Sir!”  
   
“Thank you.” Levi leaned in for a quick kiss with his sub, then grabbed the door handle and opened the door. He stepped out.  
   
Eren watched him walk to his car and he gave a little wave and his little wave was ignored.  
   
Levi drove off.  
   
Eren closed the door eventually and turned to head upstairs, but he paused. “Armin?” he called out.  
   
“Yeah?” a voice came from the kitchen.  
   
“I’m gonna take a nap!”  
   
“Okay! Night night!”  
   
He grinned. “Don’t let the Eren bite!”  
   
He heard Armin chuckle.  
   
Eren went up the stairs again and stretched. He opened the door and stepped in before he crashed on the bed. He looked up at the ceiling and smiled to himself like the dork he truly was. He slipped off to la la land.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“Absolutely fucking not no fuck yourself you God forsaken whore of death fuck yourself you shit stain spawn of darkness leave me the fuck alone you worthless saggy cobweb-filled cunt.”  
   
“But, Leevee!”  
   
“No. Hanji. No.”  
   
“Levi,” Erwin’s voice smoothed the ridges between them.  
   
Levi sighed and rolled his eyes. “Absolutely not. Fuck off.”  
   
“But,” Hanjji squeaked, “Armin said I could!”  
   
Levi frowned, but his eyes eventually softened. He glanced to Erwin.  
   
Erwin, still jet lagged, rubbed his tired eyes. “We walked all the way.”  
   
Levi let out the sigh-iest sigh to have ever sighed. “You two are such shit faces.” He crossed his arms and stared at them. His eyes took in what they were wearing.  
   
Hanji wore a pair of tight black yoga pants and a loose white shirt with a brown cardigan overtop.  
   
Erwin on the other hand wore dress pants, formal as ever, and the rest of his outfit was blocked off by a fashionable pea coat.  
   
“Levi?” Hanji tilted her head.  
   
“Fine.” Levi sighed. He didn’t know how Hanji and Erwin had found out his schedule (the answer was Annie and Levi was going to run her big ass fucking nose through the ground until she was fucking Voldemort when he saw her next), but Levi knew he would lose the fight eventually. Whether he would lose the fight because they would gang up on him, or because he secretly wanted to spend time with the two of them was… “Fine,” he repeated. “You can come over. To work. So you better fucking work, do you hear me?”  
   
Erwin gave a polite smile, and Levi knew it was overflowing with shit.  
   
Hanji jumped up and down and ran around him to jump on his back. “Piggy back ride!”  
   
“Oy! Fuck you, four-eyes! Get the fuck off me!”  
   
Erwin laughed a dad laugh. “Hanji, please.”  
   
Hanji eventually let go and sighed. “Fine, fine, fine. But, you should tell your boys we’re coming so they can have some yummy food ready for us!”  
   
Erwin cocked his head to the side. “Hanji, we just ate.”  
   
“I know… but Armin’s food is always so good, how can I resist?”  
   
Levi looked to Erwin and they both knew she had a valid point. Levi pulled out his phone and swiped his fingers across the screen, quickly sending a text message to his blond. “You two walked here?”  
   
“Yep!” Hanji nodded. “I figured if we didn’t have a car, it would guilt you.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “Let’s just go.” He turned heel and walked off.  
   
The three of them passed the sliding doors and headed to the parking lot.  
   
Levi pulled out his keys as he walked over to his parking space. He unlocked the doors and turned around. “Get the fuck in and Hanji… don’t fucking touch anything.”  
   
“But—”  
   
“Don’t touch anything.”  
   
“But–”  
   
“Don’t touch anything.”  
   
“But-”  
   
“Don’t touch anything.”  
   
Hanji sighed. “Fine.”  
   
Erwin snickered.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“Eren,” Armin’s voice was in sing-song, “Wake up, Eren.”  
   
“Not again…”  
   
“Eren.”  
   
“I’m not running anymore. I’m gonna break my legs. We’re never gonna run again.”  
   
Armin laughed and pushed Eren’s shoulder. “You can go back to sleep, I just need to change the bed sheets.”  
   
“Why?”  
   
“Because it’s Thursday; I do it every Thursday.”  
   
Eren rolled over, onto his side, and looked at Armin. “But, first, I want to tell you a secret.”  
   
Armin tilted his head. “A secret?”  
   
Eren patted the space in front of him.  
   
Armin sat on the edge of the bed.  
   
Eren shook his head again and patted the bed again.  
   
Armin smiled and got on the bed. He rolled next to Eren and smiled. “What’s the secret?”  
   
Eren slipped both arms around the blond and hugged him tight. “The secret is, you’re trapped and it’s naptime.”  
   
Armin he realised he was indeed trapped… Well, okay, he could have broken free if he really wanted to, but in Eren’s arms he really didn’t want to.  
   
“Shhh.” Eren smiled.  
   
Armin chuckled. He closed his eyes. “Okay. We can rest for a little bit, but we can’t nap for too long, okay?”  
   
“Sure whatever.” Eren pulled his cuddle buddy close and hugged him tight.  
   
Armin nuzzled into the warmth and smiled wide.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Hanji fucking touched everything.  
   
The radio, the volume gauge, the cup holders, the door pockets, the dashboard—everything. She touched everything. Levi sneered and yelled at her the entire drive. He was going to have to get sanitizer and clean the whole fucking thing again. Levi had almost crashed the car twice, but he eventually got home and put the car to park. They got out and headed through the small walkway to his front door.  
   
Levi unlocked the door and stepped in. He took his shoes off, aligning them neatly to the side, then stepped inside. He heard Erwin and Hanji behind him and he turned around. “Oy.” His eyes narrowed. “Take your shoes off.”  
   
“We know,” Hanji sighed.  
   
Erwin just smiled.  
   
Levi paused. He heard the rustling of Erwin and Hanji, but other than that…  
   
Silence.  
   
“Hey!” he called out.  
   
No response.  
   
Levi waited for some kind of delayed response, but none came. “They’re probably outside or something…” Levi had a feeling that maybe they… He went up the stairs and he heard both Hanji and Erwin follow. He walked to their bedroom and pushed open the door. He sighed. “Fuckers.”  
   
Eren and Armin were both sleeping, wrapped up tight in each other’s arms.  
   
Levi stepped in and frowned.  
   
Hanji did too and smiled. “Aww, they’re adorable. Should we wake them?”  
   
“Yes.” Levi was about to shove them when Hanji stopped him.  
   
“Gently,” she insisted.  
   
“I don’t do gentle.”  
   
Erwin chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ll do it.” He looked at the two sleepy face subs and reached out. He ran a hand through Eren’s hair and watched the brunet stir. “Good morning, Eren. Or, afternoon I should say.”  
   
Eren slowly opened his eyes and he blinked once, twice, three times. “Commander Handsome?”  
   
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Levi muttered.  
   
Hanji snickered.  
   
Erwin ignored them and kept playing with Eren’s hair. “Hello,” his voice was soft and extinguished decade long conflicts. “How are you?”  
   
“Good,” Eren admitted with a smile. He looked down and smooched Armin’s head. “Armin, Commander Handsome is here.”  
   
Armin inhaled through his nose and made a noise. “Commander?”  
   
Erwin laughed the warm laugh of sages of ages past. He moved his hand through Eren’s brown hair and watched as Eren nuzzled into his hand.  
   
“Mmm.” Eren smiled. “This is nice.”  
   
Hanji glanced to Levi, noticing the way he frowned. She raised both eyebrows. He wasn’t jealous, was he?  
   
Erwin stroked Eren’s cheek with his thumb. “You two should wake up and spend time with us.”  
   
“Okay,” Eren agreed.  
   
Armin pulled away from Eren just enough to roll over. “Okay.”  
   
“Okay, _enough_ ,” Levi hissed.  
   
Erwin smirked. “You know, Eren, why don’t you two run away with me and leave Levi?”  
   
Eren gasped and slipped both arms around Armin. He rolled them over so he was between Armin and Erwin. “No!” His eyes narrowed. Now awake, he could see past the shadows. “You’re not Commander Handsome—You’re Commander Deception!”  
   
Erwin tilted his head. “Now how can someone as truly handsome as I am, be deceiving?”  
   
Eren blinked. “That’s a good argument.” He looked at the smaller blond. “What do you think?”  
   
“I think,” Armin began, “I think I’m warm.”  
   
“Me too,” Eren admitted and snuggled him tighter.  
   
Levi walked around the bed and sat on the other side. “Oy. Both of you. Up. Now.”  
   
Eren sat up, pulling Armin with him. “Sir!” He leaned in and smooched Levi’s face.  
   
Armin did the same.  
   
Levi smirked and glanced to Erwin. “You two are both good pets. Maybe I should reward you both…”  
   
“No,” Armin disagreed. “I’m a bad.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “You are a bad?”  
   
“I’m a bad,” he repeated. “I didn’t change the bed sheets…”  
   
“Why not?”  
   
“Well, Eren was sleeping… and he tricked me.”  
   
Erwin chuckled. “Maybe Eren is Commander Deception.”  
   
Eren gasped as he realise the possibility. “No! I don’t want to be Commander Deception.”  
   
“Yes you do.” Erwin smirked. “I think you like the idea.”  
   
“I do not!” Eren said in the same way a fourth grade kid tried to deny having a crush on someone.  
   
Levi tsk’d. “Leave my fucking subs alone. Eren, get up so Armin can do his chores.”  
   
“Yes Sir!”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Armin poured three cups of coffee from the pot. Unlike the usual morning coffee, which was just normal average regular coffee, Armin had made an extra strong beverage this time around since that was the way Hanji and Erwin liked it. Well, Erwin liked it strong; Hanji liked it strong and then mixed with a lot of milk to make it both strong in flavour and creamy in texture. He put the cups on a tray and then brought the tray over to the kitchen table.  
   
Levi glanced at him. “Thank you, Armin.”  
   
“Of course, Master.” Armin put the tray down and kissed his master on the cheek.  
   
Erwin raised an eyebrow at that.  
   
Armin served the coffee and smiled. “Pastries will be ready in twenty minutes.”  
   
“Aww!” Hanji clapped her hands excitedly. “See, I’m going to get a lot more work done here.”  
   
Armin glanced to the table to see stacks of papers. “Marking?”  
   
“Ah yes, it’s finals season.” Hanji sighed. “And I don’t have a marker, since it’s a fourth year course. Erwin counts, though.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Is Erwin allowed to mark them?”  
   
Erwin glanced to the paper in front of him. “I’m only marking the sections that are right or wrong, multiple choice, matching, and so on.”  
   
Armin nodded.  
   
Hanji grabbed a pile and shoved it in front of Levi.  
   
“Oy, four-eyes. Don’t you fucking dare.”  
   
Hanji passed another paper. “This is the answer key.”  
   
“Fuck no.”  
   
“Be a good host.”  
   
Levi raised his voice, “Hanji!”  
   
Hanji raised her voice, “Levi!”  
   
Erwin raised his voice, “Erwin!”  
   
They all stared at him.  
   
Erwin found himself hilarious and went back to marking.  
   
Levi grumbled. “Fine.”  
   
Armin looked at his Master. “Can I help?”  
   
“Oh!” Hanji bounced.  
   
“No,” Levi said firmly. “You have chores. Speaking of, where’s Eren?”  
   
“Good question, I’ll go find him, Master.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
It was in that moment of self-discovery that Eren Jaeger realised he was a burrito.  
   
A true burrito.  
   
Something clicked.  
   
Eren opened his eyes and saw Armin taking a picture of him. “Hi.” He smiled as wide as possible.  
   
Armin took another picture with his phone and he chuckled. “You’re such a dork…”  
   
They were in Levi’s room; after Eren was kicked out of his own bedroom for Armin to change the bed sheets, Eren went straight to his Dom’s bedroom. Since the bed sheets were going to be changed anyway, he rolled himself up in his final form and took in the smell of just _Levi_. It thrilled him in ways it wasn’t supposed to and he loved it. He closed his eyes and nuzzled the pillow that smelled so good he wanted to have sex with it.  
   
“Did you enjoy your nap, Eren?”  
   
“I’m still enjoying my nap.”  
   
Armin chuckled and put his phone in his pocket. He jumped on the bed, next to Eren, and smiled. “You know Levi’s going to freak if he sees your bed sheet burrito.”  
   
“You’re changing it anyway, right?”  
   
“Mhm. Smart thinking.”  
   
“Yep.” Eren yawned and  closed his eyes. “What time is it?”  
   
“Like four in the afternoon? You’ve slept most of the day away, you dork.”  
   
“Four already?” Eren began unrolling himself and he stretched in freedom.  
   
“How do you feel?”  
   
“Great, actually,” Eren chuckled. “What’s up?”  
   
“A late lunch is going to be ready in twenty minutes,” Armin explained. “It’s pastries, and I made some good coffee. Why don’t you go down and I change the sheets here?”  
   
“Fine.” Eren sighed as he hopped out of the bed. “I know you’re just jealous”  
   
“Jealous? Of what?”  
   
“Jealous of my bed sheet burritos.”  
   
Armin snorted.  
   
Eren snickered and stepped out of the room. He walked down two flights of stairs and rubbed his face some more. He walked into the kitchen and saw the three of them at the table. “Good morning.”  
   
Levi frowned at him. “Rise and fucking shine, shit head.”  
   
Eren laughed. “Sorry Sir.”  
   
Levi gave a rare smile. “Sit. And take half my load.”  
   
“Huh?”  
   
“Sit.”  
   
Eren took a seat next to Hanji, only because she was nice—not because he wanted a view of Commander Handsome/Deception or anything.  
   
Levi handed a pile of papers to Hanji and Hanji plopped them down in front of Eren.  
   
Eren was handed an answer key and he blinked. “Cool. What am I doing?”  
   
“Fourth year finance final,” Hanji said with a smile. “This part is right or wrong, they’re actually half a mark each which is basically how I get away with not having to give part marks.”  
   
Eren chuckled and looked at an exam booklet. He noticed it said there were several sections. “Which part am I marking?”  
   
“Just the first one.”  
   
Eren nodded and picked up a red pen.  
   
“What a fucking idiot,” Hanji mumbled as she marked an ‘X’ over the whole page. “I don’t understand why students bullshit. If you don’t know, you don’t know. Don’t make me read this whole page if you don’t know.”  
   
Eren chuckled.  
   
Hanji flipped the page and cried out when she saw another wall of text. “I’m not reading this.”  
   
Erwin looked up. “You have to.”  
   
“Of course I have to.” Hanji skimmed over it and added a couple checks, a couple X’s and a couple question marks. “No. No. No. No. The whole course is about this, how can you—Why? Why would they—? I just!” She crossed the whole page out. “No.”  
   
Levi smiled. “Didn’t you say you love teaching?”  
   
“It’s better than an actual job!”  
   
Levi snorted, then glanced to Eren. “Where’s Armin? Where did he go?”  
   
“Chores.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Good.”  
   
Erwin chuckled.  
   
Hanji smiled as she flipped a page. “Isn’t this fun?”  
   
“Fuck yourself, four-eyes.”  
   
Hanji flipped to the first page and her eyes boggled when she tried to add totals. “What’s fourteen plus eight plus nine plus two?”  
   
“Thirty-three,” Eren replied.  
   
Hanji blinked. “Oh that was quick.”  
   
And so the marking went on. Eren flipped page after page, marking the number of correct answers  on the bottom of each page and then totalling it at the front part where it was written ‘Section A’.  He zoomed through his part and eventually heard a snarl.  
   
“What the fuck?” Levi frowned. “How the hell are you almost done?”  
   
Eren looked up. “Oh. I used to help my mom with marking a lot. You just have to build rhythm.”  
   
Levi’s frown turned into a scowl. “Rhythm? The fuck? Fuck your rhythm.”  
   
“Yes, Sir.”  
   
Erwin smiled. “What a nice sub.”  
   
Levi smiled. “Yeah, he’s a doll.”  
   
Eren felt his cheeks warm. “I’m done with my pile. Can I take more?”  
   
Hanji pulled half of what Levi had left and placed it in front of Eren. “Boom!”  
   
“Thanks!” Eren got to work again.  
   
“Eren, dear,” Hanji used her motherly tone, “What’s forty-six plus nine plus twenty-one plus fourteen plus nine?”  
   
“Ninety-nine.”  
   
Hanji whistled. “When this gets bell-curved this guy’s getting over a hundred percent!”  
   
Eren flipped through another exam and smiled. “Oh this one’s empty. Yay, no work.”  
   
“What?” Hanji blinked. “This guy fucking wrote it doesn’t meet the Canadian standards of—That’s the whole point of the course!” She dropped her pen and took off her glasses. She set them down and then covered her face with her hands. “There are two… two course objectives. We spend three months on two big topics… How do they fuck up the first question?”  
   
Armin stepped into the kitchen and smiled. “Everyone’s hard at work.”  
   
“Yes.” Levi sighed. “How she got me into this I don’t know. When’s lunch?”  
   
Armin walked into the kitchen and called out. “Ten minutes, just gotta let it cool!” They heard the oven door open and the convention filter out the hot air. The smell of chocolate wafted in and they all collectively sighed together. Armin snickered.  
   
“I’m done!” Eren said with a smile.  
   
“Aww!” Hanji pinched his cheeks. “You earned yourself some time off!”  
   
Eren wanted to protest; but, at that moment, with her glasses off, Eren realised Hanji was actually good looking enough to rival Commander Handsome.  
   
“Oy.” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “I’m his Dom, not you. Fuck you. I decide.”  
   
Erwin smiled sweetly. “I’m sure you are, Levi.” He reached out and ruffled Levi’s hair.  
   
Hanji laughed and threw her head back. “Just like old times!”  
   
“Fuck you both.” Levi crossed his arms. “Eren, get the fuck out of my face. You have chores to do too.”  
   
“Yes Sir!” Eren got to his feet.  
   
“Hey,” Armin called out. “Eren?”  
   
“Yeah?” He walked to the kitchen. “Need help with something?”  
   
“Yeah. Can you cut some strawberries?”  
   
“We have some left?”  
   
Armin laughed. “Just a couple ones I saved.”  
   
Eren opened the fridge door and saw them at the bottom. “Sure, halves?”  
   
“Quarts.”  
   
Eren nodded and brought them over to the sink. He washed them quickly and grabbed a knife. Making quick work of them. “Where do you want them?”  
   
“Just here,” Armin said as he pointed to a bowl.  
   
Eren dropped them off and looked at the oven. “Oh hey!” The rack had been pulled out to let the pastries cool. “Oh those are um, those are those things with the things?”  
   
“Really?” Armin looked at him. “I never would have guessed.”  
   
“Shush!”  
   
Armin chuckled. “They’re tarts.”  
   
“No…” Eren pouted. “Tarts are usually, bigger like big-ger.”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes. “They’re mini tarts, Eren.”  
   
“Ohhhh. Okay. Yeah. That makes sense.”  
   
“Go do your chores,” Armin laughed. He kissed Eren’s cheek lightly.  
   
Eren kissed him back. “Okay.”  
   
Hanji, Levi, and Erwin chuckled from the table.  
   
Erwin didn’t look away from the paper he was marking when he spoke, “Cute.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Even if Commander Handsome was Commander Deception, Eren still felt a warm flutter in his tummy when he was complimented. His cheeks turned red and he was happy his only chore before dinner time was outside work. He grabbed the broom and swept the front, then went around the house and swept the back. He glanced to the pool and remembered the fun they had last night. He grinned.  
   
A dip before bed sounded like a good idea, but tomorrow was Levi’s day off so he would probably want to sleep early.  
   
As he finished his work he yawned and felt sleepy again. “Hmmm, I’m so tired today.” He looked up at the clouds. “Maybe I should take another nap…”  
   
But then he’d get kicked out by Armin.  
   
Eren fell backwards and landed on the soft grass.  
   
He stared at the clouds.  
   
He looked for concrete images in the abstract white fluff, and he managed to find one that looked like a dog. After more searching, he found one that looked like a balloon.  
   
“That one looks like a dick.”  
   
Eren patted his pocket and pulled his phone out. He took a picture of the dick cloud and sent it to Armin, with the caption ‘That looks like a dick’.  
   
He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sun’s warmth, until he heard footsteps. He opened his eyes to see Hanji standing over him. “Hi.”  
   
Hanji smiled. “Hiya. Just letting you know lunch is going to be ready soon.”  
   
“Mhm. Thank you!”  
   
Hanji looked up at the clouds and smiled. “What are you doing?”  
   
“Photosynthesising.”  
   
“Pfft.”  
   
“Try it!”  
   
Hanji snorted and nodded. “Sounds like fun!” She threw herself back and landed in the grass next to him. “Oh… this is pretty nice.” She closed her eyes and yawned.  
   
Eren yawned as well and the two of them began to drift off to the realm of sleep and wonder and—  
   
“Oy. What the  _fuck_ are you two doing?”  
   
Eren and Hanji opened their eyes and spoke at the same time, “Photosynthesising.”  
   
Levi growled. “You’re getting dirt all over your clothes. Both of you, get up. Now.”  
   
They both jumped up.  
   
Levi looked at Hanji and dusted her off. “You’re fine, if you take off your sweater. Your pants are fine.”  
   
“Oh goodie,” Hanji said with a little bounce.  
   
Levi looked at Eren. “You.”  
   
Eren dipped his head. “I’m sorry.”  
   
Levi sighed. “I’m not even upset, I’m just—You looked good today, for once, and you had to ruin your nice clothes.”  
   
“Well,” Eren said with a smile, “Don’t I look good every day?”  
   
“No.”  
   
Eren deflated.  
   
Hanji snickered and burst into laughter.  
   
Levi gave him a small smile. “I work in fashion, Eren. Nobody looks good every day, I’m just not sugar coating it for you. Go change.”  
   
“Yes, Sir.”  
   
Levi stopped Eren before he took another step.  
  
Eren blinked and stared at his Dom. “Sir?”  
   
Levi leaned over and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Good. Now go.”  
   
“Yes Sir!” Eren smiled.  
  
And Levi swore that smile affected him in a way that he…  
  
 

⁂

  
   
When Eren walked down the stairs—now attired in a pair of black shorts that went past his knees, a white shirt, and a green-grey vest—and walked into the kitchen to see Armin taking the mini tarts out of the baking tray. “How do I look?” He showed himself off.  
   
Armin took one look at him and laughed.  
   
Eren pouted and walked over to the kitchen table. “Good?”  
   
Levi took one look at him and sighed.  
   
Armin came in with a plate of the pastries. “I think it’s um, good.”  
   
Erwin smiled. “It’s very cute, Eren.”  
   
Eren felt butterflies in his stomach and he took his seat next to Hanji.  
   
The exams (all marked) had been put aside in Hanji’s laptop bag and the table had been set for eating. Armin sat across from Eren and offered a mug of coffee. “Let’s dig in.”  
   
“Thank you,” Eren nodded. He grabbed a couple of the mini tarts.  They were like small cups made of a pastry while filled with soft chocolate, garnished with one quart of strawberry (mostly for looks, Eren assumed). He took a small bite of one and his mouth was filled with a nice pastry crunch and warm chocolate, with a touch of strawberry.  
   
Hanji cried out loudly with her mouth full, “So good!”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes at her and took one as well.  
   
There were twenty mini tarts in all, but it only took a couple minutes to reduce that to single digits.  
   
“Army.” Hanji looked up at him. “How do you make the tart part so crisp and nice? Whenever I try it comes out too buttery.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Actually I use pre-made pastry sheets for mini tarts. Well, I don’t use the premade tart cups, those are awful, but I take a sheet of pre-made pastry dough and just roll it up to make the little cups. It’s pretty easy.”  
   
“Ohh.” Hanji nodded and then looked at Eren. “Best part about Armin is this magician shares his secrets.”  
   
Eren snorted.  
   
Erwin smiled.  
   
Armin glanced to Levi. “The chocolate filling is a little sweeter than usual, sorry Sir.”  
   
“Fuck yourself.” Levi grabbed another one. “It’s fantastic, Kitten.”  
   
Armin blushed.  
   
Erwin silently chuckled.  
   
Levi glanced to his friend. “You’re quiet today.”  
   
Erwin blinked. “Am I?”  
   
“Yes. It’s annoying.”  
   
“Annoying?”  
   
Hanji grinned. “He’s just tired, Leevee.”  
   
Levi looked at her, then glanced again to Erwin. “I’m just making sure you aren’t planning anything devious, Commander Fucking Deception.”  
   
Erwin snorted and shook his head. “I’m not, no. I’m too tired for that.”  
   
Armin spoke up, “How are you adjusting?”  
   
“Decently, I suppose? I’ve never been good at adjusting my hours… Even daylight savings throws me off for a couple weeks.”  
   
Hanji shoved another tart down her throat.  
   
“Slow down,” Levi muttered into his coffee mug. He took a sip and then put it down. “Enjoy it, Hanji.”  
   
Hanji smiled. “Sorry, it’s just—So—Good!”  
   
Armin dipped his head. “Thank you.”  
   
“And the coffee!”  
   
Armin grinned. “It’s not as good as Jean’s, though…”  
   
“Well,” Eren spoke up, “It’s the best coffee I’ve had, and I mean that.”  
   
Armin smiled and blew Eren a small kiss from across the table.  
   
Eren caught it and put the kiss in his pocket for later.  
   
Armin giggled and looked away.  
   
Levi watched the exchange and rolled his eyes, doing his best to fight the smile burning to etch itself on his face.  
   
Erwin raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised. You’re not getting jealous or overprotective.”  
   
Levi blinked. “Huh?”  
   
“Well… I mean, Armin’s usually your gem and treasure, isn’t he?”  
   
“Of course he is. Armin’s my most prized.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks burned. “I’m not…”  
   
“You are. You’re the best I’ve ever had.”  
   
Armin looked up. “What about, Pet’?”  
   
Levi smirked. “No, I think you surpass her in many ways… She has her strong points, but you…”  
   
Armin’s face invented a new shade of red.  
   
Hanji smirked as well. “Well Armin can cook for one…”  
   
Armin looked up. “Petra’s not that bad!”  
   
Erwin shook his head. “God awful.”  
   
Levi laughed.  
   
Erwin looked at Levi. “I’m just surprised is all. You’re usually a hawk over your Armin.”  
   
“Of course.” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “To keep him away from you.” He smiled and glanced to Armin. “Armin’s just…” He looked like he was about to say something, then his eyes shifted to Eren. “I have nothing to worry about with Eren. And as precious as my Pup is, I don’t have to protect him. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.” He looked back to Armin. “Unlike some.”  
   
Armin smiled and looked away, mumbling something or another. Armin’s blue eyes also went up to Eren. “So, you’re like my guard dog, huh?”  
   
Eren grinned. “Arf!”  
   
Erwin and Hanji both laugh.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes.  
   
Eren smiled nervously. “Sorry.”  
   
Erwin tilted his head. “Impressive sound, though.”  
   
Levi nodded.  
   
Eren chuckled and scratched the back of his head.  
   
“It’s nice, though, my two subs match.”  
   
Eren blinked. “Match? We match?”  
   
Armin rolled the R’s deep in his throat and let out the slowest, most sensual of all purrs, before he hit a higher note and let out a meow.  
   
Eren blinked. “Holy shit. That was good!”  
   
Levi crossed his legs and glanced to Erwin and then to Hanji. “Jealous?”  
   
“Yep,” Hanji admitted.  
   
Erwin chuckled. “Very.”  
   
“Good.” Levi smiled.  
   
Eren knew that look on Levi’s face—Pride. Levi was proud of him. He felt his heart flutter.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
After a couple more hours of Hanji screaming, Levi sneering, and Erwin stealing the two sub’s hearts with his charm, Armin eventually asked if they were staying for dinner—Hanji said yes—Levi said no—but they eventually came to the agreement that the answer was yes. Levi asked if they had groceries, since Armin had mentioned they needed to go, and Armin said they would be good for a couple more days, but probably not much more.  
   
“So,” Armin said as he and Eren walked into the kitchen. “Wanna make chili?”  
   
“Sure.” Eren smiled. “I’ve never made chili… Not that that’s a surprise. I haven’t made anything.”  
   
Armin grinned. “It’s actually really really easy.”  
   
“But don’t you have to cook chili for like… ten hours? That’s how my dad used to do it.”  
   
“Wow.” Armin pouted. “Yeah… You can slow cook it, which really gives it a richer flavour, but most chilies can be done in thirty minutes, really.” He frowned. “Now I don’t know if we should do chili… it won’t be as good as your dad’s… then you won’t think I’m the best chef ever.”  
   
“My dad can do like two things in the kitchen,” Eren laughed. “You can do a million. Don’t worry. You’re my favourite.” He smooched Armin’s cheek. “Don’t worry, okay?”  
   
Armin smiled and nodded. He walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bunch of tomatoes.  
   
“Whoa, this is a lot!”  
   
Armin nodded. “You know how I don’t like sauce?”  
   
“Yeah.” How could he forget?  
   
“Tomato sauce is the worst of them all.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren raised an eyebrow. “Tomatoes are the enemy, right?”  
   
“Except…” Armin smiled. “When it’s homemade tomato sauce. Chili uses a bit of tomato sauce, but that’s okay, because chili’s like… It’s sort of halfway between a soup and sauce, kinda? Not really. Anyway. Put those down.”  
   
Eren nodded and did as he was told, then came back.  
   
Armin loaded him up with garlic, red peppers, green peppers, yellow peppers, mushrooms, red onion, yellow onion, green onion, and ground beef. “Put those down.”  
   
“Yes Sir!”  
   
Armin chuckled and closed the fridge door. He grabbed several large pots and put two on the stove. He put a third one next to them on the kitchen counter. He grabbed the food processor and plugged it in then he disappeared into the pantry and came back with what Eren assumed was a rice cooker; he plugged that in as well.  
   
“Um…” Eren crossed his arms and smiled, green eyes following the blond as he blurred left and right. “What happened to this being simple?”  
   
Armin chuckled and filled two pots with water and one with a little bit of olive oil. He turned on the burners beneath two of them, setting the blue flames to high, and then added ice to the third one. “It’s simple in the sense that it’s really hard to mess up. Can you chop up, well… everything? The peppers, onions, and mushrooms?”  
   
“Sure.” Eren smiled and grabbed a cutting board. He gave the peppers, mushrooms, and green onions a quick rinse. He peeled the outer layer of the yellow and red onion and threw that out in the garbage. “How big do you want me to cut them?”  
   
“Pretty small.” Armin used the flat of his knife to break the shell of the garlic then tossed it aside. He sliced it up. “Start with the onions. The yellow onion and red onion should be finely chopped, the peppers should be small since we eat chili with a spoon, and the mushrooms… Ah well, whatever. The green onions though, cut them diagonally and make them a bit bigger. Okay?”  
   
“Sure thing!”  
   
Armin threw the garlic in the pot with oil and heard a small sizzle. He washed his knife and then moved to the tomatoes. He carved a circle at the top of the red fruit, separating the core. He threw those out and waited for the water to boil. He turned the tomatoes over and made a shallow ‘X’ slash on each of them then tossed them in the hot water.  
   
Eren got to work as well, chopping things up and soon the yellow and red onions were diced. He was about to put a green pepper on the cutting board when it disappeared.  
   
Armin tossed the onions in the pot with the garlic and oil and quickly mixed everything up before handing back the cutting board.  
   
Eren smiled and sliced the peppers.  
   
Armin, meanwhile, checked on the tomatoes and nodded. He noticed the mushy inside part of the tomato had expanded and some pushed out of the skin. He used a large spoon and lifted a steaming tomato out of the boiling water and dunked it in the ice water. Giving it a little while to cool, he lifted it out and grabbed it with his hand. He tore off the skin and then plopped the skinless red fruit in the food processor. He did that for the rest of the tomatoes and then turned off the burner underneath the boiling water. He put the lid on the food processor and hit the button.  
   
It buzzed to life and the tomatoes went splat like gore special effects from the eighties.  
   
Armin turned it off after a moment.  
   
“I’m done here,” Eren called out.  
   
“Are the onions cooked?”  
   
Eren looked at them and blinked. “How do I know if they’re cooked?”  
   
“They’re usually see-through, and they might be a browned a bit at the corners.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren stirred the garlic and onions and shrugged. “I think a little more?”  
   
“Okay! Can you unwrap the ground beef and just wait a minute before you plop it in?”  
   
“Sure.” Eren didn’t comment on the verb ‘plop’ but it made him smile. He stirred it a little more and counted in his head. He unwrapped the pink butcher wrapping paper and then tossed the ground beef in.  
   
“Now just sort of break it apart with the spatula and mix it all together.”  
   
“Okie dokie.”  
   
Armin set up the rice cooker (which was another one of Levi’s premium appliances) and added the white basmati, long-grain rice to the bowl in the rice cooker then rinsed it several times before he drained, added water, then put it back in the appliance. He clicked the button and it got to work.  
   
Eren kept stirring. Ground beef, he knew how to do that. That was kind of the basics.  
   
Armin came over and wrapped his arms behind Eren’s waist. He kissed Eren’s shoulder.  
   
Eren smiled.  
   
They were about to have a moment before Hanji screamed as loud as she could.  
   
They both stopped.  
  
Levi was shouting and Erwin laughed his big loud dad laugh, so they figured everything was okay.  
   
“Add the mushrooms.”  
   
Eren nodded and picked up the cutting board with one hand. He put down the spatula and grabbed his knife to push the mushrooms in. A couple peppers fell in with them but they were only a couple and nobody cared about couples. “So what else?”  
   
“Let the mushrooms get a little soft, then add the peppers, then the tomato sauce, then the beans, spices, green onions, and we’re done!”  
   
Eren nodded. “Don’t you have to soak beans?”  
   
“Not if they’re canned, since they’re canned with water. I use canned beans,” Armin admitted. “People are always afraid of canned food, I think, but if you do your research and really figure out where the food comes from, you’ll be surprised at how great some of it is. But hmm, I should go let them dry for a bit.”  
   
Eren whined as Armin slipped away.  
   
Armin chuckled.  
   
Eren stirred it a bit, noticing the beef was golden brown and he poked the mushrooms. They seemed soft so he added the peppers of all colours and noticed how much more fun it looked. He stirred it a bit more and watched.  
   
“Hmmm.” Armin came out of the pantry. “So… Guess what?”  
   
“What?”  
   
“We don’t have any beans.” Armin heard the click of the rice cooker and he opened up the top, moving his head back to dodge the flux of white steam that rose from the top.  
   
“Oh.” Eren looked at him. “So what are we going to do?”  
   
“Well I just dried the rice,” said Armin. “You’re supposed to let the rice sit in there so it can suck in the steam and be nice and soft. But now it’ll be dry.”  
   
Eren blinked. “Did you just ruin dinner?”  
   
“I never ruin dinner,” Armin’s voice turned low.  
   
Eren felt his body snap and cringe and a little thrill went down to his crotch and tickled him there.  
   
Armin offered a little smile. “Leave it to me, okay?”  
   
“Okay!”  
   
Armin detached the plastic part of the food processor. He walked over to the pot and poured the puréed tomatoes on top of the beef and veggies; it was a little chunky, which was the way he preferred it. “Now mix.”  
   
Eren did as he was told. “So why did you dry the rice?”  
   
“So it can suck up the tomato sauce.” Armin kissed his cheek. “Just mix until it starts bubbling, okay?”  
   
Eren nodded. He made sure everything was coated with the red sauce.  
   
Armin grabbed his measuring spoons and several spices. A quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper flakes for spice, half a tablespoon of cumin for that earthiness, a tablespoon of salt because the tomatoes would need it, and a tablespoon and a half of chili powder. “Mix.”  
   
“Sir, yes, Sir.”  
   
Armin snickered. “You’re a good man servant.”  
   
Eren was about to reply—  
   
But Hanji screamed again.  
   
They waited until they heard the signal that everything was fine, which so happened to be Commander Deception’s chuckle that healed the rivers of time and washed away all sorrow.  
   
“It’s bubbling.”  
   
Armin grabbed the pot of rice and dumped it in. “Mix.”  
   
“Mhm.” Eren had to break the rice up a bit before he mixed it up. The rice quickly sucked in the juice of the tomato and he stirred. “So now it’s like… fried rice?”  
   
“Yeah, chili fried rice.” Armin bumped his hip against Eren’s. “And it’s going to taste amazing.”  
   
Eren smiled. “I don’t doubt that. You really can do anything, huh?”  
   
“Disasters always happen in the kitchen, Eren.” Armin chuckled. “It’s just about knowing what to do and being creative enough to salvage what you can.”  
   
Eren nodded. “I think if I develop that skill I can be a good chef; otherwise I’ll burn everything.”  
   
“But you’ll always be better than Levi.”  
   
“Always,” Eren agreed.  
   
They both snickered.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Dinner was served. Dinner was devoured. The dry rice had soaked up all the juices, making it soft and flavourful. It was just like Armin said and Eren made a mental note never— _never_ —to doubt Armin ever again.  
   
Levi, Erwin, and Hanji eventually moved to the living room. Erwin and Hanji sat on one couch, while Levi sat on the other. Eren entered the room and took a seat next to Levi.  
   
Levi hooked an arm around him and smiled. “What is it, pet?”  
   
Eren smiled wide and scratched the back of his head. “Can I get you something to drink, Sir? Everything good?”  
   
“Water. For the three of us.”  
   
Eren nodded and got up.  
   
Erwin watched him leave and then smirked. “He’s quite obedient. He doesn’t make a fuss, does he?”  
   
“No. I don’t fucking deserve him,” Levi muttered more to himself than to Erwin. “He’s bloody perfect in some ways… He has flaws, many flaws. I still need to see if I can stamp out his flaws or not…”  
   
Hanji raised an eyebrow. “Wow. You’re actually considering a second contract with him?”  
   
“Maybe…” Levi’s face twisted. “He has a couple things about him that makes me want to kick him out, but…”  
   
“If they were incessant,” Erwin spoke softly, “He would have already been kicked out.”  
   
Levi shrugged. “You know what happens at the end of the fourth week, Erwin. That’s what matters. That’s what decides it all, of course.”  
   
Erwin nodded. “When is that?”  
   
“We signed our contract on the first, to the thirty-first, fucking convenient. So that means it starts on the twenty-eighth, until the thirty-first.”  
   
“Ooo.” Hanji wiggled in her seat. “It’s like the moment of truth during those three days, huh?”  
   
“Mhm.” Levi nodded slowly. “One thing at a time, though. We’ll get to it when we get to it.”  
   
“But…” Hanji tilted her head, brown hair with a red tint shifting slightly with the movement, “Does he know about what you’re going to do?”  
   
“Not yet, no.”  
   
“When are you going to break it to him?”  
   
“Hmm.” Levi bit his lip. “Probably end of the week.”  
   
Erwin nodded in approval.  
   
Eren came back in the room with four glasses of water.  
   
Levi quickly grabbed the coasters and put them on the table.  
   
“Thank you, Sir.” Eren placed them down. He was in between Hanji, Erwin and the coffee table when Hanji suddenly stood up and screamed. The scream was loud enough to make him jump and the next thing he knew he was tumbling and then two arms caught him.  
   
Hanji giggled. “I scared you!”  
   
Eren was about to say something when he realised just whose arms caught him.  
   
“Eren,” Commander Handsome said in a gentle voice, “Are you alright?”  
   
Eren realised he had fallen right into Erwin’s lap and his cheeks turned red. “Y-Yes, Commander.”  
   
Levi groaned. “Stop fucking calling him that!”  
   
Erwin smiled. “I rather like it.” He leaned in and brought his lips to Eren’s ear. “Would you take orders from your commanding officer?”  
   
Eren shivered and he bit his lip. “Sir, yes—Sir!”  
   
“No,” Levi corrected, “No you won’t.”  
   
Eren stood up. “Sorry Commander.” He walked over to Levi and took a seat.  
   
Levi hooked his arm around him once again and pulled him in, very territorial over his sub. “Good fucking boy.”  
   
Eren smiled and kissed his cheek.  
   
Levi smirked. “You’re a good pet.”  
   
“Thank you, Sir.”  
   
Levi turned to Hanji and Erwin. “When the fuck are you two leaving? I want to enjoy my night, you know.”  
   
Hanji crossed her legs. “You’re so bossy. What a good friend.”  
   
“Excellent host,” Erwin muttered as he sipped his water.  
   
“Fuck you.” Levi frowned. “You’re not funny.”  
   
Erwin glanced to the side. “Your wolf pup finds us funny.”  
   
Levi turned to see Eren doing his best to hold in laughter. “I’m going to smack you so hard.”  
   
“I’m sorry, Sir! I have a bad sense of humour, Sir!”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Since Levi had picked them up, he had to drop them off. In the dark of the night, he drove across the red bridge separating municipalities. He turned right at the end and drove until he got to Hanji’s house. He noticed Erwin’s car and was comforted. That meant he could drop them both off at the same time. He pulled over to the side and turned off the engine before glancing to Erwin in the passenger seat. “Get the fuck out.”  
   
“Sheesh!” Hanji whined. “Give us a proper goodbye.”  
   
“Fine.” Levi opened the door and stepped out. He closed the door softly and watched Hanji wrap her arms around him. Levi took a deep breath before he returned the embrace.  
   
“Erwin,” Hanji whispered, “He’s hugging me.”  
   
“I always hug you, you shit.”  
   
“No but you’re really hugging me back this time.”  
   
Levi nuzzled her neck and closed his eyes. “Shut up. So what if I am?”  
   
Hanji pulled away from him and cupped his face.  
   
“Stop it four-eyes, I’m not a kid anymore.”  
   
“I know.” Hanji’s gaze was focused. “You’re more of an adult than me in a lot of ways… in every way. I’m just worried about you.”  
   
Levi frowned. “Why?”  
   
“Just… because how you are… now.”  
   
Levi’s frown softened. “What are you even on about? I’m better than ever.”  
   
“I know, Levi, I know.” Hanji sighed. “But that’s not always a good thing.”  
   
Levi swallowed hard.  
   
Hanji kissed his cheek. “I’m _always_ here for you. You know that, right?”  
   
“Enough, Hanji.”  
   
“No.” Hanji backed away a little.  
   
Erwin came in and scooped him up in one of his hugs.  
   
Levi felt his feet lift off the ground as he hugged him back. “She’s crazy.”  
   
“No she isn’t,” he corrected, putting Levi down. “I know what she means, and so do you.”  
   
Levi took a deep breath and looked away. “I know I’m the youngest one here, but you two never cease to make me feel like a child.”  
   
Erwin smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth.  
   
Levi turned his head and pecked him on the lips and felt a comfort from ages past.  
   
“I’m happy, Levi.” Erwin smiled. “But call us if you need us.”  
   
“Yeah…” He nodded and looked at his feet. “I know.”  
   
  
 

⁂

  
   
Levi’s car was an expensive model. He loved his car, really. Except for a few moments, moments where the lowest, quietest hum of the engine wasn’t enough to drown out the rest of the world. His fingers tapped against the smooth steering wheel. His steel blue eyes focused on the road ahead, on the red bridge he was driving over. He didn’t know why he was letting it all get to him, but he had to take deep breaths to calm himself down.  
   
He swallowed hard and kept driving.  
   
He had tried the radio earlier, but everything drove him crazy, and he couldn’t think of a playlist on his phone to plug in either.  
   
So he listened to the silence.  
   
And in the silence, little voices filtered in.  
   
 _“You’re right. Maybe it’ll win.”_ Levi could hear Hanji’s voice and Levi could hear the fear that laced every word from fifteen years ago; he could see her shaking arms and hands and eyes filled with confusion and worry. He remembered what it was like, to break down on the bathroom tiles and scream until his throat burned and could take no more. _“Maybe it’ll win today, maybe it’ll win tomorrow too… but, Levi… you are strong, and you have time—years ahead of you. There will come a time when you will win, and you’ll win forever.”_  
   
Levi breathed and focused on the road. He moved one hand off the wheel and brought it to his face, so he could use the sleeves by his wrist to dry the wetness in his eyes. “Why the fuck am I thinking about this? Fuck. Levi. Get yourself together, just fucking get yourself together.”  
   
He swallowed hard.  
   
“Stop thinking about it. Get yourself together.”


	21. The Third Week (5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Gonewithten for being the inspiration for this chapter.
> 
>  **Hold up!** BlaqMarquet drew [comic](http://blaqmarquet.tumblr.com/post/84392228284/remembrance123s-fic-tentative-bliss-is-really) of what is probably one of my favourite scenes. Please check it out and check out their blog!
> 
>  **Hold up!** Intruding drew [the cutest pic](http://lntruding.tumblr.com/post/83999160186/levis-kitten-and-puppy-love-each-other-very-much) of Puppy!Eren and Kitty!Armin. Check her out!
> 
>  **Hold up!** Lost-in-Pineberries drew a [short comic,](http://lost-in-pineberries.tumblr.com/post/84477117588/can-i-have-both) of Eren and Armin (be sure to click the images to see the hidden text~)! 
> 
> Please please please support these guys with likes and reblogs and check out their blogs too! 
> 
> By the way, since a couple people have asked, I track the tag “Fic: Tentative Bliss” on Tumblr. <3 
> 
> On my last note, this chapter is a bit of a breakthrough! We hit several landmarks: 200k words, 1,500 comments, 1,000 kudos, 200 bookmarks, and 25,000 hits! Holy shit… You guys are amazing. Honestly. I don’t even. I don’t know. When I found out I was just overwhelmed and I had to go leave and take a walk to calm down, XD. Thank you so much, everyone. Thank you… This, just, it means a lot to me. So please enjoy the chapter. <3

* * *

 

 

 _“Well… it’s not, bad, or anything, I mean… I guess we could still eat it.” Eren made a face as he looked for a good way to describe it. “I mean, when I look at it, it doesn’t make me want to gag or puke or anything that bad, but…”  
   
“It makes me want to puke and gag,” Levi muttered with a sigh. He crossed his arms. “Disgrace.”  
   
Armin sat in a chair, looking at the other two towering over him. “I-I’m sorry, Sir… I’m sorry, Eren… I just, I wanted to try something new, so, I thought, maybe, it was, like, worth the shot?”  
   
“Excuses.” Levi rolled his eyes. “If you can’t make a meal, Armin, just don’t fucking make it. Why are you always pushing yourself to make all these international recipes if you’re just going to fuck up? You haven’t even travelled; you’re not cultured. Don’t bother. You’re not that great of a chef, you just follow videos you find online. Just, do what you know, and do it well, don’t branch out at my expense, brat.”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren laughed. “It’s pretty bad… I really don’t want to eat this. At all.”  
   
“No! It’s still…” Armin looked at the table, where the brown circle sizzled. “I can still… salvage, maybe, some of it… maybe…?”  
   
“No,” Levi corrected curtly. “No you can’t. It’s worthless, like you. You ruined dinner. You have one job, Arlert, and it’s food, fucking food, and you fucked it up alright. You fucked it so hard no one wants to fuck it again.”  
   
“I’m sorry!” Armin raised his voice, eyes brimming with tears. “Maybe I can’t be a perfect cook every single meal!”  
   
“Well,” Eren spoke up, “You’re not perfect, ever… We just kind of say it, because everyone knows how bad your confidence is. You fucked up pizza… Pizza’s like, a god, and you fucked it up. You defiled pizza, that’s like the biggest slap in the face to the inventor of pizza. That’s an insult to us, and an insult to you, and just, everyone… You defiled holy food. Maybe you should take other duties, and leave cooking to me or something.”  
   
“But!” Armin tried to yell but his voice was a meek whisper. He felt himself shrinking, becoming smaller and smaller and smaller. “But… it’s the only thing I’m good at.”  
   
“It’s what you’re best at, yes,” Levi agreed, “But that doesn’t mean you’re actually any good at it. Your ability to cook is mediocre at best… and the rest of your skills? Well, your sloppy blowjobs aren’t exactly that exciting either. Find another hobby, you shit stain.”  
   
“N-No…” Armin looked at Eren. “You said you like my cooking…”  
   
Eren pursed his lips and laughed. “Yeah, um, kinda? Levi told me say it. Honestly… I think Levi could probably cook better than you.”  
   
“No,” Armin whispered. “No…”  
   
Levi nodded. “Of course I can.”  
   
“No!”  
   
“Kitten, why don’t you find another Dom?”  
   
“No!” Armin flailed. “No!”_  
   
   
“No…” Armin muttered as he wiggled in the bed sheets, eyelids firmly shut as the corners were damp with tears. “No… no! No!” He thrust a hand out.  
   
“Ow!” Eren’s eyes snapped open as something smacked him in the face. He gave a strained groan as he wiggled away from Armin.  
   
“No…” Armin kept whispering, “No…” He shoved his other hand out in the same direction.  
   
Eren was once again smacked in the face.  
   
And again.  
   
And again.  
   
And again.  
   
And… Oh, no, that was it.  
   
Wait, no… and again.  
   
“Armin!”  
   
“No…”  
   
Smacked once again, Eren felt Armin’s fingers go up his nose and he wiggled away. He got out of the bed and rubbed his face. “Owwie…” He wiggled his nose and shook his head. He sighed and grabbed his phone, checking the time. It was still seven in the morning, so he considered just going back to bed but he could hear Armin tossing and turning.  
   
Eren watched for a moment.  
   
He wanted to grab his little blondie and hug him tight, but that would probably result in injury.  
   
Eren sighed and got up. He put his phone down and slipped out of the room.  
   
He walked across the hallway and went up the stairs, then crossed the hallway again.  
   
He opened the double doors at the end of the hall and peeked in.  
   
Levi was still asleep.  
   
He closed the door behind him, sure to be silent, and tippy toed across the furnished wooden floors. When he got to the bed, Eren dove under the sheets and wiggled up next to Levi.  
   
Levi’s eyes were shut, but one eyebrow went up.  
   
Eren rested his head on Levi’s chest and put an arm around his waist.  
   
Levi returned the gesture by putting one arm around Eren. He pushed his head into brown hair and took in the scent. “Pup?”  
   
“It’s okay, go back to sleep.”  
   
“Okay,” Levi muttered with a yawn.  
   
Eren looked up to his Dom and once he got the impression Levi was going to fall right back asleep, he closed his green eyes and leaned into him. Curious, he opened his eyes and looked at Levi’s face, noticing how relaxed it was. Eren smiled. That was a good thing, because when Levi had come back home from dropping off Erwin and Hanji, he… Eren smiled wider when he felt Levi pull him closer. “I thought you weren’t a cuddler, Sir.”  
   
“Don’t ruin the moment, brat.”  
   
Eren grinned and closed his eyes.  
   
Levi opened one eye and peered at the tuft of brown hair. “Why are you here?”  
   
“You don’t want me here?”  
   
“I don’t mind. I’m just surprised.”  
   
“Armin sort of… smacked me.”  
   
Levi opened his other eye and blinked. “Armin sort of smacked you?”  
   
“In his sleep.”  
   
Levi closed his eyes let out a laugh, airy and carefree.  
   
Eren grinned. “Shut up, it’s not funny.”  
   
“It totally is…” Levi kissed the top of Eren’s head and brought his other arm around the brunet. “I’m surprised Armin hit you. He stays perfectly still when he sleeps.”  
   
“Well…” Eren backed away a bit to look at Levi. “I think he was having a bad dream.”  
   
Levi paused and looked at him. “A bad dream?”  
   
Eren saw the worry swell in Levi’s eyes and for whatever reason he felt comforted by it. “Uh, yeah… But you’re not supposed to wake people from their nightmares, right?”  
   
“No, you’re not.” Levi nodded. “Unless they’re screaming in their sleep or something extreme.”  
   
“Yeah, he wasn’t that bad. So I just sort of came here instead?”  
   
“Hm. Okay.” Levi pulled Eren closer and closed his eyes. “We should get up if we’re up, though…”  
   
“No,” Eren whined. “I got smacked by Armin… I need attention.”  
   
Levi’s lips cracked into the smallest of smiles. “Fine.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“Okay, Eren. We should get up.”  
   
“Mmm… sounds so nice to meet me here please…”  
   
“Oy.” Levi nudged him. “Shit head, wake up.”  
   
“Hnnn…” Eren opened both eyes. “Huh?”  
   
“I don’t want to spend my day off sleeping,” Levi spoke with an amused smile. “Come on.”  
   
Eren sighed and pulled himself off Levi slowly. He stretched and made oddly sexual noises while he did it. “Fine, fine…” Day off. He suddenly smiled. “So, what are we doing today?”  
   
“I have a couple ideas,” he admitted. Levi got out of bed and stretched as well. “If you’d like to hear them, that is? It’s your day.”  
   
Eren’s lips curved downwards. “By ideas, you don’t mean your games, do you?”  
   
Levi let out a low laugh and he shook his head. He glanced over his shoulder to Eren for half a minute before looking out the window to the sunlight. “No, not any of my games… I thought we could go out. It looks like a nice day; it might be gay as fuck, but a picnic at the park sounds like a good idea.”  
   
Eren perked up. “Picnic?”  
   
“Mhm. It’s spring warm, not summer warm, so it’ll be warm without shitty insects.”  
   
“Sounds like fun!” Eren nodded about eight times. “I’ve never been on a picnic!”  
   
“Really?” Levi cocked his head to the side, cracking his neck. “They’re as good as the company and food you bring.”  
   
“Oh! Then Armin and I should get to work and make some picnic food to bring!”  
   
“That would be great.” Levi nodded. “But it’s your day off, too, so you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”  
   
Eren threw the bed sheets off of him and hopped out of the bed. He tackled Levi in a hug and rested his chin on Levi’s shoulders.  
   
“Oy. Pet. Off. Now.”  
   
Eren kissed Levi’s shoulder. “I don’t mind making picnic food.”  
   
Levi sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”  
   
“Smooch me?”  
   
Levi kissed his forehead.  
   
“Today’s going to be fun.” Eren grinned.  
   
Levi smiled as well. “Shower and breakfast first.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Levi did his routine scrub scrub scrub bitches and Eren felt cleaner than a Swiffer Bissel Steamboost Sweeper Mop, version two point o’. Eren had a towel wrapped around his waist when Levi pushed him to the centre of the room and told him to stay like an obedient mutt.  
   
Levi opened a drawer. “I went through your things again. I decided if we’re going out in public, I should make sure your clothes are semi-coordinated, so I stole a couple things.”  
   
Eren frowned. “I’m not that bad!”  
   
Levi looked over his shoulder and closed his eyes for half a second before opening them again. “Lying is bad for your soul, Eren.”  
   
“Shush!” Eren crossed his arms. “I’m not that bad! I can totally make good outfits.”  
   
Levi smiled as he turned around. To mirror Eren, he crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. “Very well… Go get dressed; if you can make an outfit that is acceptable _by my standards_ for public wear, I’ll take back what I said. If not, I am never trusting you again. Deal?”  
   
“Deal!”  
   
“Good boy. Don’t make me regret this.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
When Levi entered the kitchen, Armin was already sipping coffee. His hair was a mess that resembled a blond train wreck. He hadn’t showered yet and was still wearing his undies and shirt from yesterday. Levi took one look at him and actually felt bad. “Good morning, Kitten.”  
   
Armin chugged the rest of his drink and put his mug down. “Morning…”  
   
Levi crossed the distance and pulled the blond into a hug.  
   
Armin blinked, but nuzzled into Levi’s neck.  
   
Levi forced a smile. It felt strange, being so… close to another person. He hated it. But, if that was what his pet needed, then that was what he had to do. He backed away and tilted Armin’s chin up to get a better look at his face. His eyes looked rested, no redness, and there were no bags under his eyes either. “I heard you didn’t sleep well.”  
   
“No I didn’t…” Armin shook his head. “Not at all.”  
   
Levi leaned in and kissed his forehead.  
   
Armin smiled at that and closed his eyes.  
   
Levi slipped away from the blond and poured himself a cup of coffee. “We were thinking about having a picnic today, since the weather’s nice. Your thoughts?”  
   
“Picnic?” Armin blinked twice. “Sure. Where? The usual, I’m guessing?”  
   
“Mhm. It’s a weekday, so there won’t be many people around.”  
   
Armin nodded. “Sounds nice.”  
   
“Eren said the two of you should make some food for us to bring.”  
   
“No.”  
   
Levi paused and glanced at him.  
   
Armin shook his head. “No. I don’t want to.”  
   
Levi sipped his drink. “Something wrong?”  
   
“N-No…”  
   
“You’re a shitty liar.”  
   
“I know.” Armin smiled at that. “It was just part of my bad dream, don’t worry about it.”  
   
Levi sipped his drink again.  
   
“Well, it’s my day off too, right?”  
   
“Fair enough.” He put his mug down on the counter. “What should we do about food, then?”  
   
Armin was about to answer but,  
   
“Ta-da!” Eren shouted as he burst into the kitchen with jazz hands, fully dressed. He was wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans that hugged his ass and hips, tied together with a leather belt. He wore a grey shirt that said ‘PANTS’ on it in black text. He looked between the two of them and put his hands on his hips. “Who looks like a hot stud? Me. Right?”  
   
Both Armin and Levi turned to him.  
   
Levi sipped his drink.  
   
Armin chuckled at the shirt and shook his head.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “You put on a basic shirt and pants. That’s not what I would consider an outfit.”  
   
“Well, simple is best,” Eren said firmly. “Plus, it’s too hot out for a sweater. Or at least that’s what my weather app says.”  
   
“Don’t you…” Levi frowned. “Accessorise?”  
   
“Exercise?”  
   
“Accessorise. Like accessories. Necklace, chains, wristbands, rings…”  
   
“Well I’m going to exercise my right not to accessorise.” Eren then raised his right arm, showing off his leather collar wrist guard. “Plus, I got all I need right here, right?”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “Fine. You win. But bring a sweater in case the weather changes. It likes to do that. Unpredictable bitch,” he muttered into his coffee mug before putting it down again. “We were just discussing the food for the picnic. Armin doesn’t want to make anything.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren looked at Armin and pulled him into a hug.  
   
Armin was happily pulled into the hug.  
   
“Hm.” Eren thought about it as he rested his chin on Armin’s head. “What should we do then?”  
   
Levi shrugged.  
   
“Hmm.” Armin thought about it. “Oh!” His eyes lit up. “Why don’t we buy some sandwiches from Evoena?”  
   
“Ugh.” Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. “No. I’ve seen Erwin too many times in the past week.” Especially since their talk last night. “I’d rather not.”  
   
“He won’t have time to talk or be annoying if he’s working,” Armin reminded. “And that’s _if_ he’s working. He just got back so he’s probably going to take a couple more days off. You know how he is with time zones.”  
   
Levi grumbled something.  
   
“Plus, they can grill the sandwiches and everything. We can get those cute little boxes and they’ll stay hot until we need them. And they have really good coffee!”  
   
“I’m pretty sure you just want to see Jean again, Kitten.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks heated up and he shrugged, as much as he could with Eren’s embrace around him. “Well, I haven’t seen him in a while…”  
   
Levi sighed. “Fair enough… It sounds good. What do you think, Pup?”  
   
Eren blinked.  
   
Armin looked up to Eren.  
   
Eren shrugged. “I don’t even know what Eevee is, besides the Pokémon. Vaporeon all the way, though.”  
   
Armin chuckled.  
   
Levi snorted. “Evoena… a coffee shop at Central Mall, downtown. Erwin owns it.”  
   
Eren tilted his head. “Erwin? Who’s that?”  
   
Armin raised his voice, “Commander Handsome!”  
   
Levi groaned into the rifts of time as all semblance of reality was washed away and filled with the void of the nebulas.  
   
“I was kidding, geez.” Eren cackled. “Of course I know who Erwin is.”  
   
Levi shook his head and left.  
   
Armin giggled profusely.  
   
Eren smiled and smooched the top of Armin’s head. “At least you can appreciate me.”  
   
“Of course,” Armin said as he kissed the underside of Eren’s chin.  
   
“Good, let’s make something for breakfast.”  
   
Armin paled and pulled away. “Nah. Could we just have like cereal…? I need to shower and get ready anyway. We should do our chores, too. Got to get the paper out and dust before we go.”  
   
“Cereal’s fine.” Eren nodded. “I gotta do the laundry, too.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren had sorted all the clothes before he put them in the washing machine. He noticed almost everything that was Levi’s was dark. Armin had a couple bright colours, mostly shirts, but all his sweaters and pants were dark. Now that he thought about it, Armin usually wore a bright shirt with dark pants or a dark sweater overtop. Eren silently wondered if he was slowly clasping Armin’s fashion sense.  
   
Or maybe he was just grasping at the tips of it.  
   
He found his lucky underwear, red with yellow thunderbolts of sexual power, and threw them in the washing machine.  
   
Unbeknownst to Eren, he also grabbed Armin’s lucky underwear and threw that in as well.  
   
He noticed he had no fashion sense or any stylistic order to his own clothes as he threw them in.  
   
Eren closed the door, filled the thingy with the soap thing, and then hit the button to start the machine. He stretched and looked at the timer. He pet the machine. The washer took thirty minutes, and the dryer took fifteen. When he was with his parents, they took one hour each; and, when he was staying with Mikasa and Annie, they took two hours each. And of course if he was washing bed sheets he had to keep the dryer running.  
   
But Levi’s were state of the art.  
   
It was a problem free philosophy.  
   
Hakuna matat–  
   
_Pop._  
   
Eren blinked.  
   
Something popped, and it popped again.  
   
Eren turned to the machine and went on his tippy-toes to look through the door. Bubbles. He saw lots of white foamy bubbles, big bubbles, small bubbles, bubbles that looked rainbow in colour. Lots of bubbles. And they were multiplying.  
   
Eren screamed.  
   
Before his eyes, the washing machine had a magical transformation to Sailor Mercury and used her Bubble Blast ability: Bubbles shot out of the sides of the machine and spewed into the air.  
   
Eren flailed and screamed like a girl as the machine overflowed.  
   
Footsteps charged down the hall.  
   
Eren turned around in time to see Armin. He pointed at the problem and screamed, “The machine’s going bubbles!”  
   
Armin’s eyes widened and he stepped closer. He grabbed the door handle and tried to open it but it was firmly locked. He tried to turn off the machine with the buttons but it wouldn’t stop.  
   
Eren jumped up and down. “Levi’s going to kill me! What are we going to do?”  
   
Armin backed away and turned at him. He messed up his hair. “Think, think, think.”  
   
“How do we kill bubbles?”  
   
“Water? Towels?” Armin’s eyes widened. “I don’t know!”  
   
Eren sobbed as his life flashed before his eyes: He saw himself as a little toddler with his momma and papa, and then he remembered being in preschool with Mikasa—back when she used to be the loudest kid in the class who was friends with everyone—he even remembered the time he had to kiss Jean Kirstein because of a game of spin the bottle, and how his first kiss with a boy was so electric and right he had to masturbate five times that night before he could sleep—he remembered the fire that broke him and cracked his flesh and the memory of fire was washed away by the tears that brimmed Mikasa’s eyes, the tears that left her and never left her the same—He remembered his first boyfriend, having to go behind his parents back; he remembered how hard Carla and Grisha tried to be supportive, tried to understand, but they couldn’t accept; he remembered the rage, how he punched a wall in response, and his life continued: He remembered his shitty job as a server—he remembered his first Dom—he remembered seeing the cherry blossoms with Annie and Mikasa, a different Mikasa, and following the memory was the promise he made to his two partners: He remembered signing the contract with Levi, meeting Krista for the first time, baking a strawberry pie with Armin, phone sex with Levi, being forced to watch Levi fuck Armin and the desire to be between them, he remembered Lolfa and his first time with Levi, he remembered the game and his lesson on restraint and his first time with Armin and he remembered being swept off his feet with Erwin and he remembered being Levi’s puppy and he remembered photosynthesising with Hanji; and, as his life continued to flash before his eyes, he saw into the future. His funeral, Levi didn’t attend—couldn’t attend because of the shame of bubbles—and Armin crying, living with the guilt that neither of them could do anything to stop the onslaught that was Levi’s rage. He saw the cover of the casket close and he was lowered into the cold dark where the worms eventually ate into the wooden coffin and he was devoured from the inside out.  
   
But there was a sound that snapped him out of his two episode series special flashback arc.  
   
Armin dropped to the ground, amidst the sea of bubbles, and his tears fell; he sobbed, loud, broken, the sob of those who sob when they know their fellow submissive will be murdered for the sins of salvation.  
   
Eren dropped in front of him, the bubbles swarming. Tears fell from his eyes and he cupped Armin’s face.  
   
“I can’t think of anything,” Armin cried.  
   
“It’s okay.” Eren swallowed hard. “It’s _okay,”_ his voice cracked.  
   
“He’ll kill you.”  
   
“I know…” Eren kissed Armin. “But at least I have this moment with you.”  
   
Armin blubbered loud and pushed himself into Eren’s chest. “You’re too young to die.”  
   
“I must,” Eren reminded. “I must die.”  
   
Armin wailed into the storm of bubbles. “I don’t want you to go.”  
   
Eren squeezed him tight as the bubbles rose high enough to cover them both. Their tears mixed as their mewling and sobbing and whimpering and bawling all became one.  
   
“Pup? Kitten?”  
   
The two of them froze. They looked at each other. They were surrounded by white foamy bubbles but they didn’t have to ask to know whose voice that was.  
   
“Don’t go,” Armin whispered. “There must be another way.”  
   
“This…” Eren shook his head. “This is fate.” He stood up slowly.  
   
Armin stood with him.  
   
Levi was at the doorway and he chuckled as two heads popped out of a sea of white, soapy bubble crowns on the top of both of them. His steel blue eyes traced the path of one bubble that was in the air and watched it pop. Another bubble popped and soon the rest of them followed.  
   
Armin and Eren both looked around in confusion as the bubbles seemed to disappear one by one. They looked at each other and realised…  
   
Eren didn’t have to die.  
   
Armin kissed Eren and they cried into the kiss.  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. Bit by bit, the majority of the bubbles disappeared and Levi chuckled. He scooped some of the remaining bubbles. “Eren.” He tossed them.  
   
Eren turned just in time to ask ‘What?’ when a bunch of bubbles landed in his mouth. “Pluah!” He spat out the icky taste and wiggled away.  
   
Levi was amused how the two subs still had their bubble crowns. “Why didn’t you open the door?”  
   
“It wouldn’t open!” Armin explained.  
   
“You have to hit the orange button.”  
   
“Orange button?”  
   
Levi snickered.  
   
Armin pressed the orange button and then opened the door, stopping the cycle. “Where did all the bubbles go?”  
   
Levi scooped some more bubbles. “It’s a magic foam bar. It only lasts a couple minutes.”  
   
Armin’s eyes narrowed. “What?”  
   
Eren looked up. “Sir? Are… are you saying…?”  
   
Levi smirked and threw some bubbles at Armin’s chest.  
   
Armin screamed loudly. “ _You_ are _such_ a _child!”_  
   
Levi’s smirk faded.  
   
Armin realised his mistake.  
   
Levi walked over and grabbed Armin. He ignored Armin’s screaming as he used both hands to make the blond perfectly horizontal before trying to shove him in the washing machine.  
   
“No Master!” Armin’s hands shot out and pushed against the opening of the washer. “I’m sorry, Master! Don’t put me in the washing machine!”  
   
Levi shoved him in.  
   
Eren screamed and grabbed Armin, trying desperately to pull him out. “Levi, Sir! He said he was sorry, Sir!”  
   
Levi found it hard to push Armin forward with both of his subs working against him, but he was still on the winning side.  
   
Armin screamed as his head was slowly moving inside the washing machine; the echoes of his scream reverberated in the small metal space and he tried to push himself out.  
   
Eren closed his eyes and bared his teeth as he tugged with all his might and put one foot on the machine as he tried to pull back. “Sir! Please!”  
   
“I’m sorry, Master!”  
   
“Fine,” Levi muttered and let go.  
   
Armin was thrown in the opposite direction; he skid on the floor and toppled over backwards, doing a flip before he landed on his butt in a sitting position. He was breathing heavily and both hands clasped his shirt in disbelief.  
   
Eren flailed and ran over to him and kissed his cheek.  
   
Levi laughed.  
   
Armin glared.  
   
Eren pouted.  
   
Levi laughed some more. “You two are such idiots. I love fucking with you.”  
   
Armin grabbed onto his Eren and shook his head. “You’re horrible and mean.”  
   
“Yeah,” Levi agreed as he walked out of the room. He looked over his shoulder, “But you love it.”  
   
Armin grinned wider than he should have.  
   
Eren on the other hand just deflated and fell into the small amount of bubbles still left on the tiled floors.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
After that exhausting ordeal, the two of them finished their tasks for the day (which included re-washing the clothes) and got ready. Levi dressed up in a pair of leather shoes, dark burgundy slacks, a white shirt and thin black sweater. Eren noticed he was indeed accessorising, with a black ring on his thumb and a silver necklace that looked like a crown or something.  
   
Eren looked up the stairs and pouted. “What’s taking Arm-face so long.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “What did you call him?”  
   
Eren grinned. “Arm-face.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes, the smallest of smiles on his lips.  
   
“Sorry,” Armin said as he walked down the stairs. “How do I look?”  
   
Eren was already ready to say ‘Good’, but his jaw stopped moving.  
   
Hair tied back in a ponytail, Armin was wearing a white summer dress with a baby blue floral pattern. It was tighter at the waist and loose around his thighs and legs. He also wore the faintest hint of eyeliner. He wore several bracelets of woven thread, with peace signs and hearts, and he had a white purse to hold his phone and other things. “No comment?”  
   
“No,” Levi muttered. “Are we going soon?”  
   
Armin nodded. “Just let me get the basket.”  
   
“I already have it,” Levi said as he tapped the bamboo basket with his feet.  
   
“Great.”  
   
Eren stared at Armin some more. “Wow.”  
   
Armin looked at him and smiled. He did the twirly dress thing. “You like it?”  
   
“Y-Yeah…” Eren had never really been one to like cross-dressing, but maybe Armin could sway him on that. He swallowed hard. “Wow.” He turned to Levi. “Don’t you think he’s wow?”  
   
“No. It’s disgusting.” Levi irked. “Fucking Christ, Armin. I’ve bought you like four dresses and you have to go for the shitty floral pattern? If you wore a nice dress I might be wowed but this is the ugly one.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “But I like it!”  
   
“Well,” Levi shrugged, “Can’t argue with that… as long as you’re happy.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren took one look around and decided he liked it.  
   
As he expected, the air was heavy with the smell of freshly ground coffee beans, but there was a sweetness to the strong flavour that he enjoyed. He could smell cocoa as well and what smelled like fresh bread. He glanced to the display glass and saw an assortment of baguette sandwiches, croissants of all kinds. They had an assortment of tea bags on the counter as well, and his green eyes shifted to the board where all the coffee drinks were.  
   
That was when he noticed a bunch of white tea cups hung high as decoration along the back wall.  
   
It was pretty cute.  
   
A boy in his late teens smiled at them as he hurried to the cash register. Underneath the uniform apron was a flannel shirt that kind of made him look like a country bumpkin. He was cute, though, Eren noticed. Short hair, a little taller than Levi. His nametag read ‘Nifa’.  
   
Armin leaned on the counter. “Jean’s not working today?”  
   
“Not today,” he replied, “No. What can I get you guys?”  
   
“A lot,” Levi said curtly. “We’re looking to get three sandwiches heated, to go, and drinks.”  
   
“Sure thing.” Nifa nodded. “What were you looking to get?”  
   
“Iced Americano,” Levi replied, “No water. The shots will melt the ice.”  
   
“Oh.” Nifa smiled. “So you’re looking to get a ‘Levi’?”  
   
“I’m… sorry?”  
   
“A Levi,” Nifa repeated. “That’s what we call an iced Americano with no water.”  
   
Armin snorted.  
   
Levi’s right eye twitched.  
   
Eren snickered.  
   
Nifa looked between the three of them. “Sorry?”  
   
Levi’s steel eyes drifted away from Nifa to a tall man walking towards them. “A fucking Levi? You called it a Levi?”  
   
Erwin crossed his arms and smiled. “It needed a name that matched how bitter it was.”  
   
Armin covered his mouth with his hand though it did nothing to stop his laugh.  
   
Eren opened his mouth in a fake yawn to hide his smile.  
   
Levi just glared at the tall asshole. “Fuck you, Erwin.”  
   
Nifa looked up at him, helplessly confused.  
   
“Your drinks on the house.” Erwin smiled, eyes lingering over Armin for a moment. “Nifa, this is Levi.”  
   
Nifa understood everything and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Sir. And you two must be his subs?—Oh, no, both of your subs are guys, right?” His eyes lingered over Armin for a moment, noting the huge grin before he understood. “Oh.”  
   
Armin chuckled.  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow.  
   
“Nifa’s new to the community,” Erwin explained. His eyes scouted around to make sure no one was listening. Talking about weird fetish sex groups in coffee shops wasn’t always the greatest ideas. “He’s been around for a few months, but has yet to come to a munch.”  
   
Levi nodded. “You should.”  
   
Nifa smiled. “I’ll try. I wanted to come last time but I was working that evening.”  
   
Levi examined Nifa for a moment before looking to Armin. “Order.”  
   
“Oh.” The blond grinned. “I’ll have an Earl Grey latte, please?”  
   
Nifa nodded and punched it in. “Hot or cold?”  
   
“Hot, please.”  
   
Eren looked at the menu. “I’ll have the iced hazelnut and vanilla latte.”  
   
Nifa bobbed his head. “And you were also looking into sandwiches?”  
   
“Nifa,” Erwin said softly, “Could you get started on the drinks? I’ll take care of the sandwiches.”  
   
“Sure thing!”  
   
Levi watched Nifa walk off and then pursed his lips. “He’s the one?”  
   
Erwin nodded lightly. “He needed a job, so I figured I could keep an eye on him in case, you know.”  
   
Levi bit his lip as he watched Nifa out of the corner of his eye. “He’s out, right?”  
   
“Yes.” Erwin tapped the cash register to take the iced Americano off the bill. “His parents are supportive, which is rare, but that doesn’t mean everyone in the community will be.”  
   
Armin looked at them, “Sorry?”  
   
Levi glanced to him, then back at Erwin. “It’s not really my place to tell, is it?”  
   
Eren looked between them, rather curious. “Is it a secret?”  
   
“Not really,” Erwin kept his voice low. “Nifa’s very open about it. But I’d rather not talk behind his back.”  
   
Levi nodded. “As accepting as the community is, it’ll be hard for him to find an understanding Dom.”  
   
“But not impossible,” Erwin added.  
   
Levi’s eyes flicked up to meet his and he tilted his head.  
   
Erwin chuckled.  
   
Levi smirked. “Your own employee?”  
   
“Nothing’s happened yet,” Erwin clarified. “Plus… can you of all people condemn such a relationship?”  
   
That made Levi laugh.  
   
The two of them held eye contact as they remembered when…  
   
Levi smirked.  
   
Erwin chuckled. “What kind of sandwiches can I get you three?”  
   
“Arlert!” Armin shouted.  
   
“We’re out,” Erwin replied in a soft tone.  
   
Armin deflated.  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Arlert? Isn’t that your last name?”  
   
“Yeah,” Armin said with a smile. “Erwin needed something special to help his cafe stand out, so I made a sandwich recipe and it’s a hit.”  
   
“It’s usually sold out before noon,” Erwin admitted. “With a Starbucks and Tim Hortons opening on every corner, business can be tough.” He reached a hand out and cupped the side of Armin’s face. “I can always count on Armin though. I named the sandwich after him.” He glanced to Levi. “And now I have a Levi too.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.  
   
Eren grinned, but then pouted. “Hey, I’m the only one you don’t have!”  
   
Erwin chuckled and nodded. “Keep up the good work, cadet, and you’re bound to have something named after you.”  
   
Eren saluted. “Aye aye, Commander!”  
   
Levi groaned.  
   
Erwin smirked. “I like your shirt by the way, and your dress too Armin.”  
   
The two of them blushed in unison.  
   
“Thank you,” Eren dipped his head in respect, “Commander.”  
   
Levi groaned even louder.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“No more Erwin,” Levi decided as he drove them to the park.  
   
Eren, sitting in the front seat, only chuckled. He glanced up to the rear view mirror, seeing Armin smiling as he sat next to his basket. For whatever reason, mostly the pony tail, he kept staring at Armin. Armin’s face was almost always covered by his hair; and, while there were still many strands left loose, he could see more of the blond for the first time and he just couldn’t help but stare.  
   
Levi pulled over into a parking spot and turned off the engine. Undoing his seatbelt, he grabbed his keys and his iced coffee and eventually got out of the car.  
   
Eren and Armin did the same.  
   
Levi clicked the button on his keys and the car beeped and locked. He glanced around the parking lot, noticing how empty it was. “Wonderful. There won’t be many people.” He walked forward. “I fucking hate people.”  
   
Armin tugged at his skirt a bit and moved the basket to his left hand, the one with his drink, and hooked his right hand around Eren’s left arm.  
   
Eren sipped his drink, chuckled, and took another look at Armin. “Wow.”  
   
“Move it,” Levi growled as he turned around. “Do you want me to spank you?”  
   
“Yes,” they said in unison.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes.  
   
Eren followed quickly, Armin coming along with him.  
   
The three of them went down a small woody path before they came to an open green field. A gentle breeze tilted every blade of grass before they straightened again. With the sun hot and heavy, Armin laid the checkered red blanket under a tree and the three of them sat together. Armin sipped his drink and got two looks.  
   
Eren stared in utter disbelief. “How can you drink a hot drink on a day like this?”  
   
Armin shrugged with a smile. “I just like heat.”  
   
“Like his Satan’s ass showers,” Levi grumbled.  
   
Armin chuckled and opened up the top of his basket.  
   
Eren curiously peered over. “What’s in that?”  
   
“Everything,” Levi and Armin said at the same time.  
   
Eren glanced to Levi then back to Armin. “Can I take a look?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
Eren grabbed the bamboo basket and placed it in his lap. His eyes widened. He shifted around as he rummaged through it.  
   
There were the sandwiches, as well as three bottles of water, insect repellant, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, salt, pepper, extra napkins, wet wipes, plastic bags, bandages, Band-Aids, antibacterial ointment, plastic forks and knives and paper plates, and something that looked like speakers.  
   
Eren stared at it some more than back to Armin.  
   
Armin smiled wide and wiggled his knees. “Picnics are always in spring or summer, so the sunscreen is for that, and then there’s hand sanitizer and wet wipes so Levi doesn’t throw a fit, plastic bags to throw out trash, and then there’s food stuff, and yeah…”  
   
Eren pulled out the pink Hello Kitty band aids.  
   
“Well, never know when you’re going to need band aids.”  
   
“Hello Kitty?”  
   
“Levi bought them.”  
   
Eren looked at Levi.  
   
Levi shrugged. “Armin keeps hurting himself on picnics.”  
   
“You keep hurting yourself?”  
   
“A little.”  
   
Levi swirled the straw of his iced Americano. “Armin likes to show off how great he is at cartwheels and ends up falling over. It’s fun to watch.”  
   
“Well!” Armin frowned. “There were some kids doing cartwheels so Ymir told me to go join them, and I did a couple! I was pretty good!”  
   
“He was good at first, but it only lasted so long.”  
   
“Shut up!”  
   
Levi snickered and sipped his drink. “Would you believe me if I told you Armin’s packed four times as much before?”  
   
Eren blinked. “Why?”  
   
“It was a community munch, a meet up with food. It was sort of a potluck, but Armin spent three days putting enough food for a family of twenty.”  
   
Armin reached in his purse and pulled out his phone. He quickly tapped in the passcode and went to his photos app. After some scrolling, he tapped a picture and scooted next to Eren to show him.  
   
Eren whistled (or, well, tried to).  
   
There was a checkered table, which Eren assumed was the same cloth they were sitting on now, and on it were plates and plates of food. Skewers of pitted olives and feta with cucumbers and mint, ricotta bruschetta with basil and tomatoes on baguette bread, grilled eggplant rolls with herbs, breaded quinoa cakes over kale, lamb meatballs with yoghurt dip, böreks, spanakopita, cured meats, cheeses, roasted vegetables, olives, some bread, and two types of falafel, normal ones and some coloured red by being mixed with beets.  
   
“And… you made all of that?”  
   
“Yep!” Armin grinned. “I had to get Jean and Marco and Annie to help, but it was just so much fun!”  
   
Eren couldn’t help but grin too. “I like the Mediterranean theme you went for.”  
   
Armin’s grin turned wider. “You caught on, huh?”  
   
“Of course!” Eren smooched the corner of Armin’s mouth.  
   
“Mediterranean theme?” Levi tilted his head. “You went Mediterranean?”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Yes. Thanks for noticing.”  
   
“Not my forte.” Levi smirked as his eyes moved to Eren. “He’s wonderful, isn’t he?”  
   
Armin’s smile faded. “I am?”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “Of course you are.”  
   
“Really?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
Armin glanced to Eren.  
   
Eren smiled and hugged him tight. “Of course you are. Don’t be such a dork!”  
   
Armin leaned into Eren and said nothing.  
   
Eren frowned and looked at Levi, hoping to get some kind of answer.  
   
But Levi seemed equally as perplexed.  
   
Armin sighed. “I feel stupid, I just… I had this bad dream where I ruined dinner and you two kicked me out of the household… and told me I was a bad cook and, yeah…”  
   
“Oh my God,” Eren mumbled. “Didn’t I just say don’t be a dork?” He planted a kiss on Armin’s cheek and watched it flower into a crimson streak that went from one cheek to the other. “You’re awesome.”  
   
“I agree.” Levi slurped the last of his drink before putting it aside. “You’re an amazing chef. I wouldn’t lie to you. If I had the chance to call you shitty, I would, and I would enjoy it. You know that.”  
   
Armin smiled and kissed Eren fiercely before launching himself at Levi.  
   
“No! Off!”  
   
Armin wiggled on top of him.  
   
Eren chuckled. “Kiss him!”  
   
Armin brought his lips to Levi’s and felt his Dom surrender beneath him. He chuckled as he broke the kiss.  
   
Levi gave a small, lazy smile, and moved some of Armin’s hair out of his face.  
   
“Now,” Armin purred. He wiggled off of Levi. “You have to kiss Eren.”  
   
Levi sat up and made a ‘come here’ motion to Eren.  
   
Eren chuckled as he crawled on over.  
   
Levi cupped his chin and kept his pup steady as he slipped their mouths together.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren fell over.  
   
Levi laughed.  
   
Armin also fell over.  
   
Levi laughed again.  
   
As far as Levi was concerned, both Eren and Armin were failures when it came to cartwheels, though he did want to compliment them for their effort. He had opened a bottle of water and took small sips as he watched the two do their best.  
   
Eren tried to a handstand, but he lost balance and said hello to the ground with his face.  
   
Armin abstained from hand standing, because of the loose skirt on his dress, but he tried another cartwheel, only to topple over.  
   
Levi took another sip of water. The two of them eventually gave up and were walking towards him. “You’re finally back. How nice. You’re now covered in dirt. Are you two done being jungle animals?”  
   
Armin chuckled and wiped off his dress before taking his seat. “We could hear you laughing.”  
   
Eren nodded as he also took his seat. “We saw you smile!”  
   
Levi let out a low laugh and took another swig of water. “I guess I’m caught red handed.”  
   
“Yeah you are!” Eren and Armin shared a look before a smooch.  
   
Levi felt his lips tug upwards and he tried to hide it by taking another chug of his water.  
   
Armin’s tummy growled and he grabbed the baskets. “Okay, sandwich time!” He opened it up and handed each of them a brown little paper square.  
   
Eren was surprised to see it was still hot after all the time that had passed. He opened up his box and it came with some napkins. He glanced to see Armin’s grilled vegetarian Panini, which had eggplants, zucchini, red onions, tomatoes, red peppers, and large basil leaves. He saw Levi had a simple turkey and brie with a touch of pesto sauce. He looked down to see his and he grinned: It had peppered salami, turkey bacon, roast beef, prosciutto, mozzarella cheese and a slice of Swiss. It was only then he saw Levi staring at him. “Huh?”  
   
Levi shook his head. “Savage. It’s all meat.”  
   
“I like meat!”  
   
Levi tsk’d. “You should eat more veggies… I bet you were a fussy kid, a carnivore baby.”  
   
“Nope!” Eren laughed. “I was pretty much a vegan baby until I was like six?”  
   
Levi tilted his head in disbelief.  
   
“Well, my parents sort of snuck it in my food so I was able to digest it, but I was super fussy.”  
   
“Wow.” Levi took a bite of his sandwich and chewed slowly before swallowing. “Were you one of those kids that loved animals and couldn’t eat them?”  
   
“Nah, I didn’t give a fuck about animals,” Eren admitted. “I just didn’t like the texture of meat, or milk, or eggs. The whole idea was gross to me and I was convinced my parents were bad people for trying to make me eat it. And I called them liars when they said they liked it—Man, I was the fussiest, most stubborn piece of shit kid there was!”  
   
Armin chuckled. “So… did something happen that set you off, or?”  
   
“Nope.” Eren shrugged. “I remember, though, my mom would cook a meal and I wouldn’t touch the meat, so a couple times on the dinner table there would only be meat. But they were doctors with their balanced diet thingy, so I knew there was food elsewhere. So I would tip toe over to the sink and see either rice or pasta or veggies in a strainer, or I’d see pots on the stove, and sometimes they hid it in the refrigerator or a cupboard, anywhere.  I would just hold out until they got too frustrated and they gave me whatever else there was.”  
   
Levi listened carefully. “So… why didn’t they just let you go vegan?”  
   
Armin perked up. “Can kids go vegan?”  
   
“Yes…” Levi looked at him. “If you take care with the diet.”  
   
“But, like, aren’t there certain nutrients kids need that you can only get from animals or something?”  
   
“Nope,” Eren answered. “You can have healthy vegan kids, like I said my parents were both doctors and they made sure I drank fortified soy milk and everything. I think there is a B vitamin that only occurs in animals, but yeah they add it to soy milk or something like that, I don’t know. But it’s not a problem.”  
   
“Oh, okay.” Armin nodded. “I learned something today.”  
   
Eren chuckled.  
   
Armin grinned. “Sorry, I totally derailed Levi’s question.”  
   
Eren paused and looked at Levi. “What was Levi’s question?”  
   
“Why didn’t they let you go vegan?”  
   
“Oh. Well, ‘cause I did shit like that all the time? Three years I wouldn’t wear anything grey, even if it was a little stripe. For almost a year I would not say any word that had the letter ‘V’ in it. I would take this daily gummy bear multivitamins every day, but on Tuesday and Thursdays I  _had_ to take the sour gummies. I had to. If they offered me normal ones, I’d kick and scream and be the biggest little shit on this side of the planet. Yeah… I was a dick.”  
   
Levi snorted and shook his head. “Sounds like it.”  
   
“Bless your parents,” Armin said in a whisper.  
   
Eren cackled. “Yeah. And they also said something like… they didn’t want me to be a vegan unless I was ‘personally motivated’ to follow a ‘vegan lifestyle’… I just decided it was icky, I never cared if my candies were vegan—and I ate all the chocolate bars, all the junk food, just not anything that _looked_ like meat or milk or eggs or anything like that.”  
   
Armin raised an eyebrow. “When did you stop?” He took a bite of his sandwich.  
   
“One time, my mom made steak for dinner. And just steak. So I did the usual, walked around, checked the sink, the pots, fridge, everywhere… and she just sliced the steak in easy to eat pieces and waited. I kicked and screamed, but she held her ground. It was an epic battle, man. But, once I tasted that steak, just a little juicy bite…” Eren closed his eyes and let out a warm sigh. His green eyes opened and he looked at the meat galore sandwich in his hand. “Fifteen years later, here we are.” He took the biggest sandwich bite known to man.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“So,” Armin was nibbling on the last of his sandwich as he spoke, “What was that about that um… Nita guy?”  
   
“Nifa,” Eren corrected.  
   
“Yeah, Nifa.” Armin stared at Levi. “What was all that about?”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren nodded. “That was kinda weird. Is he like a bad guy or something?”  
   
“No,” Levi said firmly. “It’s quite the opposite. He’s trans: He was born female, but he identifies as male.”  
   
“Oh, I see,” Armin whispered.  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Cool, but what was with all that talk about keeping an eye on him and shit?”  
   
“Not really keeping an eye _on_ him… more… keeping an eye out _for_ him.” Levi pursed his lips. “Three or four years ago we had an incident where someone was  purposely misgendering someone else in the community. We’re a relatively good group when it comes to those things, but that doesn’t mean everyone is perfect. Hanji and Erwin just asked me to help keep an eye out for Nifa, make sure no one bothers him—I can be quite convincing when I’m mad, apparently.”  
   
“Oh yeah,” Armin agreed.  
   
Levi folded up his napkin and tossed it in the plastic bag. “The person who was misgendered three years ago left the community and never came back. A community I was a part of made them feel that way… It hits a little close to home, in some ways. I’m not trans, I never will be, that’s just not who I am, but when I was a kid, that fear of… Sorry. Forget it.”  
   
“No,” Eren whined and wiggled, “I’m curious, come on!”  
   
“I said forget it… Maybe another time,” Levi sighed. “What were we even talking about?”  
   
“Nifa,” Eren replied.  
   
“Right.” Levi nodded. “We try to make our community as accepting as possible, but no community is perfect. We’re better than others, for sure, though. Some don’t even accept switches, only Doms and subs. It’s ridiculous how close minded some communities are.”  
   
“Well,” Armin spoke up, “A lot of people get into BDSM because of porn… which is always unrealistic.”  
   
“Hn.” Eren made a face. “And the guys on porn communities.”  
   
Armin matched Eren’s face. “Yeah… and the chicks too. Everyone on porn sites, just… I don’t know. If all you’re doing in your spare time is surrounding yourself with those kinds of people… I mean, I’m sure there are some good porn communities out there, they’re just not the popular ones.”  
   
“I don’t really get porn communities,” Eren chuckled. “Like… I fap, then I’m done, right? Why do I want to talk to random people about it for hours and hours? Who wants to organise an orgy with those people anyway?”  
   
Armin shuddered. “Yeah… they’re just…”  
   
“Scum,” Levi muttered.  
   
Eren nodded. “And cum.”  
   
Levi stared at Eren.  
   
Eren stared at Levi.  
   
Levi stared at Eren.  
   
Eren stared at Levi.  
   
Levi stared at Eren.  
   
Eren stared at Levi.  
   
Levi stared at Eren.  
   
Eren stared at Levi.  
   
Levi stared at Eren.  
   
“Sorry,” Eren whispered.  
   
Armin burst into a gigglesnort.  
   
Levi frowned. “Don’t encourage him, Armin.”  
   
“It was funny!” Armin shook as laughter spilled out of his lips. “Scum, and cum!”  
   
Eren pointed at Levi’s face. “I think I see a smile!”  
   
“Shut up!” Levi denied it, wiping his lips with his hand.  
   
“He smiled!” Eren stood up. “I win!”  
   
“Brat…”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Since they were downtown and it was such a nice sunny day, they decided to walk around and look at some stores. Eren had Armin on one side, with Armin hugging his arm, while having Levi on the other.  
   
Levi pursed his lips. “I want to buy you something.”  
   
“Huh?” Eren turned his head.  
   
“Like a reward. For your loyalty.”  
   
“You don’t have to buy me something, Sir.”  
   
“Don’t be an asshole.” Levi glared. “I’m trying to be nice.”  
   
“You are nice, Sir!”  
   
“Asshole.”  
   
Armin laughed but decided to stay out of it for now.  
   
“Let me buy you something. We live in a materialistic society; and, whether focusing on material wealth is good thing or a bad thing aside, just indulge in how much I have for once. Isn’t there anything you want?”  
   
Eren thought about it. He looked up to the white fluffy clouds, begging them to take shapes of good ideas, but they failed him and had to go through three chapters of character development before Eren could talk to them again. He sighed. “I don’t know…”  
   
“Think, Pup.”  
   
“I am thinking!”  
   
“Think harder.”  
   
Eren perked up. “Oh! How about… cooking stuff, for Armin.”  
   
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose.  
   
Armin grinned. “Eren, if you can’t think of something now that’s okay.”  
   
Eren nodded. “I just have all I need right now.”  
   
“I guess you’re just too easy to please,” Levi muttered.  
   
“A smooch might be nice!”  
   
Levi looked at him.  
   
Eren looked around. “Maybe when we’re home.”  
   
Levi blew air out of his nose. “Fine.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“So, what are meet ups like?”  
   
They went to a cooking store they passed by. Armin had gone off to look at everything, leaving Eren and Levi to stare at weird metal objects and try to figure out their uses. The rod of zigzag, Eren found out, was actually a potato masher. Who would have known? Armin probably.  
   
“Sorry?” Levi put down something that looked way too much like a dildo to be in a cooking store. “What did you say?”  
   
Eren smiled. “I wanted to know what the meet ups, or munches, or whatever, are? For the community. I’m just imagining a bunch of whips and chains.”  
   
Levi smiled. “Meet ups are mostly innocent. Most of them are, at least. They… vary, I suppose.”  
   
“Vary?”  
   
“Well… The location of the meet up is important. If it’s at a fetish club, then people can go wild; everyone usually comes in leather, with collars, chains, whips, paddles, you name it they bring it, and all the Doms show off their subs. It’s great.” He smirked. “But if it’s not, then it’s more casual… Leather and chains and picnics clash a little.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Don’t want to look like a freak show?”  
   
“I could care less about that,” Levi admitted, “But our D.s. community, like all BDSM communities, are about consent. The general public never consented to see us dive deep into the private arrangements of our lifestyle in front of them and their kids. There are usually some collars, but everyday clothes and we make an attempt not to tarnish the repute of BDSM more than it already is. People think we’re freaks from shit-ville.”  
   
“Oh,” Eren said dumbly. “Okay. That makes sense.”  
   
“Good.”  
   
“Hey,” Armin spoke up as he joined them. He had a metal bowl in one hand and a measuring cup in another. “I’m going to go pay for a couple things then we can go, okay?”  
   
“Sure,” Levi nodded. He glanced to see no line up and crossed his arms. He figured they would be gone soon enough. “Meet ups and munches aren’t the same as play parties.”  
   
“Play parties?” Eren felt like he didn’t have to ask.  
   
“Cute name, right?” Levi smiled. “They can be anything, usually very private. That’s where we explore, talk about our bedroom life with others, and even trade subs.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren’s smile was tentative. “Knowing how overprotective of Armin you are… I mean, those must be kind of dangerous, though, right?”  
   
“Yes. But we have ways of ensuring safety. You don’t trust me?”  
   
“Of course I do, Sir.” Eren glanced to Armin, watching him enter the PIN number on the pad. He suddenly felt like someone was looking at him, staring at him. He looked to the side and his heart stopped.  
   
Dieter Arlert.  
   
“Eren?” Levi asked. His eyes followed Eren’s trail and his face bore a dangerous kind of neutrality.  
   
The shaggy blond hair and those blue eyes, baby blue just like Armin’s…  
   
Dieter quickly looked away.  
   
Levi let out a small breath. “We’re leaving. Now.”  
   
Eren nodded. He turned to grab Armin but the blond was walking up to them.  
   
Armin grinned and held up his plastic bag. “I’m done.”  
   
Eren didn’t even want to know what Dieter would think if he saw Armin in a floral dress. He grabbed Armin’s shoulder and twirled him around. “Levi just told me he wants donuts. Timmies?”  
   
Armin smiled wide. “Sure!”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
The smell of roasting coffee wasn’t as nice at Tim Hortons as it was at Erwin’s place, but Eren found it comforting nonetheless. He felt like he Matrix dodged eight bullets there. They were sitting at a small booth in the coffee shop. Eren was on one side, and across from was Levi with his arm around Armin’s shoulders, pulling him in rather protectively. The sight made Eren smile, but he felt Levi’s piercing blue eyes glared daggers at him and Eren’s smile slowly faded.  
   
Eren slowly sipped his iced cappuccino.  
   
Armin shoved another timbit, which were small munchkins/doughnut holes, in his mouth and smiled.  
   
“Those are all sugar,” Levi mumbled.  
   
“Don’t be jealous.” Armin smiled. “If they had strawberry ones you’d be all up inside them and you know it.”  
   
Levi smirked. “Fair enough.”  
   
But even with that smirk, Levi’s glare never left Eren.  
   
Eren grabbed a honey dip timbit and took a small bite. He suddenly felt like he did something wrong? He sipped his drink again.  
   
“Donuts were a pretty good idea,” Armin said thoughtfully, “But I’m glad we went for a pack of forty… I kind of wish they had bigger ones.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Yeah.”  
   
“We should go home.” Levi still stared at Eren. “It’s getting late.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
When they got home, they realised they didn’t really have food in the fridge. Armin could have made something with what they had but he wasn’t feeling up for it, so he asked for permission to order pizza. Levi didn’t seem to care, so Armin went off. That left Levi and Eren alone in the kitchen.  
   
Levi slammed Eren against the wall.  
   
“Fuck!” Eren whimpered.  
   
Levi’s hand scrunched up Eren’s collar.  
   
Eren’s green eyes widened and he stared into the ice cold fury swirling beneath those steel eyes. “S-Sir?” As much as he loved the fantasy of Levi slamming him into the wall, he could tell this was no fantasy and this was not in the same tone either. Eren half wondered if he was about to get kicked out of the house. “Sir?”  
   
Levi didn’t reply right away. He inspected Eren for a moment before leaning in. His voice was a razor blade, cutting through silence: “I’m sure you’re very much aware of how protective I am with my Armin.”  
   
“Y-Yes S-Sir.”  
   
“Good.” Levi squeezed Eren’s collar even more. “I want to trust you, Eren. You’re not making this fucking easy for me.”  
   
“Wh-What?” Eren swallowed hard. “S-Sir! I want to protect Armin too! You know that… I wouldn’t hurt him!”  
   
Levi’s fingers loosened.  
   
“What did I even do wrong, Sir?”  
   
“How did you recognise Dieter?”  
   
Eren took a small breath. “Huh?”  
   
Levi’s grip tightened. “Don’t play games with me, Eren. Have you met him before?”  
   
“N-No!”  
   
“Then how?” His words were laced with betrayal. “How did you know who he was? You’ve never met him, or perhaps you’re lying to me and you have. Dieter has a tendency to try and talk to my subs, I’ve warned you about this, and if he’s approached you that’s not your fault but hiding it from me–”  
   
“–I’m not hiding anything!” Eren sighed. “Look, it’s just, okay, you guys—you and Armin—sent me friend requests online, and I clicked on Armin’s profile and it said siblings so I clicked his link… It was before I knew he had such a problem with his family or anything, they just look alike so I was like yeah that’s got to be him and he was kinda staring at you so I figured…”  
   
Levi let go.  
   
Eren closed his eyes as he let out a breath. “Geez…” He rubbed his neck, green eyes opening again to look at his Dom.  
   
Levi stayed quiet.  
   
“I’m sorry, Sir.”  
   
“No.” Levi leaned in and kissed his cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sorry.”  
   
“Don’t be,” Eren whispered as he kissed the corner of Levi’s mouth.  
   
Levi closed his eyes. “I overreacted.”  
   
“You didn’t overreact.” Eren nuzzled his cheek. “You just… acted a little too quickly. I don’t blame you, though.”  
   
Levi shook his head. “And why’s that?”  
   
“Because… Well, look, I don’t know what happened with Dieter or anything, and a part of me doesn’t want to know what happened between Armin and his brother, but I have a feeling it was bad. And… I know Armin, he’s… I don’t even know how to say it. He’s smart enough to make the right choices, but he’s selfless and it’s almost dangerous. He takes care of me and you, but he’s not the best at taking care of himself… In fact, he’s kind of shit at it.”  
   
Levi laughed. “Armin’s an idiot.”  
   
Eren chuckled, “So am I.”  
   
Levi raised his head and opened his eyes. “And so am I,” he muttered, “Apparently.”  
   
“Great! We match!” Eren grabbed Levi’s face and smooched him on the lips.  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t protest. He kissed back, slowly.  
   
All the while, Armin had his back against the hallway wall leading to the kitchen. Having heard every word, both good and bad, he hugged his laptop close to his chest and let his eyes lower to the floor. Heat of anger and warmth of happiness both flashed red inside him at the same time and he let out a quiet breath. He tugged at the end of his blue summer dress and walked away from the kitchen, taking care in his steps not to make a single noise. He’d slip into another room and pretend he didn’t hear a thing.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“Pizza’s here,” Armin called out about half an hour later. He walked to the kitchen, noticing Eren had already set the table for three. He put down the two pizza boxes. He heard footsteps coming towards him and he didn’t notice he began to hum as he opened both boxes to see which was which.  
   
“Sweet!” Eren hugged him from behind and rested his chin on his shoulder.  
   
Armin smiled and ignored the twist in his stomach. “Eat while it’s hot.”  
   
Levi came down as well. “Which one’s which?”  
   
“This one’s the Greek,” Armin pointed to the top one, “And the one underneath is yours, Master.”  
   
Levi nodded and took his seat.  
   
Eren bounced into his chair.  
   
Armin opened both boxes to reveal the pizzas. The first one was a super thin crust pizza without any sauce but it had mozzarella cheese topped with black Kalamata olives, onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, and spinach.  
   
The second one looked more like a pizza: Hand tossed crust, a rose sauce, four cheese blend, topped with grilled turkey, red and green peppers, red and green onions, mushrooms, and a sprinkle of parmesan.  
   
Eren’s eyes widened. “Cool!” He grabbed one of the pizza box tops and lowered it to see the name of the restaurant. “Ooo, I’ve never heard of this one.”  
   
“It’s an Italian restaurant,” Levi explained. “We could order from Pizza Hut or Dominos, but when it comes to the same price, and both deliver, we might as well go for quality.”  
   
“The delivery guy recognised me,” Armin spoke up. “He liked my dress.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Who wouldn’t?”  
   
Armin took his seat but didn’t reply. He broke off the first slice of the Greek pizza and put it on his plate.  
   
Levi went for the grilled turkey pizza and Eren did the same.  
   
Eren took one bite and he moaned in heaven. “Oh my God, this is so good!”  
   
Levi smiled. “It’s my favourite.” Unlike the other two, he used a fork and knife to cut a small piece off and then sliced any cheese strings before taking a bite. He nodded in appreciation. “I hope you don’t mind, we ordered what we usually do. This one is my favourite, the other one is Armin’s.”  
   
“That’s fine,” Eren said with a big smile. “You guys are probably better at food than I am. My favourite is Hawaiian pizza, though.”  
   
Levi sneered. “Out.”  
   
“What?” Eren’s eyes widened.  
   
“Get out,” Levi ordered, “Or take it back.”  
   
“I take it back!”  
   
“Good.” Levi smiled. “Hawaiian is sacrilegious. Sweet pineapple being wasted on pizza, and to mix it with ham… It’s defiling pizza, a holy food.”  
   
Eren cackled and then turned to Armin. “So I guess you like veggies on your pizza, huh?”  
   
“When did you see Dieter?”  
   
They both paused.  
   
Armin’s blue eyes lifted from his untouched pizza to stare at Eren.  
   
Eren felt his mouth dry.  
   
“The cooking store,” Levi said gently. He cut another piece of his pizza before bringing it to his mouth, doing his best to pretend everything was roses and cinnamon and fine and dandy.  
   
“Oh.” Armin swallowed hard. His eyes seemed to shake as they moved to Levi. “What was he doing there?”  
   
“I think it was just chance.” Levi looked back at him. “He was staring at me.”  
   
“Oh.” Armin nodded. “Okay.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
The rest of dinner passed by, for the most part, quietly. Armin spoke little during the time, so Eren and Levi filled enough for three people. Eren could tell Armin wasn’t necessarily upset… he was just, a little, not peeved… Eren couldn’t find the right word for it and it frustrated. While Armin washed the dishes alone, as he insisted, Levi mentioned that Armin just needed a bit of time but everything would be fine in the end.  
   
Eren hoped that was true.  
   
After another half hour, they sat around in the living room.  
   
Levi sat across from his subs, pretending to be interested in answering emails while he watched the two from across the room. Eren had pulled Armin into his lap, and Armin didn’t seem to mind. Armin sat in between Eren’s legs, knees up, while he played on his handheld game system. Eren rested his head on Armin’s shoulder.  
   
“Ooooo, you lost your bonus,” Eren teased.  
   
Armin smiled. “Yeah, yeah, but ten battles and I’ll get it back. No biggy.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Bravely Default again?”  
   
“Mhm.”  
   
“How is it?”  
   
“It’s great!” Armin chuckled. “It’s a lot of fun.”  
   
Eren pursed his lips. “But did they have to make that girl a whore?”  
   
Armin paused and then glanced over his shoulder. “Which one?”  
   
“That chick,” Eren said as he tapped the party member wearing a hood, rags, and a shirt that exposed the midriff.  
   
“That’s Tiz.”  
   
“Yeah, they made her look like a whore.”  
   
“That’s a boy, Eren.”  
   
Eren leaned in closer. “Oh. Wow.”  
   
Levi raised his eyebrow. “The characters look like hookers?”  
   
“No!” Armin laughed. “He’s a thief right now, thieves just dress like that.”  
   
“Oh!” Eren nodded. “Okay, I see it now.”  
   
Armin was about to say something when the entire room flashed bright white for a split second. A crack of thunder soon followed.  
   
Eren screamed like a four year old girl.  
   
Levi blinked. “The fuck was that?”  
   
Armin wiggled out of Eren’s hold and put his handheld down. He began to pull off his dress.  
   
Levi got up. “Don’t you dare!”  
   
“You can’t stop me!” Armin threw the dress at Levi’s face before he ran out the backdoor in only his boxers.  
   
Another flash of lightning and crack of thunder followed.  
   
Eren screamed again.  
   
“Get three umbrellas, Pup.” Levi rolled his eyes. “Now.”  
   
“Yes Sir!” Eren bolted out of his seat and ran to the front entrance. He could only find two but he ran back. “Here! There was no third.”  
   
Levi took it and sighed. He walked to the back door and opened the umbrella.  
   
Eren did the same and stared into the garden.  
   
Armin had his eyes closed, facing the sky, arms at his side as he twirled.  
   
The rain surged down.  
   
He’d only been out for a couple seconds and he was already soaked; his tight white boxers were pretty much see-through. He stopped twirling. He took a deep breath. His skin prickled. He could feel each and every raindrop hit his skin. He could hear the sound of rushing water and the different sounds it made when it splashed against the pavement, as it turned soft against the grass, as it became louder against the pool.  
   
Armin opened his eyes and turned around to face the lit up blue pool.  
   
Each raindrop conjured thousands of ripples against the pool.  
   
It was exactly as his skin felt under the rain.  
   
Armin threw his head back, stared at the sky, and let out a carefree laugh.  
   
“Armin!” Eren called out.  
   
Armin turned towards them again. “It’s fun!”  
   
“You’ll get sick,” Levi reminded. “Don’t act like a child.”  
   
“I’m the child?” Armin swayed his hips left and right. “Do I need to remind you about the laundry this morning?”  
   
“Right now,” Levi said curtly, “You’re the child.”  
   
“Just, give me like ten minutes.”  
   
“No.”  
   
Eren walked over to the pool and held his umbrella over the blond. It made him get wet on the other side but he didn’t care too much about that.  
   
Armin danced away from Eren and did another twirl. “I just love the rain, okay?”  
   
Levi sighed. “Armin.”  
   
“Just one more minute, Master?”  
   
“No.”  
   
Eren walked over to Armin again and covered him with the umbrella.  
   
Armin looked up to Eren.  
   
Eren couldn’t help but laugh. The blond was pretty much naked, utterly soaked, and his fairy hair had flattened with the water. Eren tilted his head. “What happened to your ponytail?”  
   
Armin tapped the back of his head. “Must have come off.”  
   
“It’s okay. You’re still cute.”  
   
Armin grinned.  
   
“Eren,” Levi called out. “I’m getting a towel. Bring him inside.”  
   
“Okay Sir!”  
   
Armin shivered a little.  
   
Eren shook his head. “Come on, you moron. Let’s get you inside.”  
   
“It was worth it.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“Did he just say Pikachu?”  
   
Back in the living room, Armin was buried under eight towels. He shivering like a madman and grabbed another tissue. “Don’t laugh at me.”  
   
Eren grinned. “I’m not laughing.”  
   
“When I was a kid, I was convinced I was Pikachu and my brother was Raichu…” Armin rubbed his red nose. “So instead of saying ‘Achoo’ when I sneezed, I would say ‘Pika’ right before, and then I would say ‘Pikachu’ when I sneezed. And I’ve been doing it since I was like three? That’s when the show started airing, I think. Pretty much since then until now, so I can’t stop if I wanted t-to… Pika,” his whole body moved back, “‘Choo!”  
   
Eren laughed and handed Armin another tissue.  
   
Armin took it with a mumbled ‘thank you’ and rubbed his nose.  
   
Levi came into the room carrying a tray with three steaming mugs on it.  
   
Eren instantly got up. “Sir, let me, please!”  
   
Levi let Eren take the tray and he sat next to Armin. “You’re an idiot.”  
   
Armin looked at him and grinned. “Worth it.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes.  
   
Eren put the tray down. It was a drink with an opaque, paled honey amber colour. “What’s this?”  
   
“Herbal tea,” Levi explained. “I make it when someone gets a cold.”  
   
Eren looked at Armin. “Can we… trust him?”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Don’t worry; he follows a recipe Ymir gave him. She made sure it’s fool-proof.”  
   
Levi took the commentary with a grain of salt and crossed his legs.  
   
Eren chuckled. He handed one cup to Armin. “Drink up.”  
   
Armin grabbed the drink and nodded. He sipped it and made a pleased noise.  
   
Levi looked at him. “How is it?”  
   
“Good!”  
   
“Good,” Levi repeated, letting out a small sigh of relief.  
   
Eren grabbed a mug and offered it to Levi.  
   
Levi took it and sipped it.  
   
Eren grabbed it and stared at it. “What’s in it?”  
   
“Lemon, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, turmeric, cayenne, honey, and a lot of hot water.”  
   
Armin perked up. “Did you use raw honey?”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi nodded. “Not making that mistake again.”  
   
Eren sipped the drink and his eyes lit up. It was sweet and nice. The flavours mixed decently together. For medicine, it was pretty good. “What mistake?”  
   
Armin sniffled and took another sip. “When you pasteurise honey, it breaks down a lot of the good stuff, the enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and so on and so forth. Not all of them, of course, but raw honey is great for stopping colds.”  
   
“Oh, okay.” Eren nodded. “That’s pretty cool, actually. So if we can eat honey unpasteurised, why do people pasteurise it?”  
   
“Shelf life,” Levi muttered. “Honey has low moisture and high acidity, relatively speaking, so bacteria have a shit chance to grow there. But pasteurising reduces crystallisation, so it stays as a liquid longer.”  
   
“It’s also for kids,” Armin spoke up. “There are bits of yeast in unpasteurised honey, which are microscopic and aren’t a real problem for humans unless you have a little kid under two or three, I think?”  
   
Levi shrugged.  
   
Eren nodded. “Good to know.”  
   
Armin paused. “Pika… _choo!”_  
   
Eren smooched Armin’s cheek.  
   
“Don’t,” Levi warned. “You’ll get sick.”  
   
Eren pouted.  
   
Armin chuckled.  
   
“Pup, you’re in my bed tonight.”  
   
“Aww,” Armin half-joked.  
   
“Don’t get my puppy sick, Armin.”  
   
Eren scratched his nose. “I’ll cuddle you tomorrow when you get all better, I promise.”  
   
Armin nodded. “You better.”  
   
Eren smooched Armin’s cheek.  
   
Armin smooched back.  
   
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. “I _just_ said don’t get my puppy sick…”


	22. The Third Week (6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Hold up!** BlaqMarquet drew more fan-art, this time of [Chapter 17](http://blaqmarquet.tumblr.com/post/85891407289/read-the-awesome-remembrance123s-fic-here)! Be sure to check out their blog!
> 
>  **Hold up!** Hanatsuki89/Sorachan89 drew amazing [Fan-Art (Tumblr)](http://hanatsuki89.tumblr.com/post/85656045908/one-of-the-best-fics-ive-ever-read-bless-my) of Tentative Bliss too! Please check them out and support them both!
> 
> I've also listed all the fan-works at the [Tentative Bliss (Series)](http://archiveofourown.org/series/71739) page. Please, please, please support them. These artists and writers were inspired by me, so if my readers supported them, it would be like supporting me. It would mean a lot to me. 
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 

 

Armin was alright with sleeping alone, for the most part. Being the extreme introvert he was, he enjoyed the time he had for himself. It was time to relax, time to think, and time to reflect. He had spent about half an hour reading a book before he turned off the lights.   
  
Everything was going just fine, until a thought occurred to him.  
  
Everything was just going fine, until he realised Levi was an asshole.  
  
Not that that was anything new, but… anyway; while Armin wrapped himself in a bed sheet burrito, along with a pillow he was hugging (a pillow that smelled like Eren), his serene sleepy sweet moment was interrupted.  
  
“Fuck me harder, Sir!”  
  
For the most part, Levi’s house was sound proof. Levi had told Armin that it was designed to be that way when he was building the house. So if Armin was hearing Eren’s screams and moans and calls for more, it must have been because Levi purposely left the doors open. Levi was doing it on purpose. Like the asshole he was.  
  
Armin rolled over and ignored Eren’s booming voice. He smiled a little and shook his head. “Douchebag.”  
  
His phone beeped, buzzed, and lit up the whole room.  
  
Armin loosened the burrito and grabbed his phone. He raised both eyebrows.  
  
It was a picture of Eren, naked, hands tied behind his back, face into the bed sheets, ass in the air. Blindfolded. And smiling like a total fucking idiot.  
  
Armin bit his lip. He glanced down to the message Levi sent accompanying it, and he smiled.  
  
‘ _This culd be us but u playin (in the rain)_ ’  
  
Armin rolled his eyes. He looked at the picture again and tilted his head. In the picture, Levi’s hand grabbed the back of Eren’s neck. Levi had always been pale, almost sickly pale, but he was healthy. Eren on the other hand had a slight tan. It wasn’t that noticeable unless he compared him to Levi. Armin suddenly wondered what Eren’s ethnicity was. He figured German, because of his last name, Jaeger, but he couldn’t be sure if he was a hundred percent German. German did seem to fit the bill, but he wasn’t going to just assume he was right.  
  
Armin’s eyes scanned down the visible line of Eren’s spine and he imagined running his tongue over it, wondering what kind of sounds Eren would make. He glanced down to Eren’s ass and Armin moved a hand between his thighs. He wanted that ass.  
  
“Harder, Sir!”  
  
Armin glanced to the very bottom of the picture. It was from Levi’s point of view, so at the very end he saw Levi’s pair of jeans. Armin chuckled. “So Levi’s not even naked?” He figured the two of them were just being assholes.  
  
His suspicion was confirmed when Eren screamed again, but then just burst into a giggling fit.  
  
Armin rolled his eyes and closed his phone. He tossed it aside and huggled his pillow. He nuzzled into its softness and the smell of Eren carried him off to sleep.  
  


⁂

  
  
The night ended on a peaceful note, passing with slow ease, and the sun eventually rose, washing away all semblance of darkness with… as Levi described it, ‘its shitty fucking bright shitfuck glaring light’. Eren just chuckled and enjoyed being close to Levi, sharing a bed with Levi, taking in his smell and his touch and his sight and the sound of his breathing. Eren eventually opened his eyes to see Levi looking at him and he couldn’t help but smile.  
  
The two of them got up and Levi had to drag his mutt to the shower.  
  
But with the hot water raining down with them, the usual scrub scrub scrub bitches was interrupted.  
  
“Oh fuck,” Eren broke their kiss to whisper.  
  
Levi moved his mouth to Eren’s neck, ravaging it, claiming it with his mouth. His hand was stroking Eren’s cock quickly and he loved the feeling of Eren coming undone beneath him.  
  
“Oh fuck,” Eren repeated. His thighs quivered and he bit his lip.  
  
“You’ve been a good boy,” Levi spoke into his ear.  
  
Eren closed his eyes. “I’ve been a good boy?”  
  
“Mhm.” Levi felt Eren’s cock twitch in his hand and he smirked. He moved the foreskin back and pushed the pad of his thumb over the reddening head.  
  
“Clippers!”  
  
Levi chose not to comment.  
  
“It’s not fair,” Eren chuckled. He felt tingles race up and down his body and his toes curled.  
  
“I told you the first time I touched you. Handjobs are underrated.”  
  
Eren moved his arms around Levi’s neck and he closed his eyes. “Please Sir, please let me cum!”  
  
Levi smirked. “Such a good boy. Do you want to be my good boy?”  
  
“Yes Sir!”  
  
“Good, then cum.”  
  
Eren bit his lip and he shuddered, letting out a soft noise as he came.  
  
“Good boy. What do you say?”  
  
Eren kissed him roughly. “Thank you, Sir.”  
  
Levi smirked and kissed him back.  
  


⁂

  
  
After Eren returned their favour, they went back to painful scrubbing. Eren had to admit, he really did feel like a clean fairy princess. After being thrown a towel, he dried himself off. He watched Levi dry himself off as well, glancing to how gently Levi patted the area where his two scars were. He had to wonder, why so gentle? Did it hurt? Didn’t people lose sensation when they got scars? Or was it because of memory, or?  
  
They moved to Levi’s bedroom and the air was chilly in comparison. Eren felt his skin prickle with goose bumps, but it wasn’t too bad.  
  
Levi threw the towel on his bed and he walked over to a drawer. “Remember how I said I stole your clothes?”  
  
“Yes, I do, Sir.”  
  
“Good. Armin’s probably asleep, so let him sleep in today. I’ll pick out your clothes from here for today.”  
  
Eren nodded and glanced out the window. He saw the rain was still pounding on the windows, it hadn’t let up since last night, and he guessed it would stay that way for a while. How their city was covered in pelting rain and bright sunshine at the same time, he didn’t know. Weather really was an unpredictable bitch.  
  
“Catch.”  
  
“Huh?” Eren looked up in time for a green shirt, thin black hoodie, blue jeans, and green boxers all smacked his face and landed in his arms.  
  
“Put them on. Now.”  
  
Eren nodded and quickly slipped them on.  
  
Levi got dressed as well. He went for a dark red pair of pants and a loose fitting black t-shirt. When he was done he glanced at Eren and nodded. “Decent.” He turned back to the drawer and pulled out a necklace on a silver chain. “This is what I mean by accessorising.” He tossed it in the air.  
  
Eren yelped and ran to catch it. He barely did: The silver chain hooked on the end of his pinkie finger. Eren he sighed in relief and shook his head. He glanced to the necklace and his eyes widened. He grinned wide and turned to Levi. “It’s a dog tag!”  
  
“Mhm, it’s cute,” Levi said. ‘Like you,’ he left out. He watched Eren put it on then stared for almost a full minute before nodding. “I like it on you.”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren agreed as he looked at himself in the mirror. “It suits me.”  
  
“It does. Keep it. It’s yours.”  
  
“Awesome!” Eren grinned and grabbed the dog tag, running his thumb over it. He saw an engraving and brought it closer to his face. “It says ‘Levi’. So… was this yours?”  
  
“Mhm.” Levi closed the closet and shrugged. “I used to wear it every day, a long time ago. It doesn’t suit me anymore, so you can have it I guess.”  
  
Eren stared at it and smiled. “Thank you.”  
  
“Yeah. Whatever. Forget it.”  
  
“Um, Sir…” Eren almost hesitated looking up to Levi. “But I mean it… thank you, really.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “Really, really?” he snarled.  
  
Eren walked over to Levi and kissed his cheek.  
  


⁂

  
  
When Eren checked up on Armin, the blond was all wrapped up in a bed sheet burrito. He silently cackled in delight and tippy-toed his way in. He planted a soft kiss on Armin’s head and then left the room, closing the door silently behind him. He walked down the stairs and ran a hand through his hair as he stepped into the kitchen. “Arm’s still asleep.”  
  
Levi nodded as he put two plates down. “Let him sleep.”  
  
“Yeah, I figured…” Eren paused. “You made breakfast for me, Sir?”  
  
To Eren’s surprise, Levi had properly toasted toast.  
  
To Eren’s lack of surprise, Levi’s breakfast consisted of properly toasted toast and strawberry jam and that was it.  
  
“Well,” Levi smiled, quite proud of himself, “I figure I should give back every once in a while.”  
  
“Thank you so much, Sir.” Eren grinned wide and walked over to the table. He kissed Levi’s cheek and then took his usual seat.  
  
Levi sat across from him, so they were face to face, and then grabbed a piece of toast and used a knife to slowly spread the dark red strawberry jam over the warm bread.  
  
Eren did the same and nodded appreciatively as he bit into it. It wasn’t as kapow as Armin’s cooking, but it wasn’t bad. The hot bread and the cool sweet jam mixed well, crunchy and soft, sweet and savory, hot and cold. He put his piece of toast down and swallowed. “So, Sir, if you don’t mind me asking… why do you have such a huge fixation on strawberries anyway?”  
  
“Hm.” Levi looked up. He raised an eyebrow. “Well. I don’t know if there was one specific thing that set me off, well maybe there kind of was. I just loved the taste of strawberries. Most people do. Some don’t. That’s fine. More for me. But I grew up in a poor family, we didn’t have the money to have strawberries often but when we did it was great, and I would eat them all. I guess there’s also the element that they were… pink.”  
  
Eren tilted his head. “Pink?” He took another bite.  
  
“Technically strawberries are red, but the juices were always between pink and red, and whenever my mom would bake something with strawberries, it would come out pink.” Levi pursed his lips for a moment. “I told you, I came from a small homophobic town in the middle of buttfuck nowhere. In that shit of a town, I came from a house where a man liking another man was bad, and anything feminine for a man was bad, so a man liking pink was a bigger no than Santa Claus paying you fifteen bucks for a rimjob.”  
  
Eren coughed on his toast.  
  
Levi smirked, but the smirk faded away. “I guess… it was one of the few ways I got away with pink, I guess… my dad loved strawberries, my mom loved strawberries, everyone loves strawberries. It was one of the few acceptable ways to like something that… Anyway, yeah, you get the point.”  
  
Eren drank from his glass of water then put it down. “Wow, must have been tough…”  
  
“Not really.”  
  
Eren smiled. “You say that, but… I don’t know. My parents never cared if I played with dolls or whatever. When Mikasa and I were kids, I played with her toys all the time when I went over to her house, and she did the same with mine. Nobody ever cared about that kind of stuff… I just couldn’t imagine having to hide, everything…”  
  
“It wasn’t that hard. You learn to adapt.” Levi looked away. “That’s all there is to it.”  
  
Eren didn’t seem quite convinced.  
  
“But that’s over now. Don’t worry about it.” Levi smiled. “Now I can eat all the strawberries I want.”  
  
“Yeah… that’s kind of obvious.”  
  
Levi snorted.  
  


⁂

  
  
Hours passed by and Levi found himself in the living room, Eren’s head in his lap as he laced his hand through those dark brown strands of hair. “This is nice.”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren said with a smile. “It is.”  
  
Levi closed his eyes. “I was hoping for a rather boring day. I kind of want to do nothing today.”  
  
“Then we can do nothing all day, whatever you want, Sir, I just want to please you.”  
  
“Good boy.” Levi let out a soft sigh. “Armin’s such an idiot.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “He totally is… Does he always just go dance naked in thunderstorms?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“So this occurs pretty often?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Does he also get sick often?”  
  
“Every time.”  
  
“What a dork.”  
  
Levi snorted. He was about to say something, but the doorbell cut him off.  
  
Eren lifted himself up. “I’ll get it, Sir.”  
  
Levi swatted his ass.  
  
Eren yelped and turned around, giving a small pout before he burst into a grin. He skipped down the halls, energised by the spank. He made his way to the front entrance and looked through the foggy glass. He couldn’t tell who it was, but he could tell it was only one person. He grabbed the handle, turned, and opened the door.  
  
It was a guy, a few years older than him, taller, black hair, brown eyes, and with notable freckles.  
  
“Marco, right?”  
  
“Yeah!” Marco smiled. He was holding a Tupperware tub and he offered it to Eren. “I heard Armin was sick, so I brought him soup. It’s chicken noodle, all homemade!”  
  
Eren grinned and took it. “Awesome!”  
  
Marco scratched the back of his head. “I don’t know how you are with cooking, but Levi is… well, utterly useless.” He looked past Eren. “No offense, Sir.”  
  
“None taken,” Levi muttered. “Come in, please.”  
  
Marco stepped in and took his shoes off slowly. “I just figured, yeah… I took it on the liberty of myself to make food for you guys.”  
  
Levi did his best to hide his smile. “Thank you. Eren’s not bad at cooking though.”  
  
“I’m not that good either.” Eren chuckled and scratched his nose. “I’m good at taking orders, though!”  
  
“Yes,” Levi smiled. “He’s very good at taking orders.”  
  
Marco snickered and closed the door behind him. “Mind if I check on Armin?”  
  
“Of course not. This is your home too, you know that.”  
  
Marco just grinned and went up the stairs.  
  


⁂

  
  
“It’s lunch time,” Levi stated. “So warm up the soup. Plus, Armin’s probably going to want food.”  
  
“Mhm.” Eren put the tub down on the counter then grabbed a large pot and put it on the stove. He opened the top of the tub and poured it in the pot. After twisting the dial of the stove, he watched the blue fire puff underneath the pot. He turned it to medium, adjusting it a little more, until he was happy. There was the slight hum of the burner, but he didn’t mind it. He grabbed a ladle and gave the soup a stir.  
  
It took a little while, but the soup began to bubble.  
  
Eren lowered the heat and gave it another stir.  
  
Levi frowned. “You say you can’t cook, but you seem to be doing fine.”  
  
“Geez.” Eren shook his head. “Cooking and warming up food is totally different. My mom and dad both cook, but they work late so I had to warm up food a lot as a kid.”  
  
“Oh.” Levi frowned and crossed his arms. “I’m surprised you can do it so easily…”  
  
Eren chuckled and bit his lip to stop himself from laughing any more. A few more stirs and soon the whole kitchen was filled with the aroma of chicken and veggies, warm and savory. Eren’s mouth watered and he grinned. “It smells great, wow.”  
  
“It really does.”  
  
“Thanks!” Marco said as he stepped into the kitchen, carrying Armin in a piggy back ride.  
  
Armin, still in his blue pyjamas with white clouds, had his hair all messed up, usual bedhead hair, and he nuzzled into Marco’s neck. “Mornin’.”  
  
“Morning Sunshine!” Eren called out. “How are you feeling?”  
  
Levi tilted his head. “Better, I hope?”  
  
“Mhm. Yeah.” Armin yawned. “A lot better.”  
  
Marco smiled and looked over his shoulder. “You look so tired. How’d you get sick?”  
  
Levi snorted. “Thunderstorms.”  
  
“Aww.” Marco leaned his head back to kiss Armin’s cheek. “You big baby.”  
  
Armin snuggled into Marco. “I want food.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “Eren, set the table.”  
  
“Yes, Sir!” Eren quickly opened the cupboard and pulled out four bowls. He walked over to the table and set them.  
  
Marco, sans Armin, helped as he set the spoons.  
  
“Thanks.” Eren turned around. “What do you want for drinks?”  
  
Armin was now nuzzling into Levi’s neck. “Water.”  
  
Levi had an arm around his blond. “Coffee for me.”  
  
Marco perked up. “Coffee sounds nice!”  
  
“How do you take your coffee?”  
  
Levi smirked. “Up the ass like a schoolgirl-slash-headmaster adult roleplay, whining and crying like a little bitch.”  
  
Eren blinked. “What?”  
  
Marco pinched the bridge of his nose as he chuckled. “I take it half milk, lots and lots of sugar.” Marco offered a wry smile. “Like a little bitch.”  
  
Eren chuckled and walked over to the fridge. He pulled out the purple carton of milk and closed the door. He grabbed the pot of coffee (which Eren made all by himself for once) and two mugs. He poured two cups of coffee, both to their preferences, and then walked over to the table. “Here you go.”  
  
“Thank you,” Marco said in a sing-song voice.  
  
Levi took his mug without words.  
  
Eren then turned back to the kitchen and grabbed two glasses, filling them both with water, and heading back to the table. He offered one to Armin.  
  
Armin took it with a smile and mumbled something incoherent.  
  
Eren grinned. He noticed the pot was already on the table (and he assumed Marco did it) and he took a seat next to Levi, across from Armin. “Let’s eat.”  
  
The conversation died off as they began eating; properly simmered, the soup was rich with the flavour of carrots, celery, corn, peppers, and the chicken. The noodles were small and thin, making them easy to scoop up with a spoon.  
  
Levi looked up. “How’s Jean doing?”  
  
Marco looked up as well, matching Levi’s look. “Oh, he’s good, good. Keeping me from crying my face off again.”  
  
Levi snorted.  
  
Armin blinked. “Why would you cry your face off?”  
  
“I have to finalise my line up, and only have a few days left.”  
  
Armin pouted. He stared at Marco for at least a minute before he leaned in and smooched his cheek.  
  
Marco grinned and then kissed Armin’s cheek back.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes.  
  
Marco slurped another spoon of the soup and glanced to Armin. “You look like you’re feeling better already.”  
  
“Yeah.” Armin chuckled. “I just needed a good long sleep and some healthy food. I’ll be back in tip top shape in no time!”  
  
“I would hope so,” Levi said in a low voice, “You have duties I need you for.”  
  
“Naughty duties,” Marco added. There was a silence. “Sorry.”  
  
There were snickers all around.  
  


⁂

  
  
After their late lunch, Armin took a quick shower and came back properly dressed. The four of them moved to the living room and Armin happily claimed Marco’s lap as his place of refuge. Armin wiggled in Marco’s lap a bit and pouted. “I never see you anymore.”  
  
“We saw each other on girl’s night.”  
  
“That was a long time ago!”  
  
“Sorry,” Marco chuckled and leaned down to kiss Armin’s cheek.  
  
Armin turned at the last minute, catching Marco’s lips with his own.  
  
Marco broke the kiss with another chuckle. “Excuse you, calm down.”  
  
“Mmmm, nope.” Armin leaned in and caught Marco’s lips again.  
  
Marco closed his eyes and pulled Armin closer.  
  
Levi crossed his legs and smirked. “I love watching my subs enjoy each other.”  
  
Marco remembered there were other people and his freckled cheeks turned pink as he pulled away. “I’m not yours anymore, Sir.”  
  
“My house, my rules.”  
  
“Oh.” Marco smiled. “Is that how it is?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi glanced to the side. “Eren, give Armin a kiss.”  
  
“Yes, Sir!” Eren moved to the couch next to Armin and Marco. Armin instantly leaned in, and so did Eren. Their lips met for a small kiss before they both pulled away.  
  
Armin gave a coy smile. “Now you have to kiss Marco.”  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow.  
  
Marco tilted his head.  
  
Levi stared at them. “Do it.”  
  
Marco looked at Eren.  
  
Eren looked at Marco, and his cheeks began to warm.  
  
“Oh!” Armin grinned. “Eren’s blushing!”  
  
“Shut up!” Eren frowned. “Not my fault Marco’s cute…”  
  
Marco smiled wide and leaned in.  
  
Eren closed his eyes and took a quick breath before their lips met. His right hand clenched into a fist as butterflies fluttered around in his stomach.  
  
Marco pulled away and glanced to Armin. “Happy?”  
  
“Yeah. That was hot…”  
  
Eren chuckled and scratched his cheek. “So, Marco, your Dom doesn’t mind this kinda thing?”  
  
“Nope. Well, not with Levi’s subs. Jean and I have both subbed for Levi, for a couple months each. Plus.” He ruffled Armin’s hair. “With how often blondie here goes at it with Jean, it’s only fair.”  
  
Armin grinned.  
  
Marco turned back to Eren. “There’s not many… ‘traditional elements’ about our relationship, I guess, but Jean and I do have ground rules. We have things we’ve agreed on, what’s okay, what’s not okay, and we talk about it a lot. I mean we’re semi-open, but I can still cheat on him, and if I did he would be devastated, but we’ve just redefined what ‘cheating’ was for our relationship.”  
  
Eren nodded. “So Armin wouldn’t be cheating?”  
  
“Hmmm.” Marco wondered how to put it. “Think of it like this, it’s a group test, so Jean and I share our answers, and because it’s a group test we can also ask Armin and Levi, and Erwin, and some other people, for answers. But not everyone in the class is in our group. Does that make sense?”  
  
“Actually, yeah.”  
  
“Yeah, so we’ve just found something that we’re both comfortable with.”  
  
Eren smiled. “That’s good, as long as everyone’s happy, right?”  
  
“Yep!” Armin answered, and punctuated it with a kiss on Marco’s cheek.  
  
Levi snickered. “Adorable.”  
  
The three subs faced him.  
  
Levi switched which legs he had crossed and tilted his head. “How is your line up, Marco?”  
  
“I’ve never been religious…” Marco’s smile faded and he looked like he was about to cry. “But I’ve considered resorting to prayers, lots and lots of prayers.”  
  
Levi knew he shouldn’t have laughed, but a chuckle left his lips. “I’m sure it can’t be _that_ bad.”  
  
“No,” Marco admitted, “Not really. It’s actually a great line up, but it’s… It’s great, it’s not, you know, fantastic, or amazing, it’s just great. Only two months ago I finished my line up for Europe, so it’s pretty much the same thing to be honest. I just changed the bits of the design to fit in with the North American market, different cuts, fits, tightness in different areas, colours, I just swapped those to be in line with the current and upcoming fads here. It looks like a totally different set of clothes, too, so it’s like a quarter of the work for a whole different set.”  
  
“Yeah, but you finished your shit for Europe only two months ago. You’ve had one eighth of the time, too. You’ve been working like a dog for it.” Levi stared at him for a moment. “Your line up for Europe was near-perfect. What’s the issue with this one?”  
  
Marco took a deep breath, subconsciously hugging Armin tighter like a teddy bear. “There’s only one pair of pants, jeans, that I have left… I just, I need to find the right colour for it.”  
  
Levi smirked. “The green one?”  
  
“Yeah… I know it’s green, but I just, I can’t find what kind of green—You were right, green is frickin’ dangerous!”  
  
Levi glanced to Eren then motioned to him with a nudge of his chin.  
  
Marco frowned in confusion then glanced over to Eren. “Oh.”  
  
Eren looked left, then right. “Huh?”  
  
Armin tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Marco silently stared at Eren for a full minute. He eventually realised what he was doing and meeped. “Sorry! Would you mind if I took a picture of you?”  
  
“Uh, sure? Go ahead, I think?”  
  
Marco adjusted Armin so he was leaning on his left leg while he pulled out his phone from the pants pocket on his right side. He hit the button at the centre and the screen lit up. He quickly made his way to his camera app and raised it to Eren.  
  
Eren didn’t expect the phone to be shoved in his face, but Marie Antoinette didn’t expect to get executed.  
  
Marco took a picture and looked at it.  
  
“You’re welcome?”  
  
Armin leaned in and looked at it. “Oh, his eyes?”  
  
“Yeah,” Marco muttered.  
  
Levi smirked. “Green is a tricky colour to work with. They’re not like blue. Colours are attached to memory. When people see blue, they either think of the ocean or the sky, depending on the shade. It’s a safe colour, really. When people see green… it could be a green ocean, it could be money, baby puke, mucus, whatever the fuck they want to think. Green is a wild colour. You need to get the right green.”  
  
“Mhm,” Marco agreed. “I like your eyes, Eren.”  
  
Eren grinned. “Thanks.”  
  
“Forest green…” Marco paused and then leaned in towards Eren for a moment then backed away. “You smell like a forest, too. That’s a bit weird, but what I mean to say is you smell really nice.”  
  
“He does,” Armin agreed, “Doesn’t he?”  
  
“Yeah, he does.”  
  
“Awww, shucks,” Eren chuckled. “Thanks. I bought the bottle of body wash because it was green, no other reason though.”  
  
Armin smiled. “The bed sheets smell like him now, and it’s really nice.”  
  
“What?” Eren smiled. “No way, they totally smell like strawberries because of you, ‘Strawberry Splash’.”  
  
Armin laughed.  
  
“Well,” Marco interjected, “Most people can’t really smell themselves, so you’re probably taking in each other’s scent when you share a bed.”  
  
Armin suddenly got curious and smelled Marco. “You smell really fucking nice.”  
  
“Thanks,” Marco giggled (yes, giggled). “It’s all natural, no artificial scents.”  
  
Armin tilted his head. “Uhuh, really? Where’d you find it? The women’s section?”  
  
Marco laughed louder than he should have.  
  
“Oh my God, you did, didn’t you?”  
  
“Yeah,” he admitted. “It’s not overly feminine though, but they were out of my usual soap, and all the body washes I found for guys were all the manly crap so I tried to find something neutral, I guess. It’s a bit on the feminine side, but it mixes with my own natural manliness, so it kind of balances out, right?”  
  
Eren looked left then right, then looked at Marco. “Can I… smell you? Is that weird?”  
  
Levi clasped his hand over his face. “Only if you phrase it like that.”  
  
Marco held back a laugh but grinned. “Don’t worry about it, you can smell me.”  
  
Eren leaned in and inhaled: It was a smooth mix of berries, mostly blackberries, fruity, but there was a tartness to it. The scent was muskier than he expected. The aroma ended with a gentle wisp of vanilla; it was comforting, soothing, and it led Eren by the nose. The next thing he knew, his head was in the crook of Marco’s neck.  
  
Marco raised a hand and scratched Eren’s cheek. “Hi there.”  
  
Eren’s face burned and he bolted into Levi’s lap, as far away from Marco as he could get.  
  
Armin erupted in cackles.  
  
Marco blinked. “I’m sorry!”  
  
Levi slapped his hand over his face again. “How about we warm up some more soup for Armin?”  
  
Armin threw his head back as he kept laughing.  
  
Eren got up. “Great idea!”  
  


⁂

  
  
“Marco and Armin are really close, huh?”  
  
Levi glanced to Eren. “Very.” He looked away for a moment and grabbed their bowls. “To be honest, a part of me was… Well, I wasn’t heartbroken, but it was kind of a hit when Marco said he was thinking about leaving my house, and said he was looking into finding another Dom.”  
  
Eren pouted. “Wow, you were super close with Marco too, then?”  
  
“He stayed with me for four months. After…” Levi scrunched up his face. “I’m sure Armin’s told you, I had a whole house of people, Masters, Doms, subs, slaves… But after, an incident, with Dieter, I ended up with no one but Armin. Since then, most subs don’t make it past two weeks with me. And by most subs, I mean nine out of ten. There’s only been two subs that made it past the two months mark, Jean and Marco. Marco was with me for four months. Besides Armin, he’s been my closest sub in a way.”  
  
Eren looked at Levi and bit his lip. “Why did he leave, if I can ask?”  
  
“We just wanted different things. He was looking for a more… loose Dom. Perhaps he wanted something more, tender, I guess. He loved his time here, I have no doubt about it, it just wasn’t what he wanted, or needed.”  
  
Eren nodded. “So, are you, looking up to build a household again, like with Petra and Armin and others?”  
  
Levi curiously looked over to Eren. “How much has Armin told you, anyway?”  
  
“Uh…” Eren shrugged. “We just talk… he hasn’t really told me anything specific, but he said you had seven people at one point.”  
  
“Yes.” Levi nodded. “I was the Master, we had another Dom, three subs, one slave, and Armin who wasn’t involved in those activities.”  
  
“Do you want that? Again?”  
  
“Hm. That’s… a hard question. In some ways, it was… amazing. I was happy, happier than I ever have been, but there’s a simplicity to what I have now. I admit, waking up and knowing I have the both of you is…” Levi cleared his throat. “Anyway. I would love to have Marco still in this house, even Jean as a Dom. The five of us. It would be a dream, but… The two of them share something special, and it wouldn’t work out. Maybe it would, but I don’t know many people who would be fine with drastic changes that aren’t needed. That… doesn’t explain anything.”  
  
“No, no!” Eren kissed Levi’s cheek. “It totally does. Armin and I are here for you, always, you know that.”  
  
“I do.” Levi scratched the underside of Eren’s chin. “I’m lucky to have you.”  
  
Eren chuckled. He was about to say something but,  
  
“Oh fuck!” Marco said a little too loudly.  
  
Both of them paused.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes.  
  
Eren snickered. “I think those two are doing something naughty…” Levi didn’t deny it, so Eren figured he was right. “It’s kind of cool that Marco’s Dom doesn’t mind it, I guess. I’ve always been in either strict, ‘traditional’ (as Marco put it) relationships, or with Doms that were too territorial with me.”  
  
“Well, like Marco said, they have both served under me, but…” Levi smirked. “I don’t blame your Doms for being territorial with you.” There was a slight purr in Levi’s voice. “I know I am.”  
  
Eren grinned.  
  
“But I’m not too tight, either. I hope not, at least.” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “As much as I want you to myself, and only to myself, I know how much fun a little bit of wiggle room is for everyone. Maybe one day I’ll let Jean Dominate you. You’d be a good boy for him if I asked you to be, wouldn’t you?”  
  
“Of course. Anything for you, Sir.”  
  


⁂

  
  
With Eren and Armin being the dorks they were, there eventually (for whatever reason) ended up being another chase through the house. This time it was Eren chasing Armin. Flailing, cackling, and screaming ensued. Meanwhile, Levi and Marco sat in the living room, enjoying a peaceful cup of black tea together.  
  
“So…” Marco was actually surprised he managed a moment alone with Levi. He glanced to the entrance of the living room to make sure nobody would walk in on their talk. He glanced back to Levi. “Have you… I mean, did you, you know, break the news?”  
  
Levi looked up. “News?”  
  
“Uh, you know… about what you’re going to do at the end of the fourth week? You still do that with subs, right?”  
  
“Yeah, I do.” Levi sipped his tea then put the cup down. “No, I haven’t broken the news yet.”  
  
Marco tilted his head. “You are going to eventually, though, right?”  
  
“Of course. I have to. Can’t just… that would be rude as fuck.”  
  
Marco laughed quietly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But uh… Serious question, do you think Eren will last until the end of the contract?”  
  
“I believe so, yes.”  
  
Marco raised an eyebrow. “If you say so. When did you sign it?”  
  
“First, until the thirty first.”  
  
“Wow!” Marco whistled. “He’s been here like, twenty days?”  
  
“Nineteen.”  
  
“Yeah, but wow. That’s a while. More than most subs.”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Marco nodded. “So, when are you going to tell him?”  
  
“Monday.”  
  
“Monday… today’s, Saturday?”  
  
“That’s right. I’m giving him a week’s notice.”  
  
“Fair enough, I guess.” Marco sipped his tea and then put the cup down. “Another serious question… he’s wearing a dog tag. I didn’t really get to look at it but, the dog tag… that one is yours, right? The one Erwin gave you?”  
  
“Years and years ago, yeah.” Levi shrugged. “I don’t wear it anymore anyway. It’s trash.”  
  
Marco opened his mouth—  
  
“Don’t comment.”  
  
“Okay.” Marco grinned. “I won’t. But, anyway, back to the thing at the end of the month, I’m guessing Mikasa and Annie know in advance, right?”  
  
“Of course. Annie subbed for me.” He looked up. “They knew from the beginning. It’s only fair.”  
  
Marco nodded. “Yeah.”  
  


⁂

  
  
“You… you’re going?” Armin’s eyes turned into eddies as they brimmed with tears. “But why?”  
  
Marco chuckled and ruffled Armin’s hair. The four of them were standing at the front entrance as Marco put on his shoes. “Are you feeling better, though?”  
  
“Yeah,” Armin sighed. “I’m all better.”  
  
“Good! Well, I have to go cry over my line up since I’m running out of time.”  
  
Armin’s eyes widened. “Oh geez, now I feel guilty—I didn’t realise I was taking up your time!”  
  
“No, no!” Marco kissed his cheek. “It was Jean’s idea, actually, he told me I needed to get out of the house and have a bit of fun.”  
  
Levi smiled. “How are things with Jean?”  
  
“Uh…” Marco chuckled nervously. “Good, I think… To be honest I have no idea. He’s being really really supportive of me and I, for the most part, am totally ignoring him. It’s not that I want to, I just have to because I have so much work. He’s so understanding though… God, I love him to pieces. I kind of want to do something special for him after, but I don’t know. Can’t think of anything.”  
  
“Well.” Levi’s smile curled into a smirk. “You’re free to borrow Armin if need be.”  
  
Armin looked left and right. “Huh?”  
  
“Oh!” Marco’s eyes lit up. “That’s a good idea!”  
  
Armin tilted his head. “Still confused.”  
  
“Oh, well.” Marco’s cheeks reddened a bit. “I’m pretty sure you know Jean’s dream threesome is you and me.”  
  
Armin smirked and hopped up to kiss Marco on the corner of his mouth.  
  
Marco chuckled and turned to Levi. “Keep your kitten in line, would you?”  
  
Levi sighed. “Honestly… I can’t.”  
  
Armin giggled then turned to Marco. “Good luck.”  
  
Marco pulled him into a hug and squeezed him tight. “Thank you!”  
  
Armin made a happy noise into the hug. “Marco hugs are the best hugs.”  
  
Marco rolled his eyes and eventually pulled away. He turned to Levi and pulled him into a hug as well.  
  
Levi hugged back, making a strange, awkward, face as he did.  
  
Eren watched and thought back to when he met Hanji the first time, when Levi and Hanji hugged, the awkwardness Levi seemed to have. It was similar with Marco.  
  
Levi eventually pulled away. “Thank you for stopping by. And, thanks for the soup.”  
  
“Thank you for letting me come over, Sir.”  
  
Levi smirked.  
  
Marco realised he said ‘Sir’ and chuckled, “Oops. Old habits die hard.”  
  
“I don’t mind. You’re always welcome here: This is your home if you ever need it to be.”  
  
Marco smiled and leaned in, planting a small kiss on Levi’s cheek. He backed away and raised an eyebrow. “Wow. You didn’t flinch.”  
  
Levi scoffed. “I blame Eren.”  
  
“Yep.” Eren nodded. “I smooch his face a lot.”  
  
Marco laughed. “Smooch?”  
  
Levi made a face. “Disgusting word.”  
  
Marco turned to Eren. “So do I get a hug from you too?”  
  
“Of course!”  
  
Marco chuckled and hugged Eren tight.  
  
“Oh.”  
  
Marco raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Oh God, oh wow.” Eren swore his cells were turning into mush. He leaned into Marco and felt his thighs tremble. “Marco hugs are the best hugs.”  
  
Marco squeezed him tight and closed his eyes.  
  
“Teach me your secrets.”  
  
“I just hug, that’s all.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren closed his eyes and stayed in those pair of arms.  
  
Marco chuckled. “Can I go now?”  
  
“A little more. Please.”  
  
Marco laughed and held him tight. “Okay okay.” He pulled away.  
  
Eren opened his eyes and pouted.  
  
“Aww.” Marco tilted his head. “Look at him, he’s doing puppy dog eyes.” Marco couldn’t resist; he pulled Eren in for another hug.  
  
Eren soared into the heavens and smooched a deity… or something.  
  
“He’s like a puppy,” Marco said in a warm voice.  
  
“He actually is my Pup,” Levi muttered.  
  
Marco pulled away and ruffled Eren’s hair.  
  
“Arf!”  
  
Marco giggled. “He’s a cute doggy!”  
  
“Wolf pup, actually.” Levi smirked. “He’s got too much danger in his eyes to be a dog.”  
  
Marco smiled and hugged him tight again (hugged tight? Eren was pretty sure he was being hugged _right_ ). Marco eventually broke away. “I’ll see you guys around. Probably not for another two weeks, though, right?”  
  
Levi shrugged. “I hope we see each other before then.”  
  
“Two weeks?” Eren looked around.  
  
“Stupid thing,” Levi muttered. “Don’t worry about it.”  
  
Marco smiled at Armin. “You’ve got a date this year.”  
  
Armin smiles. “Yep.”  
  
Eren was hopelessly confused, but then he realised that was probably his usual state of mind.  
  


⁂

  
  
Back in the living room, Armin was pouting the pout of all pout-ville. He was clutching onto Eren and suffered the cruel passing of time, like a knife jammed into one’s knee, twisting slowly, like the ticking hands of a clock. No matter how much time had passed, his sorrow never faded. Armin closed his eyes and let out a pained noise. “I miss Marco.”  
  
“Dude, he left like two minutes ago.”  
  
Armin frowned at him. “It’s been like three years.”  
  
Eren just pet the blond and pulled him into a hug. “I miss him too.”  
  
“We should kidnap him.”  
  
“And learn his secrets of hugs.”  
  
“Yeah.” Armin raised a fist. “Fist pound.”  
  
Eren blinked. “What?”  
  
“Fist pound. Like when you pound fists.”  
  
“You mean… a fist bump?”  
  
“Yeah, same thing.”  
  
Eren laughed. “You loser, no it’s not.”  
  
“Yeah it is!”  
  
Eren messed up Armin’s fairy hair. “Stop trying to be cool. You’re not.”  
  
Armin pouted.  
  
Eren laughed a bit, but then he stopped.  
  
Armin’s lower lip wibbled.  
  
Eren tilted his head. “What is it?”  
  
“I wanna be cool…”  
  
Eren sputtered a bunch of words and squeezed Armin tight. “You’re totally cool!” He smooched Armin’s cheek.  
  
Armin blinked. “Really?”  
  
“Yes!” Eren kissed his nose.  
  


⁂

  
  
Marco stretched, watching the number at the top of the elevator door go up, one by one, until the doors opened. He stepped out and scratched his neck, taking a right. He walked down the halls and hummed a little tune. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and slipped them into the front door. When he turned them, he found the door was unlocked. He chuckled and pulled his keys out, then twisted the doorknob. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. “I’m home!”  
  
There was a crash.  
  
Several gunshots.  
  
Screams of civilians.  
  
Marco glanced to the television, watching Jean play some video game or another. He rolled his eyes and turned away. He walked into their kitchen and blinked. There was an open can of something and red lines all over the counter. Jean apparently cooked. Marco raised an eyebrow. He stepped closer to the pot that was on the stove and saw spaghetti with a meaty tomato sauce. He grabbed the spatula and poked at it a bit and inhaled the scent.  
  
It smelled like generic tomato sauce.  
  
Marco had a feeling it wouldn’t taste very impressive, but the fact that Jean actually attempted to make something was impressive. He looked to the side and grabbed the can. He didn’t know what he was expecting, because he was disappointed when he found out it was canned whole tomatoes. He turned around and walked over to their garbage bin. He stepped on the pedal, which opened the top, and he threw it out.  
  
The gunshots in the background ceased.  
  
Marco grabbed several pieces of paper towel, wetted them under the sink just enough to make them damp, then began wiping down the counter.  
  
“Holy fuck!”  
  
Marco jumped.  
  
“Fuck!” Jean screamed and clutched his heart. “When did you get home? Don’t sneak up on me like that! You scared me… shit!”  
  
Marco ran over and threw his arms around his neck. “Sorry! I said hey, but you were gaming.”  
  
Jean hugged him back and used it as an excuse to nuzzle into Marco’s neck. “Hmm, it’s okay. You’ll make it up to me.”  
  
“I always do.”  
  
“Always.”  
  
Marco pulled away just enough to kiss the corner of his mouth before he went back to wiping down the counters.  
  
“No!” Jean whined, “Don’t clean up my mess, I’ll do it!”  
  
“Nope!” Marco grinned and began cleaning faster.  
  
Jean grabbed several paper towels and began trying to clean more than Marco did, but there wasn’t much left when he got to it. It didn’t take them long, working together. Jean slipped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. “Marco.”  
  
“Don’t get snippy with me,” he laughed.  
  
Jean grinned and kissed his cheek. “So, how was Levi and Armin?”  
  
“Really good, surprisingly.” Marco nodded. “Usually this time of year he’s a big pissy pants, with the anniversary thing coming up, but he was really good.”  
  
“Did you meet his new sub?”  
  
Marco sighed warmly, “Yeah.”  
  
Jean raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”  
  
“He’s really cute.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Mhm.” Marco bit his lip, freckled cheeks turning pink. “He’s nice to look at… and his name is Eren. Like, wow, dreamy guy, dreamy name. And he’s funny, and cute. He’s a good guy.”  
  
“Sounds like a good guy…” Jean frowned. “Eren… I knew a guy named Eren. I hated him. I _hated_ him, man. Despised him. Total jerk wad… I really hope it’s not the same guy, though…”  
  
Marco reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I took a pic of him.” He moved so Jean could peer at his phone to, but when he got to his camera app: “Oh, I only took a picture of his eye.”  
  
“Pfft.”  
  
Marco laughed. “He’s got really nice eyes, though. Really nice. Pretty eyes.”  
  
“Yeah, can’t be the same guy. The Eren I knew had ugly eyes, and an ugly face, and an ugly everything, like damn. How can one person be so ugly?”  
  
“Then there’s no way it’s the same guy. I’d get in bed with Eren in a heartbeat.”  
  
Jean smirked. He figured if it was the same Eren, Mikasa would have told him anyway.  
  
“I think he’s a good match for Levi, though. There’s… chemistry there. Something, just yeah.”  
  
“How long has he been with Leevee?”  
  
“Don’t call him Leevee.”  
  
Jean snorted. “How long has he been with Levi?”  
  
“About twenty days, just under. Nineteen.”  
  
Jean whistled.  
  
Marco nodded. “I don’t know. I think he might have a chance, he really… He really connects with Levi, from what I saw, at least, and I mean I haven’t seen Levi like that with anyone besides myself or Armin, so. You know.”  
  
“Yeah.” Jean pursed his lips. “How is he with Armin, though?”  
  
“Armin… really liked him.” Marco chuckled. “It was all over his face. He’s happy there.”  
  
Jean nodded three or four times. “That’s good… Man, I haven’t seen Armin in forever.”  
  
“Hm, yeah,” Marco’s voice became teasing, “But we will see him in two weeks, though….”  
  
“Ugh!” Jean broke away and shoved both hands in his hair. “No! No no no no, no!”  
  
Marco rolled his eyes.  
  
“I’m not going!”  
  
“You are going!”  
  
“Nope! You can’t make me, Marco. You can’t do this to me!”  
  
“You. Are. Going.”  
  
Jean jumped and hugged his arm. “Do I have to?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
He groaned and dropped to the floor.  
  
Marco chuckled and walked over. He offered his hands.  
  
Jean took them both and Marco helped him get back up. “But why is it formal?” he whined, “Why can’t I just wear like every day street clothes?”  
  
Marco whapped the back of his head.  
  
Jean blubbered.  
  
Marco sighed and kissed it better. “Don’t be a little bitch, Jean.”  
  
“But I was _born_ a little bitch!”  
  
“You were not.”  
  
“Ask Mikasa!”  
  
Marco grinned and shook his head. “Come on, try to think of it this way… You get to see me all dressed up in a suit.”  
  
Jean paused.  
  
Marco waggled his eyebrows.  
  
“I am suddenly a lot more positive about this.”  
  
Marco took a deep breath. “You know that also means we have to get you a suit!”  
  
Jean dropped to the floor again.  
  
Marco sighed and walked away.  
  
“When is it, anyway?”  
  
“Not next Monday, the Monday after that is the big day.”  
  


⁂

  
  
After much reassurance, Eren eventually managed to convince Armin that he was cool, as cool as Marie Antoinette’s execution. The two of them were on the couch, Eren was on his back, Armin resting his head on Eren’s chest, Eren having his arm around Armin, Armin snuggling into him. The two of them stayed that way, mostly in silence, occasionally broken by a,  
  
“You’re the best,” Armin said.  
  
“Nope,” Eren corrected, “You are.”  
  
“Nuh uh.” Armin raised his head and kissed Eren’s chin. “You are.”  
  
“Nope!” Eren leaned his head forward and kissed Armin’s forehead. “You are!”  
  
Armin was about to give another predictable retort, but he saw his Master enter the room and he looked up.  
  
Levi stared at the two of them and shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Morons. Are you two done being useless? Make tea. Now.”  
  
Armin gave Eren one more kiss, chaste on the lips, before he got up. “Yes, Master.”  
  
Levi pointed at Eren. “Teach him to make tea.” Levi tilted his head. “Uncultured swine… what did you say when you got here? You didn’t want to be an old lady so I could kiss you?”  
  
Eren bolted up and flailed his arms. “You were supposed to forget that!”  
  
Armin raised an eyebrow. “What?”  
  
“Nothing!” Eren screamed.  
  
Levi chuckled. “You missed one of his earlier antics, on his first day was it?”  
  
Eren pouted. “How do you remember that?”  
  
“It’s only been two and a half weeks, Eren.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Really? Wow, it feels like I’ve been here… forever.”  
  
Armin smiled and took Eren’s hand and laughed, “Come on.”  
  
  
Back in Armin’s territory, the kitchen, Armin let go of Eren’s hand to turn on the kettle. He opened the cupboard and pulled out several tins. “How much do you know about tea?” He looked at Eren, but the blank expression told him all he needed to know. “Okay, well, there’s tea bags and loose leaf tea. Tea bags are basically leaves just chopped up to smaller pieces, or sometimes tea fannings.”  
  
“Is that like a fanny pack?”  
  
“No that’s not like a fanny pack.”  
  
“Oh, okay.”  
  
“Tea fannings are… Well, they basically just turn the tea leaf into dust. It increases surface area, makes it quicker to brew or steep, so they’re basically just less work, but you don’t get the full flavour.” He opened a black tin and shook it. He showed it to Eren.  
  
Eren stared at it. “It looks like a bunch of dead leaves.”  
  
Armin laughed. “They’re not dead, they’re dried; and, by the way, you’re supposed to smell it.”  
  
Eren leaned in and took in the scent. It was rich, and slightly floral, with a touch of citrus. He backed away. “Strong.”  
  
“Well the leaves are strong, of course. You only need a couple teaspoons.” Armin put the tin down. The kettle went off but he ignored it. “That was Earl Grey, it’s black tea blended with bergamot. Bergamot is a… fragrant orange, I guess you could say? No one really uses it for anything besides Earl Grey, so Earl is unique, slightly flowery.”  
  
“Flowery? I guess you could call him… Earl Gay.”  
  
Armin closed his eyes and let out a soft noise that echoed the disappointing truth that Marie Antoinette never actually said her infamous line, ‘Let them eat cake’.  
  
“Sorry.”  
  
Armin leaned over and kissed him. “But focus, okay? Leaves are usually the high quality stuff, too. I mean it’s cool to have bags too; they’re quicker, cheaper, if you’re just making a cup for yourself, might as well just use a bag. But leaves are awesome because they taste just… amazing, and you can even reuse the leaves three or four times.”  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Really? You can’t do that with bags?”  
  
“Some bags, yeah.” Armin shrugged. “But usually two is the limit, and if it’s tea fannings then almost all the flavour is extracted on the first cup. Anyway, ready for your next lesson?”  
  
“Uh… sure!”  
  
Armin chuckled. He grabbed a small box and put it down on the counter. He opened it up to show little mesh paper bags. “These things are awesome; you can basically make your own tea bags with these filters. So you scoop up a couple teaspoons,” he said as he grabbed his spoon and pushed in three teaspoons of the decaffeinated Earl Grey, “And ta-da.” He dropped the handmade tea bag in the teapot and then grabbed the kettle. “Now hot water.”  
  
“Right, you gotta sleep it.”  
  
“Steep it.”  
  
“Same thing.”  
  
“Sure is,” Armin chuckled. “Tea is… Tea is the second-most consumed drink in the world, only second to water, but North America is really late to the party. I mean we have a lot of tea, but there’s this almost negative British sense to it and it doesn’t make any sense because tea is produced all over the world.”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren scratched the back of his head. “My mom called tea an old lady’s drink.”  
  
Armin pouted. “I’m not an old lady, am I?”  
  
“I’ve never wanted to fuck an old lady before, so I’m going to say no you are not an old lady.”  
  
“My, my, my. Quite the charmer.”  
  
Eren snorted. “Okay so you poured water, now what?”  
  
“Now it has to steep.” Armin tapped the Pyrex teapot. “Every tea has its own steeping time. Here.” He put the lid on the tin and then lifted it. He tapped the side where it had ‘4 - 5’. “We steep it for four to five minutes.”  
  
Eren tilted his head. “What happens if we steep it longer? Do… we get more tea?”  
  
Armin chuckled and shook his head, blond hair flying every-which-where with the movement. “Nope. But it gets bitter. It depends on the tea, some teas can be oversteeped without really caring, but most of them get bitter or too strong. Plus, if you can take the leaves out you can get more flavour on your second batch.”  
  
Eren nodded. “So what do I do if I oversteep it by accident?”  
  
“Well, black teas aren’t really a problem. Most people have a bit of milk with their black tea, so just add a bit more milk and nobody knows the difference.” He flashed a smile. “Green tea can go really bitter, though. Some people get a huge massive big raging boner of anger about putting milk in green tea, but they need to calm down, I think.”  
  
“Wow.” Eren snickered. “For once it’s someone else that has a strong opinion on food.”  
  
Armin glared.  
  
Eren leaned in and smooched his face.  
  
Armin chuckled. “The time for steeping is usually on the tin, or box, or whatever it comes in. It depends on the blend. Flavoured teas usually take longer, but not always.”  
  
“Um,” Eren said. “What’s a flavoured tea?”  
  
“Oh, well…” Armin turned around and clasped Eren’s hands. “There are two real types of teas. True teas and herbal teas. True teas are black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong tea, and pu erh tea (sometimes called dark tea), and all five of those come from the same plant. It’s all about the process in turning the raw product into the tea blend that is different. Still with me?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“Herbal tea is pretty much anything that’s not tea. Some people group all herbals together, but most people separate them into three groups: Rooibos, mate, and herbal. Rooibos is a bush from South Africa, while mate is a South American herb, and then there’s just herbal teas. People separate them for different reasons. Rooibos is really unique in flavour and health effects, while mate is a stimulant, like coffee, so it’s usually kept very distant from other herbal teas. And then the rest of herbal teas are just herbs, almost always caffeine free. Got all that?”  
  
“I think?”  
  
“Pop quiz time, then!”  
  
“No.”  
  
“What are the two main categories of tea?”  
  
“I’m not doing this, Armin.”  
  
Armin frowned. “I’ll… give you a kiss for every right answer?”  
  
“True teas and herbal teas!”  
  
Armin let go of Eren’s hands and cupped his face. He pressed their lips together, feeling a little flutter inside him before he pulled away. “And what are true teas?”  
  
“They all come from… the same leaf?”  
  
Armin kissed him again. “And what’s the difference between black tea and green tea?”  
  
“Uh… process?”  
  
Another kiss. “What are the categories of herbal tea?”  
  
“Oh, um… Herbal, then uh… mattress and royalty.”  
  
Armin closed his eyes and chuckled. “Mate and rooibos.”  
  
“Mate, rooibos, mattress, it’s all the same.”  
  
“Nope, no kiss!”  
  
“Awww!” Eren deflated. “Next question!”  
  
“Hmm.” Armin tilted his head. “Which one is caffeinated?”  
  
“Oh uh! I know this… Mattress!”  
  
Armin pressed their lips together again, playfully nipping at Eren’s bottom lip. “Good. Now, on to flavoured teas. Flavoured teas are pretty much any tea that has other things added to it to flavour it. So if we added some rose petals to green tea, it would end up being a flavoured tea.”  
  
“Uhuh.” Eren nodded, paying extra attention for the quiz to come.  
  
“Technically all teas can be flavoured except herbal herbal teas, since herbal teas don’t have a base.”  
  
“Right. No base, can’t be flavoured.”  
  
“Now…” Armin tilted his head. “Why did we do this?”  
  
“For kisses?”  
  
Armin kissed him once more. “No, but, really… Why did we talk about flavoured teas? I… actually forgot.”  
  
“Oh. Ummm…” Eren looked at the teapot. “Steeping times.”  
  
“Oh shit!” Armin glanced to the clock on the stove and bit his lip. “Well that’s oversteeped.” He pulled the tea bag out of the teapot and put it on the designated large metal spoon by the stove. “Yeah this might be a bit too bitter…”  
  
“Just add more milk?”  
  
“Might be too bitter even for milk…”  
  
“Add sugar?”  
  
Armin scrunched up his face. “But Levi doesn’t like adding sweet stuff.”  
  
“Uh.” Eren scratched his nose. “He does if they’re strawberries, right?”  
  
“Yeah, but we don’t have strawberries left, Eren.”  
  
“We have… strawberry jam?”  
  
Armin turned to him and his eyes widened. He grabbed Eren’s face and kissed him harder than the living conditions poor people had to live under when Marie Antoinette was Queen of France and Navarre during her marriage to King Louis-Auguste XVI of France.  
  
Eren blinked several times but accepted the guillotine-tongue kiss.  
  
Armin eventually pulled away, left the French and his French kiss behind, and opened the fridge door. “You’re amazing, Eren.”  
  
Eren grinned. “I sure am.” He nodded. “Can you even put jam in tea?”  
  
“Russians do it, or at least they did it. To be honest I really know nothing about Russian culture, but I know at one point they added raspberry jam to their tea, mostly to fight off the common cold. I studied that in high school for whatever reason.” Armin grabbed the strawberry and closed the fridge door. He opened the top then grabbed a spoon. He scooped a tablespoon up. “Here we go.”  
  
“Isn’t that a bit too much?”  
  
“It’s for the whole pot,” Armin reminded. “It’ll be less than half a teaspoon per cup.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren nodded. “Right.”  
  


⁂

  
  
They found out Levi had gone to the T.V. room, so Eren brought the mugs and quickly put them on the coasters. Armin came in with the teapot and poured three cups. He ran back to get a little pitcher of milk and then added different amounts to everyone’s tea. When he took his seat, it was signal that the tea party was officially beginning.  
  
Eren took his and took a sip; the unique taste of Earl Grey turned to Earl Gay indeed with the power of pink strawberries.  
  
Armin sipped his as well, admiring the subtle tones mixing together.  
  
Levi took his mug and frowned. “It smells sweet.”  
  
Armin nodded.  
  
Levi looked at Eren.  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
Levi decided fuck it. He took a sip and then scowled. “It’s sweet, and it tastes like…” His brows shot up. He chugged his entire mug before placing it on the table. “More.”  
  
Armin chuckled and poured. “We have Eren to thank for the idea.”  
  
Levi made a ‘come here’ motion with two fingers.  
  
Eren bounced up and moved to his Dom’s side.  
  
Levi cupped his chin before kissing him softly.  
  
Eren smiled into the kiss as he wiggled.  
  
Levi pulled away. “You’re a good boy.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Where the hours went, Eren didn’t fucking know, but he was okay with that. The day passed by calmly and happily and it was exactly what Levi wanted. Eren had yawned a couple times and they moved to the den to watch some television. Eren leaned on Levi’s right side, while Armin had his head in Levi’s lap. Levi had one arm hooked around Eren and the other over Armin’s side. The show wasn’t exactly interesting, so Eren decided to just kiss Levi’s cheek instead.  
  
Levi blinked and glanced at him. “What was that for?”  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
Levi smiled and messed up Eren’s hair with his right hand.  
  
Armin chuckled and turned so he was looking up at them.  
  
Eren kissed Levi’s cheek again. “Anything I can do for you, Sir?”  
  
“Not right now, no.”  
  
“What about… tonight?”  
  
Levi gave a crooked smile. “I actually planned on taking Armin tonight.”  
  
Eren suddenly backed away, eyes wide. “Oh!”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow at that reaction.  
  
Armin blinked.  
  
“Sorry,” Eren said as he scratched the back of his head, “I just… I mean it _just_ occurred to me that for like the past twenty days I’ve always spent the night with Armin or you, Sir… I mean a couple times I haven’t, but…”  
  
Levi stared at him. “This isn’t a problem, is it?”  
  
“No! No!” Eren chuckled. “I guess, I just sort of realised I’ve been hogging both of you… I mean, it’s like uh, I just… It’s important for you two to have time with each other, so I just kind of realised you haven’t had that time lately, and I guess I want you guys to have that. That’s all.”  
  
Armin lifted himself up and turned towards him. “You’re sweet, you know that?”  
  
“Naw.”  
  
Levi fought back the urge to smile. “You won’t mind sleeping alone?”  
  
“I’ll be fine.” Eren nodded. “I mean I might get a little lonely, but if I get enough smooches tomorrow morning I’ll be A-Okay.”  
  
Armin leaned over and kissed him chastely.  
  
Eren grinned as Armin pulled away. He looked at Levi.  
  
Levi sighed. “Fine.” He leaned in to kiss Eren.  
  
Eren backed away and pouted. “If it’s such a chore, you don’t have to!”  
  
Levi actually laughed, his airy and carefree laugh.  
  
Eren swore his insides were now mush.  
  
Levi closed his eyes and leaned in. “You know I always want to kiss you.” He gave Eren a small, but gentle, kiss before he pulled away. “Thank you, for being understanding.”  
  
“No, no, it’s totally cool.” Eren smiled. “You two need each other too.”  
  
“Yes…” Levi looked for the right words but couldn’t think of anything.  
  
Armin seemed to somewhat understand what Levi wanted to say. “Levi and I wake up earlier than you do, so we spend time together then.”  
  
“Yeah, but you should also spend nights together. It’s important.”  
  
Levi scratched the underside of Eren’s chin. “Because of your contract, most of my time is spent on you. You and I only have a month to make a decision. But I can say I wish I had more time with my kitten, too.”  
  
Armin’s cheeks flushed.  
  
Levi kissed Eren’s cheek. “Thank you.”  
  
“I’m not even doing anything, Sir.”  
  
“Just, thank you, for…” Levi frowned. “Whatever. Thanking people is stupid.” He got up. “People are stupid. I’m going to bed. Join me later, Armin.”  
  
Eren watched him leave and he looked at Armin. “Huh?”  
  
Armin giggled. He made sure Levi was out of earshot before he looked at Eren again. “He’s thanking you for not making it about you, and he’s sort of thanking you for understanding, that this is important to us, I guess.”  
  
“But, yeah…” Eren spoke as though it was factually comparable to Marie Antoinette’s execution.  
  
Armin bit his lip and wiggled in his seat. “I know it might… appear to be common sense to you, and me, and Levi, even, but… there is a reason why most subs don’t last two weeks. All they want is kinky sex and attention and nothing else—and, to be fair—who doesn’t want kinky sex and attention, right? But, there’s more. There’s the household.”  
  
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I wish I could spend every night cuddling with you, but I know you need your Dom, too.”  
  
“Right, I need to serve my Dom, as well as fool around with his other subs. And our contract is, quite quite different from yours. So he can do all sorts of crazy things he can’t with you.”  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
Armin smiled and leaned in. He pushed their lips together.  
  
Eren pulled Armin close and softly bit down on Armin’s lower lip.  
  
Armin pulled away and yelped.  
  
Eren chuckled.  
  
He pouted.  
  
“I’m just surprised it’s not common sense to some people, though.”  
  
“Hm.” Armin looked to the side. “In some ways, I mean, this is practically a three-way relationship. The dynamic is a lot different than a normal three-way, I guess, not that I know what a normal three-way is like, but yeah. There’s the three-way element and the Dom and sub element, and not everyone can be a part of a three-way. It’s not for everyone. I… think that’s why Marco left. He was happy here, but he wanted to be the one and only for someone, and he wanted to have someone to be his one and only, someone to call his, and not in an ownership way, but just sort of… you know?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren nodded.  
  
“To be honest.” Armin swallowed hard. “The thing about three-ways is they sound great in theory, but sharing your partner with someone else, permanently… It’s not for everyone. It really isn’t. And, in the same way, the traditional couple relationship isn’t for everyone either.”  
  
“Yeah, people just have to find what’s right for them, gotta find what makes them happy.”  
  
“Exactly!”  
  
“So…”  
  
Armin tilted his head. “So?”  
  
“Well, um…” Eren looked at him and felt his cheeks warm. “Are you… happy with Levi and me?”  
  
Armin smiled and kissed his cheek. “Of course.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened. “Really?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
Eren kissed the corner of Armin’s mouth.  
  
Armin wiggled a bit. “So… are you happy with us?”  
  
“Of course!”  
  
He kissed the corner of Eren’s mouth. “I shouldn’t keep Levi waiting—I’ll see you tomorrow, ‘kay?”  
  
Eren nodded. “Night night!”  
  
Armin smiled. “Don’t let the Eren bite.”


	23. The Third Week (7)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Hold up!** I got [Fan-Art of Chapter 21 (Tumblr)](http://mydogiscuteashell.tumblr.com/post/86518051791/alright-so-i-read-this-awesome-fic-tentative) by Someone who has a very cute dog (the joke is their blog is my dog is cute as hell, XD)!
> 
> On another note! Two-Sided, the Ymir/Krista spin off, is now complete, so I will be able to divert more time into TB and hopefully hit the speed I had when I was writing before~! It's fifteen chapters, but with much shorter chapter. I know a lot of people got turned off by the idea of a yuri fic, and some people don't want to read it, and that's okay! I will say, though, you will learn a lot about Levi and some stuff about Armin, as well as everyone else in the community. It's littered with little tidbits of info. I like to think that one of TB's best traits is the community that I have spent a lot of time putting together, so if that appeals to you then I would say give it a chance. I do, however, also understand that if it's not your cup of tea than it's just not your cup of tea, and I respect that.
> 
> Anyway, yes, that is finished and completed, and now I will be able to focus solely on the main fic!

* * *

 

 

Marianne was silent; it was impossible for her to say what she did not feel, however trivial the occasion; and upon Elinor, therefore, the whole task of telling lies when politeness required it, always fell. She did her best when thus called on, by speaking of Lady Middleton with more warmth than she felt, though with far less than Miss Lucy.  
   
Oh shit, wrong story.  
   
Eren woke up, alone, in bed, and rubbed his face in an attempt to rub tiredness away.  He sat up and stretched. A night without Armin or Levi was a sad night, indeed, but on the bright side the bed smelled like Armin and that was always nice. He pulled the covers off of him and threw his legs over the side. He got up and reached for the stars, making a whiny noise before relaxing. He shook his limbs and then slipped off his undies.  
   
Heading into the bathroom, he glanced at the mirror. “Good morning, beautiful.” He gave himself a wave before taking off his collar and throwing it behind him. He turned to the shower. He reached in and twisted the knob to get the water running. After making sure it was hot, he hit the thingy that made the water come out of the shower head and wiggled in. He played with the knobs, adjusting the temperature a bit, before he dunked his head under the streaming water. He played with his hair, threading his fingers through the strands.  
   
“Ah,” he let out in a warm, happy tone. The heat ran over his muscles and he took the time of day just to enjoy the feeling of a shower fresh hot at the start of the day.  
   
Eventually, he lathered up with soap and shampoo, followed by conditioner, and rinsed it all off. He took his time, keeping his eyes happily closed.  
   
When he was done, he turned the knob to close the water and he got out. He grabbed his towel and patted his face twice before drying the rest of his body off.  
   
He walked back into his bedroom, throwing the towel on the bed, and it landed next to his collar.  
   
Eren glanced out the window.  
   
The sun was bright as fuck.  
   
He grabbed a pair of blue boxers, black shorts, and a dark green shirt. He put his collar back on and glanced at himself in the mirror. He nodded in appreciation. Eren turned to the bedside table and grabbed his phone. When he clicked the home button, the screen lit up and said ‘10:23 AM’. He bit his lip. “Oops.” He shoved his phone in his pocket and zipped out of his room.  
   
He whirled down the stairs, and popped into the kitchen.  
   
“Sorry I overslept a bit!” He offered a cheery smile, to no one apparently.  
   
The kitchen was empty, and there were no signs that it had been used in the past while either.  
   
Eren scratched the back of his head and ran his hand through his damp hair. “Hm. Must still be asleep.” He checked the coffee pot to be sure; and, sure enough, it was empty.  
   
Maybe he should make coffee?  
   
Eren wasn’t exactly confident in himself, but he figured why the hell not. Worst case scenario, Levi would spank him—actually, that was pretty much incentive.  
   
Eren walked into the pantry and found the coffee grinder and the coffee beans.  
   
Unlike when Armin taught him, he wasn’t using a French Press (which was not newspaper, by the way); this time he would be making a whole pot. More or less, he knew how to make a pot of coffee. He just needed to buzz buzz the beans and make the dusty thing and then put that in the cuppy thing filter magigy and then he would push the button and it would go bzzzzzzzttt and then awkward pause and then bubble bubble and kptchhhhh and then it would make another awkward pause, followed by a noise reminiscent of the destroyer of all things—then, bam! The heated water would go through the filter and kapow there was coffee.  
   
Science.  
   
Or magic.  
   
Either one was an acceptable conclusion.  
   
And so Eren attempted to reach science (or magic).  
   
He scooped up the coffee beans and put them in the grinder. He pressed the button, but nothing happened. It was then he realised he had to plug it in, so he did. Then he pressed the button.  
   
Buzz buzz stage complete.  
   
Dusty thing acquired.  
   
He opened up the coffee machine and found the filter (also known as cuppy thing filter magigy) was already cleaned and inserted, so he scooped up the dusty thing and put it in. He closed the ‘door’ of the coffee machine, glanced to the water level, figured it was good enough, so he pushed the button.  
   
The coffee machine went bzzzzzzzttt.  
   
A pregnant pause (more of an awkward pause, but pregnancy’s kinda awkward since women have like ten pounds in their expanded uterus) passed, and Eren took that time to appreciate the fact that he couldn’t get pregnant—then again, everyone should have taken that time to appreciate the fact that he couldn’t get pregnant. If Eren was pregnant, he’d be Mr. Road Rage 2.0. That wasn’t very good for communities, quite a danger to children.  
   
It was important to think about the children.  
   
The water bubble bubble’d.  
   
The coffee machine kptchhhhh’d.  
   
There was another awkward pause, but it wasn’t a pregnant pause, more like a ‘Wow I’m flattered you like me and all but your best friend has _nice tits,_ like wow!’ awkward pause.  
   
But before Eren could run away from his crush, the destroyer of all worlds kind of reminded everyone that it was a plot point that would eventually become important (spooky spooky spooky!), but no one seemed to care because the machine began pouring coffee into the pot.  
   
Eren took inhaled the smell, figured it was decent, and turned away from the pot.  
   
He made coffee and no one died.  
   
That was kind of worth a medal or something.  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

After making his way to the third floor, Eren opened the door to Levi’s room very quietly and popped his head through the crack, peeking in. He saw Levi and Armin buried under their bed sheets, so he closed the door and smiled. “So much for not being a cuddler, Sir.” He snickered to himself and stretched. He wondered what he should do. “Might as well get started on my chores…”  
   
Today was Sunday, so he just had his usual chores. Dust the house and sweep the outside. He usually did his dusting routine around dinner time, usually before or after, while Armin did it in the morning, but since Armin was asleep.  
   
Eren got to it.  
   
He did one floor at a time, only leaving Levi’s room exempt because the two were snoozing away. He was actually surprised the two of them were still asleep, so he decided to do more chores. Every Sunday Armin alternated between mopping and vacuuming. Today was a mopping day. Eren grabbed the mop, which was kind of like a Swiffer but some brand he had never heard of and Armin made mention that it was worth more than a human life. He was pretty sure that was an exaggeration, but when he saw how perfectly it cleaned the floors—with such little effort—Eren kind of wondered if the mop was the destroyer of worlds…  
   
Maybe he was on to something.  
   
When he finished that, those two were _still_ sleeping so he decided to sweep the outside. He put the mop back where it was supposed to be, put his shoes on, and walked out of the back door. He closed the glass sliding door behind him with a thud and picked up the broom. He swept away like a badass sweeping machine and then made his way around the large house to the front, where he swept some more.  
   
Eren paused.  
   
He picked up the newspaper (which was not French Press, by the way) and decided to bring it in. He walked to the front door, but just before he was about to grab the handle—it opened.  
   
Armin blinked at him.  
   
Eren blinked back.  
   
“Hi.”  
   
“Morning, buddy.” Eren leaned the broom against the wall and pulled Armin into a hug. He felt Armin happily melt against him and he grinned. He nuzzled into the blond fairy hair, feeling a slight dampness to it. He gave him a squeeze but,  
   
“Ouch!”  
   
 Eren slipped away and his eyes widened. “What’s wrong?”  
   
“N-Nothing…” Armin shrugged.  
   
Eren closed the door behind him and frowned.  
   
Armin chuckled and figured he wasn’t getting out of it easy. He tugged off his shirt and turned around, revealing his back. Faint pink lines ran up and down, side to side, noticeable all over his back. There was one in particular, a red line. “They’re mostly gone since they’re from last night, but…” He smiled sheepishly.  
   
Eren grinned. He ran his finger over one of the marks. “They hurt?”  
   
“Hurt so good.”  
   
Eren leaned in and kissed Armin’s shoulder, trailing his finger over another line. He looked at the one that was still red and noticed the skin has broken. “This one looked bad. Did it bleed?”  
   
“No, well just a little.” Armin’s smile faded. “Levi was upset at himself for taking it ‘too far’… He knows I can take it, and he knows I want it, but…” Armin smiled. “The aftercare was great, though.”  
   
Eren kissed the red mark.  
   
Armin gasped, straightening his spine.  
   
Eren moved his hands to Armin’s hips and ran his tongue over the line.  
   
Armin bit his lip. “Stop, I’m gonna get hard.”  
   
“Oh no,” Eren teased, “What would I do if that happened?”  
   
Armin put his shirt back on and turned around. “I have to get breakfast ready.”  
   
“Aww.” Eren sighed. He guessed that was kind of true.  
   
“Oh.” Armin looked at the floor. “I noticed it was really clean… did you mop?”  
   
“Yep!” Eren put his hands on his hips. “ _And_ I dusted and cleaned the place, and,” he said as he offered his hand, “I brought in the paper.”  
   
“Wow.” Armin blinked. “Why?”  
   
“Well… I don’t know. I guess, it’s just, you do so much, so I wish I could do more and stuff and a part of it is I want to serve Levi better, and another part of it is that I don’t want you to work so hard, either.”  
   
Armin smiled softly and leaned in, planting a soft kiss on Eren’s cheek. “You’re the best, you know that?”  
   
“I’m not,” Eren laughed. “Really.”  
   
“No, you are. I mean it.” Armin smiled. “Really.”  
   
“Nope.” Eren shook his head. “You’re the best.”  
   
“No, I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are!”  
   
“Nope!”  
   
“Yep!”  
   
“Nope!”  
   
“Yep!”  
   
“Nope!”  
   
“Yep!”  
   
“Nope!”  
   
“Yep!”  
   
“Nope!”  
   
“Yep!”  
   
“Nope!”  
   
“Yep!”  
   
Armin eventually chuckled and shook his head. “As much as I want to continue this intellectual conversation, I still need to make breakfast before Levi gets up.”  
   
“Fine, fine.” Eren grinned. “Want a piggy back ride to the kitchen?”  
   
“Yes!”  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

As short as the walk from the front entrance to the kitchen was, Armin halted the progression with a couple kisses to Eren’s neck. And after Eren complained about it being ‘distracting’, Armin rubbed the heel of his foot against Eren’s crotch. The piggy back ended there, but Armin braved the six steps left on his own. But when he went to open the fridge, he paused. He took a breath and turned to the counter. “Did you make coffee?”  
   
“Oh, yeah! I think I did it right… not too sure, though.”  
   
Armin opened the cupboard and grabbed two mugs. He put one down and grabbed the coffee pot with his free hand. He poured and then put the pot back. He inhaled the scent and nodded. “Smells great.” He wasn’t a fan of drinking it black, but that was the best way to tell whether the taste was right or wrong. He took a sip and nodded. “Yeah. Perfect.”  
   
“Really?” Eren blinked. “I mean, I know it’s just coffee but like, not too strong? Not too weak?”  
   
“Nope. It’s just right.”  
   
Eren sighed out of relief. “Awesome! That’s awesome. Good. Yeah.” He grabbed the other mug and poured for himself.  
   
Armin put his mug down and opened the fridge. He pursed his lips and tilted his head. “Wow, we really need to go grocery shopping soon… I guess we could bug Krista about it later, but… hmmm, what can we make now? How does oatmeal sound?”  
   
“Blech.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Not a fan?”  
   
“Nope.”  
   
“Oatmeal’s not bad if you put some fruits in it… but we’re out of fruits. Uh. Oh, well, we could put a bit of jam in it like we did for the tea last night.”  
   
“I know Levi loves that strawberry jam and all, but I think I’ve had too much of it in a short time span already.”  
   
Armin snorted. “I guess, yeah… but all we have is like, raspberries, eggs, milk… Oh, we’ve got some bread left, and a banana, but just one, hm.”  
   
“French toast?” Eren’s words were muffled as he brought the mug to his lips.  
   
Armin looked over his shoulder. “I don’t know how to make French toast.”  
   
Eren sputtered, choking on hot coffee, coughing.  
   
Armin blinked.  
   
Eren grabbed a paper towel and wiped his face. “Wait, you’re telling me the massive lord like, Kitchen King Armin doesn’t know how to make French toast?”  
   
“I’m not a kitchen king.”  
   
“Well, yeah. Kitchen Queen. Same thing.”  
   
“I’m not a queen!”  
   
“Kitchen Princess?”  
   
Armin pouted.  
   
“Kitchen Monarch. Kitchen Sovereign? His Royal Kitchener Majesty!”  
   
“Kitchener is a place in Ontario, Eren.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren smiled. “Well we found your kingdom.”  
   
“Oh my God, Eren…” Armin snorted and turned away. “You know how to make French toast?”  
   
“Yeah…” Eren wiggled. “I know something you don’t know! About food!”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you teach me?”  
   
“What? Why?”  
   
“Well, I taught you a bunch of food stuff!”  
   
“But it’s the only thing I know in the world that you don’t know,” Eren laughed. “I’m the dumb one!”  
   
“Eren…” Armin frowned. “You’re not dumb.”  
   
“Uh, yeah I am.” Eren shrugged. “I’m the idiot, the savage.”  
   
“That’s… actually a reference to Jean-Jacque Rousseau’s Noble Savage—the ideal human being,” Armin explained.  
   
“Jean-Jack, what?” Eren tilted his head. “Oh!” He nodded, understanding. “Marco’s Dom!”  
   
“No!” Armin slapped his hand over his face. “He was a French philosopher during the Romantic movement.”  
   
Eren glanced at the clock. “Wow. You can talk about philosophy at eleven in the morning?”  
   
Armin sighed.  
   
“Armin, chill. I’m the stupid one, that’s fine by me.”  
   
Armin closed the door and walked over to him. “You’re not stupid…” He cringed. “Eren…”  
   
“Uh… yeah?”  
   
“You don’t think… I mean, um… You’re not under the impression that… I uh, well…. You don’t think, that we think, that you’re stupid, do you?”  
   
“Um.” Eren stared at him. “Yeah.”  
   
Armin’s face darkened and his big blue eyes widened with worry.  
   
Eren was pretty sure he had no idea what made Armin look like he was about to cry, but he smiled in an attempt to make things better.  
   
“You’re not…”  
   
“Okay,” Eren said, mostly for Armin. He slipped his arms around the blond, mindful of the red marks on his back. He felt the smaller male cling onto him and he frowned, trying to understand what the big problem was, anyway?  
   
“You’re… you, you’re… you’re a dork, and I mean that. You’re bad with words, really really really really bad with words, but we both know you’re smart… Levi and I know you’re smart.”  
   
“Okay.”  
   
“I’m serious!”  
   
Eren closed his eyes. “I believe you.”  
   
Armin pulled away.  
   
Eren sighed and shrugged. “Okay, so you don’t think of me as an idiot. I don’t know what you want me to do… I guess it’s just not important? To me, at least?”  
   
“Oh…” Armin looked at his feet. “Okay. It’s important to me, though. Like… really important.”  
   
“Okay…”  
   
“You’re smart.”  
   
Eren smiled. “That’s comforting, I guess I’m just surprised. I mean I say a lot of stupid things, I guess, but I don’t really… care?”  
   
“But you say a lot of smart things too, Eren.”  
   
“I do?”  
   
“Yeah…” Armin scratched his head and sighed.  
   
There was a moment of silence.  
   
Eren scratched his neck. “How about we make French toast? I can teach you!”  
   
“I’m not really hungry,” Armin muttered. “I think I’m gonna watch T.V. for a bit.”  
   
“But… Then I’ll come with you!”  
   
“Levi’s awake-ish, probably.” Armin sighed. “Someone has to make him breakfast. I don’t know how so, yeah.”  
   
“Well, uh, maybe you could help me out?”  
   
“Sure. I guess.”  
   
“Awesome!” Eren grinned, but it was obvious that he was the only one that was excited. “My mom has a really special recipe she uses. It’s not that complicated. We need milk, a bit of flour, some eggs, salt, sugar and then we can add stuff like vanilla and cinnamon if we want.”  
   
“Flour?” Armin shook his head. “You’re not supposed to use flour for French toast…”  
   
“Well, that’s the secret!”  
   
“Are you sure?”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren’s smile turned crooked. “So, um… Actually, I’ll get all the stuff.” He walked away from Armin and opened the fridge door. He grabbed the milk and eggs and put them down on the counter. He went into the pantry and found the all-purpose flour, white sugar, vanilla extract, and then he looked around for cinnamon. He found the sticks, not the ground powder stuff so he just figured simple would be best and ignored it. “Here.”  
   
Armin just stared at him.  
   
“So we start with the flour and the milk… I think,” Eren muttered the last bit. He found a bowl and put it down.  
   
Armin grabbed a colander and offered it.  
   
“That’s too big, there’s not much flour.”  
   
Armin put it back and grabbed a smaller one and offered it.  
   
“Awesome!” Eren put it over the bowl and then opened up the flour. “So we have to put a couple spoons, not much more, and then we slowly add milk.” Armin didn’t give him a reply, so Eren just tossed a couple spoons in the colander then shook it to sift. He never sifted it when he made it before, but then again it came out clumpy so maybe there was a reason for that. He added a bit of milk and then began mixing it with the spoon.  
   
Armin opened a drawer and pulled out a small wire whisk. “Here.”  
   
“Thanks.” Eren put the spoon down and used the wire whisk instead. It took only a few seconds and then he added more milk. “It’s supposed to be like, half a cup of milk, I think? I don’t know. It’s French toast, so it’s pretty hard to screw up.”  
   
“Cool.”  
   
Eren forced his smile. “Now we just add everything else. Two eggs.” He opened the carton, cracked each egg on the counter, then opened them over the bowl. “Two spoons of sugar.”  
   
Armin opened the drawer again and offered him a clean spoon.  
   
Eren thanked him and added the white sugar to the bowl. “And just a bit of vanilla extract.” He popped the top and poured about a spoonful of it. That was way too much. But he didn’t care. “We can add some cinnamon or other stuff if you want? What do you think?”  
   
“Some nutmeg and cinnamon might be cool.”  
   
“Cool!”  
   
Armin walked off to the pantry.  
   
When he was out of sight, Eren began whisking it together. He dropped his fake smile and fake excitement and wondered just what the fuck he was doing that was such a big deal? When Armin walked out of the pantry, Eren’s smile returned.  
   
Armin came back with the sticks and some kind of nuts. He used a cloth to clean the coffee grinder before he tried to break the cinnamon stick in half. He offered it to Eren.  
   
Eren snapped it and handed it back.  
   
Armin put one half inside the grinder then added one of the nuts. He put the lid on and pressed the button; the grinder chopped it up and in only a few seconds, the nutmeg and cinnamon was turned into ground powder. He opened the top and the smell of warm spices lifted into the air. He grabbed the spoon Eren had used for the white sugar. “I’m guessing we’re not adding a lot?”  
   
“Uh, nope, like just a couple shakes usually?”  
   
“Hm. ‘Kay.” He tried to get something between a fourth and a third of the teaspoon before he tossed it in the bowl.  
   
“And we’re done the batter!”  
   
Armin knew it wasn’t batter, but he didn’t say anything. “Salt?”  
   
“Oh, right.” Eren chuckled. “I forgot about salt.”  
   
Armin grabbed the salt shaker and offered it to Eren.  
   
Eren added a ‘pinch’ of salt before whisking it all together. “Now’s the fun part. We just basically bathe the toast in it and throw it on a pan, cook both sides and we’re done.”  
   
Armin grabbed a pan and put it on the stove. He twisted the dial and blue fire puffed underneath. He added a dash of cooking oil to the pan and swirled it around.  
   
Eren opened the bag of sliced bread and grabbed six slices. “Do you want to do it?”  
   
“Not really.”  
   
Eren frowned and dunked the white bread in the mixture before lifting it to let some of it drain. He tossed it on the pan and the egg instantly sizzled. “So just wait a bit and then flip it.”  
   
Armin grabbed a spatula.  
   
“And we basically do that for all of them.”  
   
“Cool.”  
   
Eren prepared the second loaf of bread and he suddenly got an idea—”Pop quiz!”  
   
Armin looked at him. “Huh?”  
   
“For every right answer, you get a kiss.”  
   
Armin just stared.  
   
“What ingredients did we use?”  
   
Armin looked back at the pan. He flipped the piece of toast. “I don’t know.” He shrugged.  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

Levi was in a good mood when he had come down the stairs. Not being a morning person in the slightest, that was a fairly remarkable moment. There was a delicious smell coming from the kitchen and when he stepped in, his two subs were just setting up the table. However, instead of being greeted by the warm conversation that he was expecting, Armin was silent and Eren was obviously worried. The French toast (which he was pretty sure he hadn’t eaten in at least three years) was delicious, but it was hard to focus on the flavour with whatever underlying issue was doing a shit job at being underlying.  
   
It was more obvious than the sun.  
   
Armin eventually finished his plate and got up. He ate a lot despite being ‘not hungry’. He muttered some kind of thanks to Eren for the food before he walked off.  
   
Leaving only Levi and Eren.  
   
Eren turned to Levi, about to speak—  
   
“What the fuck did you do?”  
   
“Nothing!” Eren whispered. He looked at his plate. “I didn’t do anything… I don’t think I did anything. Maybe I did. I don’t know. I don’t fucking know, okay?”  
   
Levi’s lips turned into thin lines. “What happened?”  
   
Eren sighed and shrugged. “We… Well we were talking, and I called myself dumb and he said I wasn’t dumb, so I said I was, and then, eventually, he asked me if I thought you guys thought that I was stupid and I said yeah, because that’s a given? And yeah, he got all mopey and I don’t know what to do about it and it’s scary and I just want him to smile…”  
   
Levi took a deep breath. He sipped his coffee. “Eren.” He put his mug down. “You’re not dumb, alright?”  
   
“I’m… not?”  
   
“You’re brilliant. You’re shit with words, we all know that, but you’re smart. I don’t have time or patience for idiots.”  
   
“But… I don’t know. You guys do all that philosophy shit and I just, like, yeah, like when we were talking about sociology shit, that time when you were playing the piano, and I just said my life goals was cuddles and smooches! I’m an idiot.”  
   
“A fucking idiot,” Levi corrected. “You’re an idiot. Every bit of you is idiotic.”  
   
Eren looked at him.  
   
“You’re… intelligent, but a fucking idiot.”  
   
“Um. Thanks?”  
   
“Let me put it this way for you,” he offered, “Whenever you want to contribute to a conversation, whatever it is, whatever you say always changes the way everyone thinks. It has from the start and it still does. You could easily get into our talks and our discussions, but you choose not to delve into philosophy and debates or any of that. Or you find a way to ween yourself out of it, because for your own reasons you would rather not.”  
   
“But, yeah! That’s kind of the point, Sir, I would rather not; I would really rather not.”  
   
“Eren. Imagine there’s a journal. This journal is of… I don’t know, scientific findings that nobody else knows about. It holds the answers to all kinds of questions. That journal is a wealth of information, right?”  
   
“Yeah… but what does that have to do with me?”  
   
“Take that journal and lock it up. Wherever it is, so nobody ever reads it. Nobody knows what’s inside. It’s a secret. Even then, that journal is still a wealth of information.”  
   
Eren bit his lip.  
   
“You choose not to speak, you choose not to be a part of intellectual conversation, but that doesn’t make you stupid. Being a part of something intellectual doesn’t mean you’re an intellectual. Have you ever had an actual idiot come into a conversation? They waste everyone’s fucking time. Nobody would be asking for your opinion if we didn’t want it.”  
   
“I guess I get what you’re saying…” He sighed. “I just… honestly, Sir… I don’t care.”  
   
Levi paused.  
   
“Like I legit, I can’t, I couldn’t bring myself to care if my life depended on it. I mean, I’m glad that you don’t think I’m stupid since you don’t have time for stupid people, but yeah… I guess it just doesn’t matter to me if I’m smart or not, and it doesn’t matter to me, at all, whether you think I’m smart or stupid or whatever, Sir. Sure, maybe I’m a journal full of knowledge, but I don’t care.”  
   
“That…” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “Is a very strange thing to say.”  
   
“Yeah, probably.” He shrugged. “I’ve just… I mean, my whole life, I’ve been utterly surrounded by intellectuals. My own parents are gods among men in their realm, both of them, especially my mom, but even like Mikasa’s parents—who were like my aunt and uncle, really—both of them were geniuses, and then there’s Mikasa herself; her and I took all kinds of advance placement courses in high school. I ended up getting seven scholarships, and I guess… I guess I just I don’t even know what I’m guessing.”  
   
Levi stayed silent, listening.  
   
“I kind of want nothing to do with that anymore. I’d rather you think I was an idiot, think of me as a total idiot and just leave me the fuck out of your talks, really, and just never ask my opinion on anything.” Eren glanced to Levi, catching his stare with his look. “Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m saying. I just don’t care and I don’t understand what’s bothering Armin.”  
   
Levi sighed. “That’s…. Armin’s not bothered, he’s probably quite upset.”  
   
“What did I even do?”  
   
“Nothing.”  
   
“Then what should I do?” Eren leaned back on his chair. “I don’t even know why he’s upset.”  
   
“I think…” Levi sipped his coffee. “I’ve spent a lot of time with Armin, obviously. I know how he acts around someone he likes… He’s, well, wary of people, I guess. From what I understand he didn’t have many friends growing up… when he first moved in with me, he was still in high school… and he was utterly, miserable and alone.”  
   
Eren hugged his arm.  
   
“Armin… Well, I’m not exactly sure if it’s fair to say he’s good with people. Sometimes he is, sometimes he isn’t. He seems fine on the surface, but… he gets worried, easily, that everyone hates him, that people are just pretending to like him, or what he does, because they feel somewhat obligated to be nice to him. This is on topic. I swear. It sort of relates. If what I’m assuming is right, Armin obviously thinks highly of you, and he wants to spend time with you. And I suppose, I’m just guessing out of my ass here, one of the ways to keep you interested in him is to, well, I suppose… impress you.”  
   
“Impress me?”  
   
“Whether it’s cooking or intellect or whatever the fuck it is, he wants to do what he can to impress you.” Levi paused. “No. Maybe not impress you. Impress isn’t the right word. He… he wants you to think he’s interesting, or cool. Whatever it is.”  
   
“So, he like… wants to matter to me?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“But.” Eren frowned. “Of course he does!”  
   
“What I’m getting at (or trying to get at, really) is he knows you’re smart so he’s probably been trying to show you he’s smart too so you would spend time with him.”  
   
“Okay… but that doesn’t explain the mopey stuff.”  
   
“I’m getting there.” Levi frowned. “But with you saying that you thought, that we thought, that you were an idiot… I’m guessing Armin feels like everything massively backfired. He’s probably thinking that instead of increasing his chances of you wanting to be his… I guess friend would be the right word, instead of that he’s been insulting you and making you feel inferior and shit. He probably thinks, one, you hate him; and, two, he’s the biggest asshole in the world.”  
   
Eren stood up. “Oh.”  
   
“I’m not saying my analysis is right or anything. I might be wrong, but I’m serious. Armin has a bad tendency to take blame, to blame himself, and to see himself as the problem. It… also has a lot to do with his family, and Dieter, and… his parents. I don’t know too much about it. I don’t ask questions about it either. He’s a fragile little shit ball thing no matter how much of a tough cookie he might pretend to be.”  
   
“Sir…”  
   
“If you sneezed and he forgot to say ‘Bless you’, he’ll consider moving across the country so you don’t have to deal with him ever again. He’s a fucking useless piece of shit and he’s lucky I adore him. And, if my assumptions are correct, he’s lucky you adore him too.”  
   
“Of course I do!” Eren shouted. He realised that was level nine outside voice, so he sighed. “Sorry… I just, of course I do.”  
   
“Everyone has moments where we lose confidence in ourselves, Pup. This is his. Can I ask you to check up on him, and make things better?”  
   
Eren nodded about eight hundred times. “Of course you can, Sir.”  
   
“Good.” Levi smiled. “I actually feel like I can trust you with Armin…”  
   
“Sir, I—”  
   
Levi raised his hand, signalling the mutt to stop talking. “Don’t you ever dare let me regret it.” He frowned. “If you do, I _will_ ruin you.”  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

Eren zipped off to the den, T.V. room, thingy, and opened the door. He saw Armin sitting on the couch, looking at something on his phone, although the air around him was murky and dense. Eren forced on his little smile and dropped next to the blond, bouncing on the cushions. “Turn that frown upside down, Arm!”  
   
Armin just sighed.  
   
Eren bit his lip.  
   
Armin turned to him, slowly, taking an eternity with the simple motion. His had an absent look on his face, and his blue eyes seemed to be looking nowhere. He clicked the button at the top of his phone, fading the screen’s bright light.  
   
Eren swallowed hard, but he kept his smile. He slipped both arms around the little blondie and pulled him in, squeezing him tight.  
   
Armin let out a noise, soft, barely audible, before he leaned into the hug. He closed his eyes and nuzzled into the crook of Eren’s neck. He took in the scent and it made him smile; it was a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.  
   
Eren just kept holding him.  
   
“I’m sorry.”  
   
“Nope,” Eren chuckled. “You’re not allowed to be sorry.”  
   
“But, I want to be sorry… and, I am sorry.”  
   
“Well, you’re only allowed to be sorry for things you should be sorry for.”  
   
“I should be sorry for this.”  
   
“Nope!”  
   
“Eren…” Armin opened his eyes and frowned. “I just, I…. It bothers me, to know that I made you think that. And that would be, just…”  
   
Eren didn’t say anything, just hugged him tighter.  
   
Armin nuzzled Eren’s neck again. “I’m a horrible person.”  
   
“No.”  
   
“No what?”  
   
“No you are not.”  
   
“Eren.”  
   
“Armin,” Eren warned. “Don’t call yourself horrible. You’re smart and funny and you make me smile and someone as… just, nice, and caring, and gentle as you… If you’re horrible, then there’s no such thing as a good person. I mean that.”  
   
“Stop with the bullshit…” Armin pulled away, shaking his head. “Listen, Eren, I’m a jackass and I don’t know why you want to even, just…” he trailed off. Eren didn’t reply, so the two of them sat in silence. Armin closed his eyes and shook his head. “Say something…”  
   
“I’m bad with words, Arm’. Even if i know what I _want_ to say, I’ll fuck it up and make things worse.”  
   
“Then… just try, what… What do you want to say?”  
   
“I guess…. I don’t care.”  
   
Armin frowned. “What do you mean you don’t care?”  
   
Eren leaned in and kissed him softly. “I mean, I don’t care… It’s just not important to me.” He backed away. “It doesn’t bother me if you think I’m dumb, and it’s not a compliment if you think I’m smart. It’s just… I guess…” Eren suddenly had an idea: “As long as you like me as a person, overall! Then I’m happy!”  
   
Armin’s eyes lit up.  
   
Nailed it.  
   
“Of course I like you overall!” Armin tackled him.  
   
Eren yelped as he was thrown on his back, but the softness of the cushion helped him bounce back. He readjusted himself so he was sitting criss cross (applesauce), legs crossed, and he pulled Armin into his lap. Armin’s legs went over one of his knees, so he was sitting perpendicular to Eren. “Armin, I like you overall too… And to be honest, you’re just, really great, okay?”  
   
“But—”  
   
“No butts, unless you mean spanks. I wouldn’t mind giving you a spank.”  
   
“Don’t change the topic!” Armin frowned. “This isn’t about spanking my butt!”  
   
“Well, okay, you can spank my butt if you want.”  
   
Armin scowled, but, then, “Really?”  
   
“Totally!”  
   
Armin shook his head. “Focus! No, spanking aside… Just, how can you be so… cool about it all?”  
   
“Well, I guess I’m a cool guy!”  
   
“Eren!”  
   
Eren chuckled and smooched Armin’s cheek. “Look, I don’t know what to say. I’m just a weirdo who’s never been to Colorado—oh hey, that rhymed!” Eren grinned, quite pleased with himself. “Maybe we should go to Colorado together one day, and be weirdoes. Have you ever been to Colorado?”  
   
“No,” Armin admitted. “I don’t even know what the hell Colorado is.”  
   
“It’s in the U.S.”  
   
“I know that,” Armin mumbled. “Is it a state? A city? I don’t know anything about America.”  
   
“Me neither,” Eren said with his trademark grin. He kissed Armin’s cheek. “We’ll discover other countries and shit together one day.”  
   
Armin sighed. “I just… how are you…?”  
   
“I’m good. How are you?”  
   
Armin’s frown returned ten folds.  
   
Eren snickered.  
   
“I meant! How are you so cool about everything?”  
   
“I don’t know.” Eren shrugged. “That’s just the way I am. I guess it’s just, I care about different things. I just like you as a person and that’s all there is to it. I wasn’t insulted and you didn’t make me upset. I think you’re wonderful and I adore you, okay?”  
   
Armin’s cheeks warmed and he looked away. “You’re such a fucking dork, Eren…”  
   
Eren kissed his forehead.  
   
Armin smiled. “Now I feel like I’m overreacting… Maybe I am. Sorry.”  
   
“Forget it,” Eren whispered. “Wanna game?”  
   
“Game?”  
   
“Like video game?”  
   
“Oh, sure. Which one?”  
   
“Hmmm, we got pretty far in Wind Waker, right?”  
   
“Sanchez!”  
   
“God fucking damnit, Armin…”  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

Knowing a disaster had been averted was a good feeling, for the most part. Levi wasn’t an idiot. He knew it wasn’t a solved problem, just a problem that was pushed under the carpet. Years of being with Armin had taught him one thing: Armin was more than willing to get over any issues he had with anyone to preserve peace. With the exception of Dieter, Armin would pretend nothing was wrong when things could be in fact very wrong. From what he understood of Eren, his new pet was quite the same way.  
   
Keep things lidded to preserve peace and pray to whatever the fuck was out there that it didn’t boil over.  
   
Levi was unsure how he felt about the current predicament, though. As far as he was concerned, lidding a problem was only a problem if it _could_ boil over. With Armin and Eren screaming at each other about blue shells in Mario Kart, he wondered if the problem would just disappear and contain itself.  
   
Eren wasn’t actually upset. He had nothing to cover.  
   
Armin wasn’t upset at Eren; he was upset at himself.  
   
Levi figured if Eren and Armin spent enough time together, perhaps the problem would just utterly disappear?  
   
He theorised about it but decided he couldn’t figure it out from hypothetical bullshit. That, and he wanted to make them cry by beating them in Mario Kart. But by the time he got to the T.V. room (the screams were heard throughout the entire house, including his soundproof study), the two of them decided to switch to Super Smash Brothers.  
   
Levi picked up a controller and took a seat on the floor between them.  
   
“Oh, ho ho ho!” Eren grinned. “Ready to get your ass kicked, Sir?”  
   
Levi just smiled.  
   
Armin laughed.  
   
When selecting characters, Eren went straight for Yoshi and then did a little wiggle dance in his seat.  
   
Levi, disgusted, glared at Eren. “Really?”  
   
“Yeah!”  
   
“Why the fuck would you choose Yoshi?”  
   
“He’s!” Eren shouted, “He’s my spirit animal!”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow.  
   
Eren chuckled before saying, in a very strange, almost babyish squeak of high-pitched noises, _“Yoshi!”_ exactly as Yoshi did.  
   
Armin giggled and snorted and then covered his nose with one hand, laughter spilling from his lips.  
   
Levi’s other eyebrow raised and he nodded. “That was actually really good. Pretty impressive.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Thank you! I spent like, forever practicing that. Not gonna lie. Which characters are you guys gonna go for?”  
   
“Zelda,” Armin chuckled.  
   
“Ah, yes.” Eren nodded. “You are our princess after all.”  
   
Armin pouted.  
   
Levi laughed and then selected Samus Aran.  
   
“Samus?” Eren blinked. “Samus? Samus?”  
   
Levi stared at him. “What?”  
   
“You’re going for Samus?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“But, like, _Samus,_ though?”  
   
Armin blinked. “What’s wrong about Samus?”  
   
Levi frowned. “Is that a problem?”  
   
“Well there’s no problem…” Eren pursed his lips. “But, Armin chose Princess Zelda because he’s our princess and he’s magical, and I chose my spirit animal Yoshi because he’s green—my favourite colour—and I’m a super-duper lean, extra-mextra mean, cucumber sandwich eating machine!”  
   
Armin snorted.  
   
Levi closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “And what does this have to do with my choice of Samus, exactly?”  
   
“Well, it’s like, I don’t know… Your character doesn’t reflect, your… character.”  
   
“I chose Samus because in her Zero Suit she ranks ninth in the tier list.”  
   
“Ugh.” Eren irked. “You’re one of those people?”  
   
“It’s factual, Eren, that some characters are better. There are thirty-eight characters, and Zero Suit Samus ranks ninth.”  
   
Eren bit his lip. “So what does Yoshi rank?”  
   
“Twenty-seventh.”  
   
“Wow, Sir, you memorised that?”  
   
“Yes. I will dominate in Smash.”  
   
Eren rolled his eyes. “Okay, what about Zelda?”  
   
“Zelda ranks thirty-seventh, out of thirty-eight. She’s the second weakest to Ganondorf. She’s actually twenty-fourth if you make use of her transform ability, which Armin does not do.”  
   
Armin shrugged. “I’m only good at Zelda.”  
   
Eren suddenly thought back. “Hey… Remember when we went to Lolfa, that super fancy restaurant, like on the first week I was here, and then, Annie was going on about something about Zelda? She got all… animated, and alive, and stuff.”  
   
“Don’t ask,” Levi whispered. “Please don’t.”  
   
Armin chuckled.  
   
Levi turned back to the screen. “Armin you haven’t selected Zelda, you’re just hovering over her.”  
   
“Oh! Oops!” He chose the character and they were taken to the stage selection screen. “Where are we playing?”  
   
“Temple,” Eren called out.  
   
The match was fairly short. Yoshi and Zero Suit Samus duked it out, all the while being interrupted by little flickers of red. After it happened about the eighth time, Eren frowned and turned to Armin. “You shithead!”  
   
Armin cackled and made Zelda send another Din’s Fire to annoy the hell out of Eren.  
   
“I’m gonna kill you,” Eren said seriously. He stuck his tongue out and eventually got Yoshi to beat up the princess, but just before he was going to throw her off the ledge Samus smashed them off screen. “Awww!”  
   
Levi smirked. “Oops.”  
   
The second match was pretty much the same thing, and the third, and the fourth. Armin managed to win once, but it was by a fluke (and Levi forced Armin to admit it).  
   
The fifth match was similar, but Eren got an idea. “How about… we don’t fight, and just have a tea party?”  
   
Armin made Zelda teleport next to Yoshi. “Okay.”  
   
“No, fuck you.” Levi frowned. Samus (suit on, this time) killed both of them and the game ended. “I won. I told you, Eren, you have to pay attention to the tier list.”  
   
Eren pouted. “Okay, so who’s number one?”  
   
“Meta Knight.”  
   
“Meta Knight?” Eren looked around the character select screen until he found him. He chose Meta Knight.  
   
But he still lost the next round.  
   
“Choose a different character, damnit!”  
   
Levi smirked and decided to go with Marth instead.  
   
But the next few rounds were also claimed by Levi.  
   
“Okay, so how about,” Eren spoke as Meta Knight hopped up on a platform, “We call this the safe platform, for tea parties and happy fun times for friends?”  
   
“Okay,” Armin agreed as Sheik joined Meta Knight. “I’m the princess of this tea party.”  
   
“And I’m your knight.”  
   
Armin looked at him and his cheeks flushed.  
   
Eren blew him a kiss.  
   
“Oops.” Levi smiled. Marth used his final smash and tossed both of them off the screen, earning him his tenth victory. “Sadly that’s all the time I can give you two.” He got up. “I have to get work done.”  
   
Eren grabbed his legs and hugged tight. “No!”  
   
Levi chuckled and offered a small, wry smile. “I took Friday off because of a certain someone, so let me put in at least three hours of work.”  
   
“Three hours?” Eren whined. “Fine, but I’m gonna be timing you, okay? Three hours. Exact. No more. Or else!”  
   
Levi moved down and grabbed Eren’s face with both hands. He yanked his head upwards and tilted his head. “Now, now. What kind of shitty sub threatens their Dom?”  
   
“My job’s to take care of you, Sir! I don’t… want you to overwork yourself…”  
   
Levi let go of his pet, and his pet let go of his legs. “I’m off. Fuck you both.”  
   
Armin just smiled. “Good luck, Master!”  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

Levi had gone off to work, and Armin decided to go off to read. Things were okay, for the most part. Eren had this feeling inside him, and it was growing, but he ignored it. He ended up walking over to the living room and crashing on the couch. He didn’t know what to do, and he didn’t want to bother Armin or Levi (as much as he wanted to, he didn’t want to come off as the “Entertain me!” type), so he pulled out his phone and began playing some stupid game.  
   
In took him five minutes to get bored of it; but, luckily, he had at least thirty games on his phone. Going through them, in order, one by one, was doing little to satiate his boredom, but it was doing something, and something was always better than nothing.  
   
“Eeereeeeeeeeen.”  
   
Eren sat up to see Armin making the cutest face in the world.  
   
“Hey Eeeereen… are you busy?”  
   
“Nope!” Eren bounced up. “What’s up, buttercup?”  
   
Armin chuckled. “I need your help for lunch… We have even less than we did before, and I can’t think of anything to make, but you’re creative and good at putting things together and stuff.” Armin took his hand and smiled. “So maybe you could come up with something?”  
   
“Hmm, okay!” Eren kissed his cheek.  
   
The short walk to the kitchen was accompanied by Armin hugging his left arm and Eren secretly adored every second of it.  
   
Eren opened the fridge and saw it bare as a baby’s bottom. Not that he frequently stared at baby’s bottoms or anything. That would be kind of weird. Actually, the more Eren thought about it, the more he thought that was really weird. “Why do they say as bare as a baby’s bottom?”  
   
“Bare?” Armin blinked. “Pretty sure it’s as smooth as a baby’s bottom?”  
   
“Why would people know how smooth a baby’s bottom is?”  
   
“Parents change diapers a lot, I’m guessing.” Armin shrugged. “What does that have to do with food?”  
   
“Nothing!” Eren used his outside voice before looking at the fridge. He stared at the milk. “Oh! That coffee thing you made, with roses and cinnamon, that was pretty filling, since it was all milk. Maybe we could have something like that, with maybe… crackers or something? Like uh, not crackers but like, um…”  
   
“Oh, you mean like those tea biscuits you dip in?”  
   
“Yeah!”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Not quite the wholesome lunch but I guess we have to work with what we have. There’s nothing we can do for dinner, though, so I’m guessing we’re going to go out. A heavy drink should keep us steady until… then…” Armin suddenly had an idea. “I could make hot chocolate?”  
   
“Can you make it sweet?”  
   
“I could make it sweet,” Armin said but it was obvious he was thinking to himself about something else. “Hmmm.”  
   
“Hmm.” Eren glanced to the counter. “Oh, we have a banana left, can you… put a banana into the hot chocolate? No that’s stupid. Forget it.”  
   
“I could, actually.” Armin stared into the fridge and pulled out the raspberries. He checked them to make sure they were still good and he grinned. “You’re a genius!”  
   
“What?” Eren smiled. “Never mind, just kiss me.”  
   
Armin leaned up and brought their lips together before breaking away with a chuckle. “Can you get the food processor? I thought of something we could do. A hot raspberry white chocolate drink thing. It’s thick because of the raspberries, and it’ll be thicker with the banana too, so yeah, it’ll be filling and stuff.”  
   
“Great.” Eren closed the fridge door and walked to the pantry.  
   
Armin put the raspberries down and quickly grabbed a saucepan, a bowl, a colander, and put them down. He grabbed the small carton of raspberries and walked to the sink to rinse them.  
   
Eren came back with the food processor and put it on the counter. He uncoiled the white cord around it and plugged it in.  
   
“Can you get the milk, too?”  
   
“Right.” Eren nodded. “We kind of need that.”  
   
Armin laughed and headed into the pantry to grab the white chocolate chips.  
   
Eren grabbed the milk and put it down. “So how do we do this?”  
   
Armin put down the chocolate chips. “Put all the berries in the food processor, the banana too.”  
   
Eren washed his hands quickly before doing as he was told. He held the carton of raspberries above the machine and using his fingers to guide them in, careful not to lose any berries. When they were all in, he grabbed the banana and peeled it. He broke it into smaller pieces and tossed it in. “Now I cover and let it run?”  
   
“Yeah, but don’t hit pulse. The weakest level is fine.”  
   
Eren nodded and covered it before hitting the button. Nothing happened. He realised he had to hold it down, so he pressed it again and held it the second time. The sound of buzzing was lighter than he expected, even for the lowest level, but he watched it all squish together. “So we’re making like a berry puree, thing?”  
   
“Yeah, kind of. It’s usually pretty syrupy, but it’ll be thicker with the banana.”  
   
“Oh, it sounds simple enough.”  
   
“It really is.” Armin turned the stove on and place the saucepan over the burner. He measured two cups of milk and poured them in one at a time. He moved to the fridge and pulled out a small carton of half-and-half cream. “I always add a bit of cream to my hot chocolate, makes it thicker and richer.” He measured about half a cup before dropping that in. He grabbed a whisk and began mixing it together over the heat.  
   
“Is this done yet?”  
   
“A little longer.” Armin looked up at him. “Oh if you click the button twice it does it automatically, so you don’t have to hold it.”  
   
Eren snorted. “Oh.” He did as told; and, sure enough, the machine was automatically blending. He grabbed the small plastic tray of white chocolate chips and looked at them. He opened it and looked at the uneven pieces. He grabbed one and popped it in his mouth. “Mmm.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “We’re using that!”  
   
“I can have some!”  
   
“We’re using all of that,” Armin explained. His blue eyes shifted back to the saucepan and he saw bubbles at the edges. The milk was simmering. He turned off the heat, moved the saucepan to another element and tapped the saucepan with his whisk. “Pour them in.”  
   
“Okay, okay.” Eren stole one more small piece (he had to ignore Armin’s glare) and then chuckled as he dumped the pieces in. “There. Now what?”  
   
“Mix this,” Armin said as he offered the whisk.  
   
Eren took it and nodded. “Sure thing.”  
   
Armin turned off the food processor and opened the top. He grabbed a plastic spatula and swished the red syrupy liquid around to check the consistency. He grinned to himself. He lifted the spatula and tasted the puree. “Nice.” He lifted the removal section of the food processor and turned it upside down over the colander, which was over the bowl. Using the plastic spatula, Armin made sure to scoop every bit out before he put it down.  
   
“So what are you doing now…?”  
   
“Well,” Armin said with a chuckle, “Raspberries and stuff have seeds and stuff, so that’s not good for a smooth drink. Just gotta let it pour through this fine mesh strainer, and we’re good.” He moved the plastic spatula inside the goop of red liquid to help the straining process. “Almost done.”  
   
Eren whisked the hot chocolate together and nodded. “Looks smooth here too.”  
   
“Could you get the vanilla extract, then?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
Armin heard Eren’s footsteps, but he focus on the colander. It was a little on the thick side and he made a mental note to omit the banana next time, but it didn’t take long before he was done. He put the colander over the food processor so it wouldn’t make a mess.  
   
Eren had already added a bit of vanilla to the hot chocolate and was whisking it.  
   
Armin carefully brought the bowl to the saucepan and scooped the red puree into the hot chocolate. “Now, mix!”  
   
“Okay!”  
   
The red raspberry sauce mixed with the thick white hot chocolate; and, lo and behold, the colours swirled together to make a gentle pink.  
   
Armin added half a pinch of salt and watched Eren turn it. “Mmm. Looks nice and thick.”  
   
“We should take a pic and send it to Levi.”  
   
“No!” Armin grabbed his shoulder. “We have to send him a raspberry warning first.”  
   
Eren blinked. “A raspberry warning?”  
   
“If he sees a pink drink, he’ll get excited and think it’s strawberry. It’ll fill him with disappointment. His heart will break. It’ll take him days to recover… trust me, I’ve… I’ve hurt him before, and I won’t let anyone hurt him that way again. We _must_ give him a raspberry warning, or it’ll destroy him.”  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

Armin had transferred their beverage to three tall, heat resistant, glass cups made for tea or coffee. He topped it with a couple sprinkles (obligatory sprinkles) and the two  of them walked up the stairs to deliver it to their master. They had given him the raspberry warning, of course. Armin had two cups in his hands, holding them by the glass instead of the handle, and Eren only had one, so Eren used his free hand to open the door to Levi’s study.  
   
Levi looked up from his desk.  
   
Eren walked over and offered Levi the glass. “Here you go, Sir.”  
   
“What is it? A smoothie?” Levi blinked and took it. He instantly felt the heat through the glass and raised his eyebrow. “A warm smoothie?”  
   
“Hot chocolate,” Armin chuckled. He offered his second glass to Eren, making sure to give him the one with more.  
   
Eren took it and smooched Armin’s cheek. “We didn’t have much in the fridge, so we worked with what we had.”  
   
“Hm.” Levi took a sip and his eyes lit up. He was expecting sweet, very sweet, but the tart bitterness of raspberries fought off most of the sugar from the white chocolate. He took a second sip and then a third. “This is wonderful.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Really? I was afraid you wouldn’t like it, Master.”  
   
“Oh? And why wouldn’t I like it?”  
   
“Well, you usually like your chocolate very dark and bitter.”  
   
Eren nodded. “Like dark chocolate so dark it’s seen the abyss of time, the end of all worlds.”  
   
Levi stared at Eren for a while before looking back to Armin. “I prefer it dark, yes, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it sweet, either. Who says hot chocolate and hot cocoa have to be all darkness and bitter and the colour of shit? Sometimes sweet and pink is the way to go.”  
   
Armin chuckled and sipped his drink.  
   
Eren looked at his mug and took a large gulp. The thick hot chocolate was warm in his mouth and he happily moaned. “Armin you’re wonderful.”  
   
“You gave me the idea!”  
   
Eren chuckled, that he did.  
   
Levi smiled then glanced back to his laptop. “I still have two hours left of work. I should make the most of it.”  
   
Armin nodded. “But we’ve got no food for lunch, so I was thinking we should go out for dinner.”  
   
“Hm.” Levi thought about it. “Where do you want to go?”  
   
Armin glanced at Eren. “What kind of food do you feel like?”  
   
“Hmmm.” Eren scratched his chin with his free hand. “I uh… Oh, maybe sushi?”  
   
“Sure.” Levi smiled. “Ever been to Nishi?”  
   
“Nishi?” Eren thought about it. “Oh, you mean, like, Nishi Kai? The one on… not Denver, the gay street. What’s the gaybourhood called again?”  
   
“Davie,” Armin supplied. “Yeah, that’s the one, the really popular renowned place.”  
   
Eren blinked. “But don’t we have to line up for at least an hour to get in? They don’t take reservations and it’s jammed packed every night, especially on weekends! I went there once for a co-workers birthday, and, damn, I lined up for an hour and a half. It was so worth it, though. The food was amazing!”  
   
Levi just laughed.  
   
Armin smiled. “I guess we’ll go there, Master?”  
   
Levi nodded. “Yes.”  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

After enjoying their pink drinks, Armin said he wanted to go back to reading, and Eren let him go. He wanted to grab that little ass and force him to cuddle, or at least cuddle while he read, but Eren knew Armin needed some time alone too. He went back to his place on the couch and got comfy; without realising it, his eyes slowly began to close and he fell asleep.  
   
He dreamed that he was a scorpion, walking through the desert with Armin. Armin was also a scorpion, but he was a scorpion without a stinger and the King of Scorpions, Levi, asked him to take care of Armin. Eren of course accepted and went on his way to protect Armin. But that’s when the other scorpions started picking on him for not having a stinger, so Eren got into attack mode and fought them off. Armin gave him a little scorpion kiss and King Levi showered him in hugs and they were drifting off on a boat into the to sunset to dance and sing and talk to the lobsters—  
   
But an alarm went off and interrupted his dream.  
   
Eren jolted up and felt a vibration in his pocket. He patted his pants and pulled out his cellphone. He had set an alarm, but in his blinking sleepy state he could barely remember why. He turned off the loud, insistent noise and stretched.  
   
Levi.  
   
Eren hopped up onto his feet and walked down the hall. He ran up the stairs, two flights, and did a little victory jig when he got to the top. He was about to call out to his Dom, but a sound cut him off. It was followed by a whimper and Eren tilted his head. He walked up to the study and peered in.  
   
Levi was sitting in his chair, several steps away from his desk, while Armin was bent over his lap, pants and underwear pulled down enough to reveal his red behind.  
   
Eren blinked.  
   
Levi spanked Armin once on each cheek.  
   
“Thank you, Master!”  
   
“Good boy.” Levi looked up. “Oh, hello Eren. How good of you to join us.”  
   
Eren bounced up and saluted. “Sir!”  
   
Levi stared at him.  
   
Eren cringed and stopped saluting, dipping his head low like a guilty dog. “Sorry.”  
   
“Pup, come over here.”  
   
“Yes, Sir!” Eren crossed the distance and offered a smile. “So, what did he do wrong?”  
   
“Nothing.” Levi smacked his ass.  
   
“Thank you!”  
   
“He’s just been such a good little kitten; he requested a spanking, and what kind of Master would I be if I refused?”  
   
Eren smirked. “Can I watch?”  
   
“Of course.” Levi smirked and smacked Armin twice more.  
   
Armin let out a high noise, curled his toes, wiggled over Levi’s lap and shouted, “Thank you!”  
   
“Good boy.” Levi glanced to Eren. “Kitten, we’re exactly at the halfway point… Why don’t we change it up?”  
   
Armin looked over his shoulder. “How so, Master?”  
   
“Lean over my desk, keep your ass raised.”  
   
Armin got up, doing nothing to hide his erection as he bent over the desk. “Please spank me, Master.”  
   
Eren’s cock twitched and he chuckled.  
   
“I won’t spank you. Eren will.”  
   
Eren blinked. “What?”  
   
“Punish Armin. Do it.”  
   
Eren looked between the two of them. “Are you sure?”  
   
Levi frowned. “You don’t have a choice, Eren. This is an order from your owner. Spank him. Now.”  
   
“O-Oh, okay!” Eren bit his lip and looked over at Armin, who was begging him with his blue eyes. He looked at Armin’s ass, which was bright pink. He put a hand over it and felt the smooth heat coming from the skin. “Geez, what a perfect bubble butt. It’s all cute and pink now, like the raspberry hot chocolate was!”  
   
“Spank it, Pup.”  
   
Eren meeped. “O-Okay! I just, I never spanked anyone.”  
   
“Eren,” Armin whispered, “Please spank me.”  
   
Eren moved his hand back and bit his lip. He went to smack, but it ended up being a tap.  
   
Armin groaned in disappointment.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “He needs pain. He wants it.”  
   
“Y-Yeah, okay…” Eren moved his hand back and struck, hard.  
   
Armin screamed, “Thank you.”  
   
“Oy!” Levi put a hand on Eren’s shoulder. “Don’t break him.”  
   
Eren laughed nervously and tried to find something in between. Armin moaned and Levi nodded in approval, so he figured he was in the clear. He tried to keep that amount of force as he alternated cheeks as he spanked, left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right.  
   
“Thank you!” Armin’s back arched.  
   
Levi grabbed the back of Armin’s neck and pushed him back down on desk. “Be obedient.”  
   
Armin whimpered an apology.  
   
Levi leaned down and kissed the edge of Armin’s jaw. “Good little Kitten. Keep going, Eren.”  
   
“Y-Yes, Sir.” Eren rubbed his hand over Armin’s ass, admiring it for a moment before he gave four more smacks.  
   
Armin wiggled and moaned, breathing out soft, lusty ‘thank yous’ every time.  
   
Eren grinned. “How many more?”  
   
“He wanted forty spanks, so I decided to give him forty on each.”  
   
“Wow, you cruel master.”  
   
“Cruel?” Levi chuckled, low and dark. “His eyes lit up like a firework show when I told him I’d be giving him eighty smacks in all.”  
   
“So how many left, Sir?”  
   
“You can count, Pup.”  
   
“Wow, being a Dom involves math?”  
   
Armin chuckled.  
   
“To be honest, sometimes I lose count.” Levi shrugged. “I just make up a random number from there.”  
   
“I knew it!” Armin yelled.  
   
Levi gave him four spanks on each cheek in quick succession.  
   
Armin wiggled and lifted his legs off the ground. “Thank you!”  
   
“And to answer your question, you have eight on each left.”  
   
Eren rubbed the cheeks and watched Armin writhe. So much heat came off the skin, he couldn’t help but grin. He leaned down and kissed Armin’s ass. “You want more spanks, huh?”  
   
“Yes!”  
   
Eren moved his hand back and smacked one cheek, then the other.  
   
Armin muffled a pained noise by biting the side of his wrist.  
   
Levi ruffled the blond hair. “What do you say?”  
   
“Thank you!”  
   
Levi’s fingers laced the blond hair and he yanked backwards. “Good boy.”  
   
Eren gave two more spanks on each.  
   
Armin whined and wiggled, toes curling and breathing becoming ragged. His bubble butt had gone from pink to red.  
   
Only having ten spanks left, Eren wondered what he should do with them. He knew from experience there were different effects if he spanked differently. Deciding he wanted to hear more of those noises, Eren spanked one cheek four times, quickly, then spanked the other one four times, just as quick, the sound of skin slapping skin echoed in the study, followed by the shameless noises that left Armin’s mouth.”  
   
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”  
   
“Only have two left,” Levi muttered.  
   
“Mhm.” Eren widened his hand and struck both cheeks, hard, at the same time.  
   
Armin cringed. “Thank you, Eren! Thank you, Sir!”  
   
Levi smirked. “He’s so polite. Give him one more, for good luck.”  
   
Eren grinned and repeated the action, with more force.  
   
Armin’s knees quivered and he bit his lip, letting out a shuddering noise as his body relaxed.  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Kitten, did you just cum?”  
   
Armin attempted speech but a breath, somehow slurred and shaky at the same time, left his mouth instead.  
   
They got their answer anyway.  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

If Eren was surprised about one thing, it was the strength of Armin’s booty. As silly as it sounded in his head, he didn’t know any other sub that could take eighty spanks and have an unbruised butt. There wasn’t any blood, either (not that bleeding was common from spanking, but sometimes specs of red dots would appear over the skin).  
   
Eren was convinced it was like Armin had the bubble butt that had a bachelor of butts in being a battleship booty.  
   
After Armin cleaned himself up and decided after the spanking he shouldn’t wear any pants or underwear for a while, Levi opened a bottle of moisturiser (uncoloured and unscented) and applied it to the red area. “Good boy,” Levi spoke affectionately. “You’re a good little kitten.”  
   
Armin blushed but couldn’t stop himself from smiling.  
   
“There. Let that sit for a while.” Levi closed the top.  
   
Armin stood up and kissed Levi’s jaw. “Was I a good boy?”  
   
“A very good boy,” Levi whispered. He moved some hair out of Armin’s eyes before hooking his other arm around the blond.  
   
Eren felt slightly out of place. He could tell it was after care, but it was more between Levi and Armin than anything. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be a part of it, he just felt like Armin would prefer it if he wasn’t there.  
   
Levi kissed his cheek. “Was I good to you?”  
   
“You were wonderful, Master.”  
   
“Not too rough?”  
   
“Not at all.” Armin smiled and hugged his Master, leaning his forehead on Levi’s shoulder.  
   
“Good,” Levi whispered. “You’re perfect.”  
   
Armin grinned and nuzzled Levi’s neck. “Thank you for fulfilling my wishes, Master.”  
   
“Thank you for making me a part of your wishes, Kitten.”  
   
Armin snickered. “You’re always part of my wishes.”  
   
Levi kissed him once then looked behind him. “And how was Pup? Did you enjoy him spanking you?”  
   
Armin let out a warm, fluttery sound, and he nodded. “I did.”  
   
Levi let go of the blond and nudged his chin forward.  
   
Armin turned around and hugged Eren.  
   
Eren hugged back and squeezed him gently. He looked over Armin’s shoulder to see Levi twirling his wrist in a ‘go on’ motion. What was he supposed to do? After care? Oh! Eren’s eyes widened. After care. He realised it was the first time he was ever on this side. No pressure or anything. Just don’t fuck up, he told himself. “Um…”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Yes?”  
   
“Was I too hard with you?”  
   
“Not at all,” Armin assured.  
   
Eren bit his lip. “Uh. I uh…”  
   
Armin chuckled and kissed his cheek. “It’s okay. Just hug me for a bit, ‘kay?”  
   
“I can do that,” Eren said with a smile. He hugged Armin tight. “I’m not used to doing Dom-ey things… I mean, it’s a lot of fun, I never got to do them before, but… If I ever hurt you, just a little, promise me you’ll let me know, okay?”  
   
“I know.” Armin nodded. “I trust you.”  
   
Eren smiled wide and kissed the side of Armin’s head. “Good. I trust you too, you know. To tell me, I mean. That’s a lot of trust I’m putting in you.”  
   
Armin nodded and squeezed Eren tight.  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

Following some more after care from the both of them, Armin threw off his shirt and decided a cold bath was in order. Eren and Levi went downstairs. Levi sat in the living room and demanded Eren put his head in Levi’s lap. Eren did so quickly and purred as Levi’s hands went through his hair.  
   
“I thought you were a dog, not a kitten.”  
   
“Wolf!” Eren corrected.  
   
“That’s right,” Levi admitted his mistake. “I should apologise.”  
   
“Wolf, dog, same thing.”  
   
“Not for that,” Levi snapped. “For… I prompted you to take over my job as the spanker. I didn’t give you proper prep time. I’m sorry.”  
   
Eren looked up at him and laughed.  
   
Levi scowled.  
   
“Sorry, it’s just… I see you, and I think just a huge asshole who makes too many shit jokes, but… I don’t know. I’m surprised by how… perfect you are.”  
   
“I’m not perfect, Eren.”  
   
“I kinda think you are.”  
   
Levi snorted. “You’re setting yourself up for disappointment.”  
   
“I’m not!”  
   
“You are, Pup. I’m flawed as fuck.”  
   
“I know that…” Eren smiled. “It’s just… My version of perfect is someone who, tries their hardest, I guess. You’re not perfect, you’re a fucking weirdo when it comes to cleanliness and newspaper and cheese strings, but whenever one of us feel a certain way, you always kind of know what to do. Honestly, Sir, from the start I trusted you, but now… I don’t know. I completely, utterly, trust you in every way possible. I just… I don’t know how to put it. I’m happy you’re my Dom, Sir.”  
   
Levi’s finger stilled as he stared down at his sub. His fingers moved again and he swallowed hard. He said nothing, just nodded.  
   
Eren wasn’t sure what he was supposed to think after that reply, but something warm expanded inside him and he… kind of wondered, if maybe, Levi felt it too?  
   
Levi looked away.  
   
Eren smiled.  
   
Levi did.  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

After a couple minutes, Levi reacted suddenly to the silence, ordering Eren to tell Armin to get ready. Eren zipped off to do as he was told, and he opened their bathroom to see Armin in the bathtub. He was putting his weight on his shoulders and feet, so his bum wasn’t touching the bottom of the tub. In his hands were two little rubber duckies, one yellow, one orange, and Armin was moving them around in the water.  
   
“Boo!”  
   
Armin screamed, tossing both rubber duckies in the air. One landed next to him, which caused him to scream again, and the second fell on his head, causing him to jump.  
   
Eren paled. “Sorry!”  
   
Armin glared at him and leaned back. “God damnit, Eren…”  
   
Eren walked over to the edge of the tub and crouched down. “I’m sorry, gimme a kiss?”  
   
Armin leaned over and smooched Eren.  
   
Eren grabbed the two rubber duckies. “Playing in the tub?”  
   
“N-No…”  
   
Eren stared.  
   
“I got bored. It’s not like I do it often.”  
   
Eren stared.  
   
“Okay, occasionally.”  
   
Eren stared.  
   
“Fine! I like to play with my rubber duckies in the tub, okay?” Armin pouted. “Happy?”  
   
“Yup!” Eren leaned in and smooched him. “What are their names?”  
   
“They don’t have names,” Armin shrugged. “It’s not like I named them.”  
   
“Mhm.” Eren looked at the yellow one. “Let’s call him Sunshine.”  
   
“No his name is Yellow!” Armin frowned, then realised he outed himself and leaned back so he dove underwater.  
   
Eren laughed and waited until Armin rose back up for air. “So this one’s Orange?”  
   
“Mhm. Except he’s named after the fruit, not the colour.”  
   
Eren shook his head. “You’re such a dork.”  
   
“Yeah, yeah…”  
   
“Oh!” Eren let go of the rubber duckies. “Levi says you gotta get ready, or something.”  
   
“Sure.”  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

Armin got out of the bath and Levi applied more cream to his bubble butt battleship. Eren read the label after they were done. It had ‘Vitamin E’ and ‘Collagen Elastin’ in big kapow letters. He had no idea what either of those did, but figured if Levi bought it then it had to mean something. Armin walked around half-naked for the next hour, only wearing one of Eren’s shirts—which he stole (but Eren surprisingly didn’t mind, he only looked forward to that shirt smelling like Strawberry Splash)—a red shirt that was long enough to cover his boy bits when he was standing.  
   
The redness of Armin’s bubble butt (which Eren had checked fairly often, totally because he was concerned) had gone down quite a bit. It was still a little pink, and Eren resisted the urge to just bite that ass. He kept himself calm and contained, even though he knew Armin would enjoy it.  
   
Eventually, they were getting hungry.  
   
Eren was surprised to find out it was actually seven in the evening.  
   
Armin eventually got dressed, and the three of them got in Levi’s car. Despite Levi’s protests, Eren got in the backseat with Armin. Levi grumbled about how he wasn’t a taxi driver, but Armin begged him and Levi’s impermeable defense turned out to have one little weakness and Armin Arlert knew it.  
   
“Chauffeur,” Eren teased. “Take the scenic route.”  
   
Levi stopped the car.  
   
Armin snorted.  
   
“Out.”  
   
Eren gawked. “But Sir!”  
   
“Out!”  
   
“But, but, but—”  
   
“I’ll pick you up at the end of the block. Go. Walk.”  
   
Eren sighed and kissed Armin once before he opened the door, got out of the car, and closed it behind him. He totally deserved it. He snickered. He watched the car drive to the end of the block and he made a quick jog to catch up to it.  
   
When he reached to open the door though, Levi drove off.  
   
“Hey!” Eren ran after the car, but it kept moving away from him. “I’m sorry!” He started running faster. “Levi, please!”  
   
In the car, Levi snickered before he drove off.  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

Levi found a lucky parking space and the three of them got out. Levi took the lead, and he didn’t have to look behind him to know his two subs were following. They turned the corner to where the restaurant was and he heard Eren attempt to whistle at the size of the line that didn’t just lead outside, it went to the other end of the block. Levi turned and slipped through the front door.  
   
Eren tapped his shoulder. “Don’t we have to line up?”  
   
Armin shushed him.  
   
Levi made eye contact with the host and lifted three fingers.  
   
The host, a forty year old man wearing a suit, pulled three menus and nodded. “Right this way, please.”  
   
They ignored a couple complaints from the people in line and followed the host to the side of the restaurant. It was a circular booth, small enough for four people, but still cozy and with a decent amount of privacy for a big restaurant. The host put three menus down on the table and then offered them the seats.  
   
Armin went in first and moved around to the middle section. Levi sat on his right, and Eren on his left.  
   
“Your waiter will be with you in a moment.”  
   
“Thank you,” Levi muttered. He watched the man walked away and flipped open the menu.  
   
Eren blinked. “What just happened?”  
   
Levi smirked. “When you’re known for tipping thirty five percent, you don’t have to deal with any bullshit. Money makes the world go ‘round, Pup.”  
   
Armin just chuckled. “Make sure to order a lot! Levi and I go crazy here since the food is so good.”  
   
“Yeah,” Levi flipped a page. “We usually order about thirty or forty dollars’ worth, each. Sometimes fifty, sometimes more.”  
   
“Really?” Eren looked through the menu. “But the prices are so fair…”  
   
“We’re animals,” Levi muttered.  
   
“More like,” Armin thought about it, “Foodies, maybe.”  
   
“Plus, we’re supporting a local company.”  
   
Eren chuckled and looked through the pages. He didn’t know what he could order that would add up to forty bucks, but he knew he was starving and lots of food sounded like a good idea. He flipped over to the rolls and looked down at the ‘specialty rolls’, which were usually too expensive to buy for just one person but as Levi said, he was totally doing it to support a local company.  
   
A waitress walked up to their table, a tall woman with short black hair and green eyes. She placed down three cups and poured tea into them. “Hello. Can I start you off with some drinks?”  
   
“Tea and water all around,” Levi muttered. “Nothing else for me.”  
   
“I’m good,” Armin nodded.  
   
“Same,” Eren said with a smile.  
   
“Do you guys need another moment?”  
   
“I’m ready.” Levi looked up to Eren. “Do you need another minute?”  
   
“No, I’m good,” Eren replied.  
   
“Good.” Levi looked back at her. “I’ll start with a miso soup, then a yakitori, and a… How the fuck do I pronounce this? Me-ro-gay? Merogay sashimi.”  
   
The waitress was writing down the order, but she leaned over to look at his menu and smiled. “Mi-ru-gai.”  
   
“Yeah, I’ll have an order of the me-ro-gay sashimi,” Levi kept a straight face as he spoke. He heard the waitress and both his subs laugh and he did his best to hide his smile. “Then a chirashi don, California roll, and a rainbow roll, please and thank you.” He snapped his menu closed and offered it.  
   
She took it with a smile and turned Armin. “And for you?”  
   
“I guess I’ll start with a miso soup too, why not?” Armin looked at the menu. “One agedashi tofu, a shizen salad, one tako sashimi and one tuna sashimi and, hmmm.” He flipped the page. “I’ll have the house special roll too, please.” He offered his menu.  
   
She took that one and placed it over Levi’s and turned to Eren.  
   
“Umm.” Eren wiggled his lips. “I guess I’ll hop on the miso soup bandwagon. Uh, which one’s the gomae-ae and which one’s the oshitashi again?”  
   
“Ohitashi,” she corrected with a chuckle.  
   
“Yeah,” Levi added. “There’s no shit in the ohitashi.” He paused. “Actually, I wouldn’t know; what the fuck is an ohitashi?”  
   
The waitress laughed and moved some hair out of her eyes. “The ohitashi is cold spinach with our house-made sesame sauce, while the gomae-ae is similar but it’s cold spinach with our house made sesame sauce and tempura sauce, and we add some shreds of bonito on top.”  
   
“Right.” Eren nodded. “Ohitashi then.” He flipped the page. “I’ll also have the special cone combo and a deluxe sushi.” He closed his menu.  
   
Levi frowned. “That’s it? Order some more.”  
   
“Um… okay.” Eren opened his menu again and stared at the appetisers. “I guess I’ll go for half a dozen assorted tempura?”  
   
“Get the full one,” Armin added. “We can share.”  
   
“Okay, then a full order, please.” Eren offered his menu.  
   
The waitress wrote down the last order and took his menu. She bowed before leaving the table.  
   
“Hey,” Eren said as he leaned forward. “Why is this place called Nishi? Like what does the name mean?”  
   
“Nishi Kai,” Armin corrected. “I think at least. No idea what it means in Japanese though.”  
   
“Hmmm.” Eren blew on his green tea before sipping it. “I’ve been really curious ever since I found out Jitensha, that’s the sushi place on Denman and Fourth Street, if you’ve seen it, that one means bicycle.”  
   
“Oh, I know that one.” Armin nodded and turned to Levi. “We’ve been there a couple times.”  
   
“Wait.” Levi blinked. “Is that why they’ve got all those fucking bicycle wheels and unicycles on the wall as decoration? Fuck. That makes so much sense… I just thought the owner found a bunch of bicycles and stuck them on the walls as decoration for no reason.”  
   
Eren chuckled and shook his head. “Nope, it means bicycle.”  
   
The waitress returned with a tray, she picked off three glasses of water one at a time and placed them on the table.  
   
“Hey,” Eren turned to her, “What does Nishi Kai mean in Japanese?”  
   
She turned to him and smiled. “It’s actually short for ‘Nishi Kaigan’, which means west coast, since we’re on the west coast.”  
   
“Ohh.” Eren nodded. “Cool, thanks.”  
   
“You’re welcome.” She smiled. She placed a miso soup in front of everyone, then put down several of the side dishes. “The rest will come shortly.” She bowed and left.  
   
Eren stared at the table. “That was quick.”  
   
Levi grabbed his miso soup and stirred it with his spoon. “Money, Eren. Money.”  
   
Armin chuckled.  
   
There were three miso soups. Reflecting the culture, it was actually made from a mix of traditional Japanese shiitake base and a more Western broth of carrots, potatoes and daikon radish. It was mixed with white miso and it was topped with finely chopped green onions, tofu, and seaweed.  
   
In front of Eren was his small plate of ohitashi, which looked like a block of spinach. The spinach was boiled, then compressed to drain water, chilled, then topped with their special sauce and sesame seeds.  
   
In front of Armin was his shizen salad. It was a green salad topped with salmon, tuna, shrimp, octopus, and red snapper sashimi.  
   
In front of Levi was his yakitori; comparable to a kebab, it was three short skewers of chicken, grilled but kept moist with a light glaze of mirin and soy sauce.  
   
Before they could even begin, the waitress came back and added one more dish on the table in front of Armin. It was his agedashi tofu, which was steaming tofu with a crispy outside in a sauce; it was topped with more green onions, grated daikon and dried bonito flakes. “Please enjoy.”  
   
“Holy crap,” Eren stared at all the food. “And this is, it’s like, not even half of what we ordered.”  
   
Levi brought his spoon to his mouth and blew on the miso soup. “We better get started then.”  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

Despite the fears raging in Eren’s heart, the three of them were a squad that had the strength to take down a formidable foe. The rest of their orders came. Levi had his mirugai (gay) sashimi, which was geoduck sliced thin, a chirashi don which was a small box of rice layered with seven kinds of sashimi, a California roll which was an inside out sushi roll containing cucumber, imitation crab made from prawn, and avocado, as well as his rainbow roll (which was a California roll topped with salmon, tuna, scallop, yellowtail, octopus, and red snapper sashimi).  
   
Armin’s tako (octopus) sashimi came, eight pieces, on the same plate as his tuna sashimi, ten pieces. He also had the house special roll, which was an inside out roll stuffed with real crab, topped with avocado, fish roe, and a light sweet mango sauce.  
   
Eren’s deluxe sushi was six pieces of the cucumber small rolls, six pieces of the salmon small rolls, and several nigiri: tuna, salmon, red snapper, shrimp, squid, eel, toro (tuna belly), and mackerel. He also ordered the cone combo which was three cones, one prawn tempura cone, one California cone, and one spicy tuna cone.  
   
Their large table was completed with the addition of the dozen assorted tempura, which were prawns, mushrooms, yam, and carrots.  
   
While Levi, Eren, and Armin were fighting the masses of food, conversation was killed in battle.  
   
Up until the point where Armin saw Eren dunk his sushi in soy sauce. “Dear Baby Jesus…”  
   
Eren looked up. He shoved the roll in his mouth and raised both eyebrows.  
   
Armin swallowed hard. “Too much soy sauce. Too much sauce.”  
   
Eren chuckled and finished chewing before he swallowed. “I’m sorry,” Eren said in an airy voice, “I’ll try harder.”  
   
“Good.” Armin nodded. He grabbed a piece of his special roll and tapped it in the soy sauce.  
   
“Your roll has sauce on it,” Eren pointed out.  
   
“But it’s a light application of mango sauce.” Armin wagged his index finger on his free hand. “The sweet mango sauce mixes well with the salty soy sauce, but the taste overall comes from the sushi itself. The sauce aids the flavour, it doesn’t overpower it.”  
   
“Yes, oh great one.”  
   
“Shut up,” Armin chuckled and shoved the roll in his mouth.  
   
Levi reached over the table and snatched one of Eren’s nigiri sushis. He tapped it in the soy sauce and ate it.  
   
Armin looked at Eren. “You know, in Japan, you’re supposed to have the rice on top and the fish on bottom, so the flavour of the fish hits your tongue.”  
   
“Fuck you,” Levi muttered. He stole another nigiri and did the same.  
   
“It’s the proper way to eat it!” Armin frowned. “And that’s too much soy sauce, you’re only supposed to add a small amount.”  
   
“Shut the fuck up, you weeaboo.”  
   
Armin gasped.  
   
Eren laughed harder than he should have and threw his head back.  
   
Levi snickered to himself.  
   
“Don’t call me that.” Armin pouted. “I’m not a weeaboo…”  
   
Levi smiled. “You’re a little bit of a weeaboo.”  
   
“Stop, Master. That hurts!”  
   
“Did I give you a weeabooboo?”  
   
Armin looked down. “Don’t make puns of my pain! I’m not… a weeaboo.”  
   
“No, you’re not a weeaboo.” Levi sighed. “Well, you’re not a twelve year old weeaboo, you’re more like… a Nietzsche.”  
   
Armin’s jaw dropped and his eyes watered.  
   
Eren looked up. “Nuttzchee? Is that the faggot philosopher you hate? The one who got syphilis at a male brothel? Or so the story goes.”  
   
Armin turned to Eren, then Levi. “What did you tell him?”  
   
“Just the bits I figured he’ll remember.” Levi glanced to him. “Yes, that one.”  
   
“So, wait.” Eren tilted his head. “Nutcracker was a weeaboo?”  
   
“Nietzsche,” Levi corrected. “No he wasn’t a weeaboo. He studied Ancient Greece, though. He adored it, loved it… Hell, some say he worshipped it. He believed it was the peak of human civilisation and that ever since then we’ve been on a total decline. Ancient Greece wasn’t perfect, of course. Social issues and status of women two thousand five hundred years ago, especially in some areas, were questionable, but Nietzsche believed it was pure and perfect and better than anything in the world. And no civilisation could even have one aspect better than Ancient Greece.”  
   
“Wow, this Nightingale guy was really on it, huh?”  
   
Levi snorted. “Yes. He was a total fan boy. Like I said, he thought society’s been on a decline since then.”  
   
“Hm.” Eren raised an eyebrow. “So why did Nirvana think we were on a decline?”  
   
“It started with Socrates, actually.” Levi looked at him. “If you know Socrates?”  
   
“Yeah, he was one of those philosophers with Pluto and Aristotle.”  
   
“Plate.” Levi rolled his eyes. “Plato and Aristotle. Yes, Socrates was Plato’s teacher, and Plato was Aristotle’s teacher. Nietzsche believed that Socrates was the source of all ruin. To be fair, maybe he’s right. Socrates was an asshole, he was a philosopher but he didn’t write anything down, he just argued with people all the fucking time. Jackass just went up to random people in the middle of the street and argued with them until they were forced to give up their beliefs. He was a public nuisance.”  
   
Eren tilted his head. “So we have records of this, how? I mean, if he didn’t write anything down…”  
   
“Plato recorded everything,” Levi explained. “They’re known as the Dialogues of Plato, or Plato’s Dialogues, whatever. He recorded thirty six of them, of Socrates being a jackass. They are beautiful works, though. One of them is Socrates’ death. Socrates, being the public nuisance he was, was ordered to die by execution. Back then, though, most people fled Athens when they were going to be killed. It was almost a given that when someone was told they were going to be killed, everyone just knew they were going to flee. Socrates didn’t.”  
   
“Why not?” Eren munched on more sushi.  
   
“Nobody really knows why. He was kind of a jackass, if I haven’t gotten that through yet, so it was probably to make fun of Athens for setting up their system that way. I think it was around two years he stayed in a jail, getting frequent visits. Eventually, they gave him lethal poison to drink, and Socrates drank it. As it was killing him, he’s sitting at a fucking table philosophising with his buddies. He loved philosophy so much, he’s doing it as he’s dying.”  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Now that’s fucking hard core philosophy.”  
   
Armin giggled as he shoved another roll in his mouth.  
   
“But Socrates wasn’t afraid to die,” Levi went on, “He believed the soul (and the ‘soul’ is a tentative term, because it meant something else back then) was immortal, but the body would rot. He saw the body as a cage, if you will. To die would be to release the soul, which was a good thing. This is when Nietzsche comes in. Nietzsche saw that view, that the body was bad and death was good, as a very… unhealthy view about the world, and Socrates embraced it. Plato, his pupil, took it to the extreme with some weird Matrix shit, to go as far as saying the body can’t be trusted, that physical flesh is a hindrance. Nietzsche saw that as the downfall of Ancient Greece, and maybe even the rest of society.”  
   
Armin nodded. “Levi hates Nietzsche, but the one thing he agrees on is that Socrates and Plato had an unhealthy view.”  
   
Eren nodded. “So it turns out the Nugget guy was right about one thing.”  
   
Levi laughed. “Nietzsche… I’ve read a lot of his stuff. He was very ill, very very ill. He had to give up teaching because he was puking and shitting and choking and dying all over the place. I mean it when I say he was horribly ill. In his writing, though, there is this… I wouldn’t say metaphor, but I guess there is a theme of sickness and well-being, healthy and unhealthy. It’s rich and lively, and it’s beautiful. In these symbols, he sees Plato as this plague, a walking disease that is responsible for the death of everything, for being the destroyer of his favourite culture. Luckily he’s dead.” Levi raised his mug of tea in toast. “And so rests he, that no twelve year old boy or thirteen year old girl will be able to hold a candle to the great, and the wonderful Nietzsche the Weeaboo.”  
   
Eren and Armin both snorted as they clinked their mugs together.  
   
The three of them drank.  
   
“So I learned something today,” Eren said with a smile. “Necrophilia was a fucking weeaboo.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Like Armin.”  
   
Armin whined. “I’m not a weeaboo!”  
   
Levi sighed. “I know you’re not, muffin. I know.”  
   
“I mean I had a weeaboo phase,” Armin admitted, “But that was like seven years ago!”  
   
Eren chuckled. “I had a weeaboo phase… a mega super extreme weeaboo phase.”  
   
Levi paled. “Oh God… do I want to know?”  
   
“Mikasa and I, man, we were the biggest weeaboos in the world.”  
   
Levi cocked his head to the side. “Isn’t she Japanese?”  
   
Armin blinked. “Can a Japanese person be a weeaboo?”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren nodded. “We actually sat down and analysed it one day. Given, she’s like fifth generation Japanese, so not even her great grandparents have seen Japan; her family is more Canadian than anything else. I mean she has the background, but when she was thirteen she totally based her mental impression of Japan in its entirety on a few animes and mangas. Total fucking weeaboo. We were the worst. Oh! We used to call each other ‘Mikasa-chan’ and ‘Eren-kun’! at school, and we used to run around like Ninjas from Naruto! We were… Oh we were bad—really, really bad.”  
   
Armin cringed. “I hope it didn’t last long…”  
   
“Oh, it did: It lasted like four years. Mikasa was pretty popular at school, so she managed to convert other kids into her weeaboo ways. There was even this one kid who totally made fun of me for liking Naruto so Mikasa pushed him down the stairs.” Eren smiled at the memory of Jean Kirstein toppling down and rolling in agony. “He totally had a thing for Mikasa, too, so he suddenly flipped and started watching Naruto and learning our weeaboo lingo… It was bad.”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi pursed his lips. “It sounds horrifying.”  
   
“It was, it was.” Eren sipped his water. “We were like weeaboos in our mega evolution forms, man. Dangerous stuff. Dangerous, dangerous stuff.”  
   
Levi gave a revolted, acidic snarl. “I hope when you lay awake at night and you can’t sleep, you think about it and cringe.”  
   
“Every once in a while,” Eren admitted with a smile. “I also like occasionally calling her and saying, ‘Ohayō, Mikasa-chan!’. Nine out of ten times she just hangs up, but if she’s in a good mood she’ll say ‘Moshi Moshi, Eren-kun!’.”  
   
“Stop!” Levi backed away. “Enough.”  
   
“Wait, I have more!”  
   
“Just fucking stop, Pup!”  
   
Armin shook his head. “Really, Eren… I can’t take anymore. I’ll never feel like a weeaboo again.”  
   
Eren cackled. “But there was one good thing about my weeaboo phase, though. I learned how to do this,” he chuckled before, in a very strange, almost babyish squeak of high-pitched noises: _“Yoshi!”_ exactly as Yoshi did.  
   
Levi chuckled. “Okay. That’s cute. I’ll give you that.”  
   
Armin grinned. “Very cute.”  
   
“Oh!” Eren gasped. “We didn’t say ‘Itadakimasu’!”  
   
Levi scowled. “I will fucking beat you.”  
   
“I’ll help!” Armin suddenly paused. “Okay, I’m too scared of hurting someone to help, but you won’t get any smooches from me for a whole week.”  
   
Eren laughed. “I was kidding, sheesh. I’m just gonna go back to eating.”  
   
“Good plan. Very good plan.” Levi turned to Armin. “I was teasing. You’re not a weeaboo. You know a lot about Japanese culture, but you know a lot about cultures in many countries, some way more than others.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Well, only because you showed me a bit of the world.”  
   
Levi shrugged.  
   
Eren looked up. “Oh you guys go on trips?”  
   
“I have the money for it,” Levi reminded. “But yeah, we planned a long trip to the States two years ago, and saw a  lot of Europe last year. We also…” Levi chuckled.  
   
Armin grinned. “We had sex in the Eiffel Tower.”  
   
Eren coughed on his sushi.  
   
Levi smirked. “Good times. What about you, Eren? Have you travelled?”  
   
“Sort of?” Eren tilted his head. “My mom and dad both love travel, so yeah I’ve seen like ten countries or something… I’m just not a fan. I mean I love seeing new places, but airplanes and hotel rooms and luggage and just the hassle of it all… Ugh.”  
   
“I get that,” Levi said. “After spending a week away from home, all you want to do is shit in your own toilet again.”  
   
Eren snickered. “That’s… one way to put it. I also just don’t like airplanes, like eight hour flights, ugh.”  
   
“But…” Armin’s lower lip wibbled. “But airplanes go up in the sky and go vroom through the air!”  
   
Eren stared at him.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “How my little Kitten goes between having a knowledge of an eighty year old man and the personality of a three year old is fucking beyond me.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “I just… get excited by airplanes. Maybe it’s because we always fuck in airplanes.”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren stared at him. “That could be why you enjoy it.”  
   
“And first class seats,” Levi added. He looked around the table and saw both Armin and Eren were finished. He pushed his plate forward. “I can’t eat anymore, take. I stole half your plates, so it’s only fair.”  
   
“Sure,” Armin said as he grabbed the last rainbow roll, tapped it in the soy sauce, and brought it to his mouth.  
   
Eren moved two California rolls on his plate and made sure Armin wasn’t looking as he drenched it in soy sauce and threw it in his mouth. “Mmmm,” he moaned as he chewed. After swallowing, he looked at the other one. “California rolls are amazing. They came into existence from the gods above.”  
   
“Actually it was a Canadian who invented them,” Levi stared at them. “The popular belief is that they were made in Los Angeles, but the story’s flakey. There have been records of an inside out sushi roll appearing here in Canada almost ten years before. It was by a Canadian who was in love with California, and he named it California roll, then got rich and moved to California.”  
   
“Wow.” Eren looked at his second roll. “What a fucking weeaboo.”  
 

  
⁂  
  
 

The drive home was short, without anyone being kicked out of the car. They got home and Levi stated that he had to go to work early tomorrow, so he had to head to bed, leaving Eren and Armin alone. They decided to head to bed too, since they had nothing better to do. They stripped, turned off the lights, and got in bed. Eren moved on his back and hooked an arm around Armin, and Armin rested his head on Eren’s chest.  
   
“Eren…”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
Armin stayed quiet for a minute.  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
No reply.  
   
“I swear if you ask me about the hokey pokey again…”  
   
“No, it’s serious this time.” Armin hugged him tight. “Promise me… Promise me you’ll never call yourself stupid or dumb or anything like that again, okay?”  
   
Eren felt his chest squeeze. “Okay. I promise.”  
   
Armin leaned over and kissed his cheek before snuggling. “Thanks.”


	24. The Third Week (8)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, everyone. I usually give warnings when a chapter is longer than usual, and this one is almost 20k. So make yourself a cup of tea or maybe just water, get yourself comfortable, and please enjoy the last day of the Third Week.

* * *

 

When sun filtered in, Eren threw the covers over both of them. Armin snuggled into his chest, nuzzling at the few short strands of chest hair Eren had, and he made a soft noise. Eren pulled his little blondie closer, as close as he could bring him, and pushed his head into the soft fairy hair that was perfect and smelled nice and made him realise that even with all the terrors in the world, there still existed perfect things, like Armin’s hair.  
   
Armin’s yummy fairy hair.  
   
Eren wondered what it tasted like… but then decided that was a weird thought and he should stop right there.  
   
Armin placed a small kiss on Eren’s shoulder.  
   
Eren smiled and kissed the top of Armin’s head.  
   
“I don’t want to go for a run…”  
   
“Me neither,” Eren admitted with a yawn. “We should skip today.”  
   
“Hnn.” Armin inhaled Eren’s scent and found it was making a good argument for him to stay. “But we’ve skipped so many days… I’m gonna get all big and chubby.”  
   
“You’ll be cute as a chubby sub.”  
   
“Mmm. Yeah I will.” Armin smiled. “I’m always cute.”  
   
“Always,” Eren whispered. He kissed the top of Armin’s head again and nuzzled it some more.  
   
“But… we should get up.”  
   
“No.”  
   
“Eren.”  
   
“No.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Levi said he had to get up early, so we should make breakfast for him.”  
   
“Fuck Levi.”  
   
Armin opened one eye and raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”  
   
“Mhm… He probably won’t get too mad if we slept in, but he’ll still give us a _nice_ punishment.”  
   
Armin laughed, most likely because it was true. “Hmm.”  
   
Eren pulled the blanket away and sighed. “Okay, but, seriously… let’s get up.” He pulled away from Armin (and Armin attempted to pull him back, but it was futile in the end). He slipped out of the bed and stretched, raising his arm over his head and tugged it to the side. “Come on, Sunshine, wake up.”  
   
“No…” Armin hugged a pillow. “I need at least two smooches to be energised.”  
   
Eren snickered. “Don’t be a dork, come on.”  
   
“Nope.” Armin shook his head. “If I don’t get a smooch in two seconds… I’m gonna die!”  
   
Eren flew across the room and landed with enough force to make them both bounce on the mattress. He brought their lips together and kissed him fiercely.  
   
Armin kissed back with a smile before moving his hands into Eren’s hair, messing it up, as if he was playing with a puppy.  
   
“Arf!” Eren barked before kissing Armin’s cheek.  
   
Armin snorted and leaned up to kiss Eren’s cheek. “Stay…”  
   
“Come on, let’s make breakfast.”  
   
“Fine, fine, fine…”  
 

⁂

  
   
The two of them slipped into the shower, once again compromising in temperature since Eren was a pussy and Armin was a hell spawn, so they found a warm centre. Their mouths found their way to each other again, and Armin’s fingers playfully laced into Eren’s dark brown hair. It was a slow kiss, slow and lazy, with the shower head pouring water over them.  
   
Eren’s hands felt down Armin’s sides and he smacked his ass.  
   
Armin broke the kiss with a yelp. “Ouch!”  
   
Eren chuckled. “I didn’t spank you that hard!”  
   
“But my butt’s still sore from yesterday.” Armin pouted. “Plus, spanking wet skin hurts more.”  
   
Eren tilted his head. “Wait, really? Since when?”  
   
Armin smacked Eren’s ass.  
   
“Ouchy!” Eren jumped, moving both hands to his ass. “Okay, point proven!”  
   
Armin snickered and looked down. He tapped a finger against Eren’s dick. “Oh hey, a boner.”  
   
Eren huffed and turned away. “We can fool around after breakfast.”  
   
Armin kissed Eren’s back, between the shoulder blades. “Is today opposite day? Because you’re being so responsible and I’m just being a total irresponsible slave.”  
   
Eren laughed. “I think you just have some pent up energy from not going for your run.”  
   
“Hmmm, maybe.” Armin kissed Eren’s back again. “I’m done if you are.”  
   
“Hmm, yeah. Let’s go.”  
 

⁂

  
   
Drying off quickly, the fairies returned to Armin’s hair and poofed it up. Eren was hoping to see the magical entities with his own eye, but it happened too quickly. He was a bit sad about it, but he pulled on a black hoodie, with no shirt underneath, then went with a pair of black boxers and dark blue jeans. Armin just went for a pair of light blue loose boxers and a white loose shirt, not bothering to get fully dressed before he had to.  
   
The two of them went downstairs and Eren got the coffee grinder and got to work. Armin oversaw him making the coffee as he got out the milk.  
   
That was when Levi walked in, looking like he just killed four children and an elderly blind man’s guide dog.  
   
Eren grinned and ran over to him. “Rise and shine!”  
   
Levi scowled and shoved his hand into Eren’s face, pushing forward with enough force to make Eren fall backwards on the floor. “No.”  
   
“Ouch!”  
   
Armin snickered and ran over to make sure Eren was okay. Helping him up to his feet, he dusted off Eren’s shoulders.  
   
“I want food,” Levi muttered. “Now.”  
   
“Yes, Master.” Armin pulled Eren to the fridge.  
   
They opened it, and Eren paled. “Well we don’t really have food…”  
   
“Um, we could make him toast?”  
   
“Sure?”  
   
Levi sighed. “How about a nice shot of whiskey? Or a bullet between the eyes?”  
   
“You can’t drink and drive,” Armin chastised. “And you can’t drive if you’re dead, either.”  
   
Levi actually pouted.  
   
Eren thought it was adorable but he wasn’t a fucking idiot so he kept his mouth shut like Marie Antoinette. That French reference didn’t make sense, but it wasn’t the chapter with the French references anymore, so Eren realised it didn’t have to make sense. He cleared his throat. “Didn’t sleep well, Sir?”  
   
“No. Not really. I’m surprised you can tell.”  
   
Eren smiled and walked over to him. He opened his arms. “Hug the bad feelings away.”  
   
Silence.  
   
Eren cringed. “Try it!”  
   
Levi sighed and opened his arms. Eren hugged him tight and Levi frowned, but he hugged back.  
   
Eren closed his eyes and squeezed his Dom. “Isn’t this nice?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“See!”  
   
“I’m playing out all my fantasies, Eren.”  
   
“Oh?” Eren opened his eyes. “What kind of fantasies are those?”  
   
“Hmmm, snapping your neck, bashing your skull against the wall, violently murdering four children and an elderly blind man’s guide dog.”  
   
“Well…” Eren pulled away. “If that’s what you’re into, Sir…”  
   
Levi gave a small smile. “Sorry. I’m in a shit mood.”  
   
“Always are, Sir.”  
   
Levi’s smile grew.  
   
Armin pouted. “You never give me any hugs…”  
   
Levi sighed. “Fine.”  
   
Armin bounced over and hugged Levi tight.  
   
Levi hugged back and scowled.  
   
Eren swallowed hard. “He looks really pissed.”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin smiled. “He did that when he hugged you too.”  
   
Levi shook Armin off of him and crossed his arms. “Hugging is stupid. You have limbs so you wrap them around each other like animals freezing to death.”  
   
“Well.” Armin put his hands on his hip. “I’m gonna guess you want your coffee bitter to match your shitty mood?”  
   
Eren snickered and covered his smile with his hand.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes.  
   
“I’m teasing, Master.” Armin’s smile softened. “But we don’t really have food, though… You could get something on your way to work?”  
   
“Hm, I’ll have the time,” Levi admitted. “But what about you two? I won’t let my pets starve.”  
   
“Hmm.” Armin turned to the freezer and opened the door. He stared at it and went on his tippy toes to see the back. “Oh, I could throw a frozen pizza in the oven or something.”  
   
Levi cringed. “Frozen food?”  
   
“Mhm.”  
   
Levi held back the urge to gag. “If that’s what you want, fine, but I won’t let you subject Eren to that garbage.”  
   
“I, uh, don’t mind, Sir.” Eren offered a smile, but received a scowl instead. “To be honest, that was my life, like three meals a day, before I came here.”  
   
Levi irked. “I’m leaving. Now. You two disappoint me.”  
   
“Wait,” Armin said as he walked across the kitchen. He grabbed a tall and skinny travel mug and undid the top. He poured in coffee, then some milk, then added something that looked like sugar but it came from a pretty specific small little container. He did the top and then offered it. “Here you go, Sir.”  
   
Levi kissed his cheek and took it. “Thank you.”  
   
Eren pouted. “I should get a kiss too…”  
   
“Why? What the fuck did you do?”  
   
“I uh… Oh, I got Armin out of bed!”  
   
Levi glanced at Armin.  
   
“It’s true.” Armin nodded.  
   
“Good Pup.” Levi scratched the underside of his chin before kissing his cheek.  
   
Eren laughed and scratched his nose. “Thank you, Sir.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes and left.

 

⁂  
  


 _Frozen food was given to us by the higher spirits,_  
  
 _so that in times of strife we could remember that beauty exists,_  
 _  
and that beauty can be preserved. In life, when I see two people,_  
 _  
I don’t wonder if they are happy, I wonder if they eat frozen food._  
 _  
Because if they do, then they always have a place in my heart._  
  
-The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (probably)

 

  
The frozen pizza was delish’, and the two of them ate it all. They moved to the living room, where they digested the meal.  
   
“That was fucking yum,” Eren pointed out. It had been twenty minutes, but he still couldn’t get over it. “And it was my kind of cooking, too. I can do that kind of cooking, on my own, you know?”  
   
“Mhm.” Armin smiled, closing his eyes. “That makes you better than Levi.”  
   
Eren laughed and kissed the top of Armin’s head. He pulled the blond closer and smiled, closing his eyes. Having woken up earlier than he wanted to, he was tired.  
   
Armin curled up and leaned on Eren. “I’m gonna do…”  
   
“You’re gonna do?” Eren opened his eyes. “Arm?” He moved his head back enough to look at the blond. “Did you just fall asleep on me? Oh, haha. I made a pun.” He grinned, but when Armin wiggled against his side, he whispered, “Sorry.”  
   
Armin nuzzled into him.  
   
Eren smiled. “Sleep you munchkin.”  
   
“Munch…” Armin yawned. “Kin.”  
   
Eren felt sleepy as well. He wasn’t sure he could fall asleep again, but he figured it would be nice to rest with Armin. He readjusted them so they were lying down, with Armin between the backrest of the couch and Eren. Armin nuzzled into his neck, and Eren swore it was the best thing in the world. He wanted to always have these kinds of moments. Eren’s raised both eyebrows. He pulled out his phone and held it above. “Selfie.” He snapped a picture.  
   
He was about to send it to Levi, but he realised he didn’t look good in the picture. He snapped another picture, didn’t like it, snapped another, nope, another, nope, another… He looked at it and smiled.  
   
Eren was grinning wide with Armin sleepy and nuzzling into his neck with a soft smile.  
   
It was perfect.  
   
Eren sent it to Levi with a caption, _‘Taking care of your kitty’_.  
   
He put his phone down, and it was five minutes before he got a reply:  
   
 _’Good boy. You’re getting rewarded tonight.’_  
   
Eren snickered and quickly sent Levi about four different emojis of hearts, each one a different colour.  
 

⁂

  
   
“You’ve been staring at your phone for a while now.”  
   
Levi looked up.  
   
Annie tilted her head.  
   
The two of them were standing outside his store. Levi had his briefcase packed and the strap slung over his shoulder, while Annie had her purse.  
   
Levi scratched his cheek. “Yeah… Are you off work?”  
   
“Lunch break,” Annie muttered. “You?”  
   
“Hm. Yeah. Done for the day.”  
   
“Lucky shit.”  
   
Levi smiled wryly.  
   
Annie glanced to Levi’s phone. “So what’s the deal with that?”  
   
“Oh, nothing…” Levi looked at his phone again and tapped it to bring the backlight back on. “Eren sent me a picture.”  
   
Annie leaned over and raised both eyebrows. “Holy shit… That’s… fucking cute.”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
Annie smirked. “You know… For me to admit something’s cute, it has to be pretty damn cute, but for you to admit it…”  
   
Levi silently chuckled. “And if we’re both admitting it, then?”  
   
“Then—”  
   
“Annie.”  
   
Both of them looked up.  
   
Mikasa moved some hair out of her eyes. She looked at Levi briefly, before turning her focus to her girlfriend.  
   
Annie gave a small wave. “Hey.”  
   
“Hey,” Mikasa said simply. She glanced back to him. “Levi.”  
   
“Ackerman.” Levi smiled. “You’re rather far from your workplace… Are you two going for lunch?”  
   
“Yeah.” Annie nodded. “We usually do on Mondays. We should get going. I don’t have forever.”  
   
“Wait,” Levi said a little too quickly.  
   
Mikasa tilted her head to the side. “Yes?”  
   
“I…” Levi pursed his lips. “I wanted to ask you something. It’s about, Eren.”  
   
“Oh.” Mikasa’s eyes softened. “About how you’re going to throw him out?”  
   
Annie nudged her arm, frowning.  
   
“It’s… customary,” Levi defended.  
   
“He’s not a customer,” Mikasa pointed out. “Don’t forget, Levi, he can end the contract too.”  
   
“Mikasa,” Annie whispered, “Don’t.”  
   
Mikasa kept staring at the shorter man.  
   
“Don’t be so hostile,” Annie insisted. “Sorry, she’s had a bad day. What did you want to ask, Levi?”  
   
Levi bit his lip, but eventually sighed. “Better to just get it out. I was wondering about his… intelligence.”  
   
Annie frowned. “What?”  
   
“High IQ, considered gifted, graduated top of his class, academic honour roll since first grade,” Mikasa listed, “Took three advanced placement courses in the eleventh grade, and eight more in twelfth grade, would have taken more if our school offered more. He completed his first year of university without even attending. He scored top marks in all exams. What of it?”  
   
Annie looked between the two.  
   
“I’m…” Levi took it in slowly. “I’m just, concerned, I guess, about what he says… He calls himself the dumb one, the stupid one… but it’s more than obvious he’s not.”  
   
“No. He’s not.” Mikasa crossed her arms. “He’s smarter than you or Armin, and could easily surpass Annie or myself in our own field with ease, given the resources.”  
   
Annie blinked. “Eren? Like, ‘I don’t like pressing the popcorn button on the microwave because it gives me bad jimmies’ Eren?”  
   
Levi would have laughed, but, “I have no doubt about that, Ackerman, I’m only… It’s the way he treats himself, his…”  
   
“Attitude,” she supplied.  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“Self-depreciation… He rejects it… in an attempt to reject his parents, his upbringing, his childhood, all of it.” Mikasa paused. “Can I speak… bluntly?”  
   
“You already are,” Annie muttered.  
   
Mikasa ignored it. “Can I, or not?”  
   
Levi’s jaw tightened. “Yes.”  
   
“Eren’s been through a lot. Honestly, if he ended up as a mass murderer, I wouldn’t be surprised. He’s damaged. Like you. Parents had him heavily medicated for years, not that it ever did anything. He never had anything wrong with him, but they kept trying to find the pill for him, the right meds to ‘fix’ him. They meant well… They were doctors, and that’s what they knew. They made him see therapist after therapist. One year, I think tenth grade, he saw close to forty. They were worried, horrified of what he did, and what he had to do…” Her eyes dropped to the floor and she uncrossed her arms. “For me.”  
   
Annie looked at her.  
   
“I… I know, Eren’s not good at avoiding touchy issues… In fact, sending him to live with you and Armin, two people who are utterly shattered on the inside but just pretending to be okay… It was a risk.”  
   
Levi crossed his arms. “I see… And, your reason for thinking it was a good idea, to send him to us, who have our… ‘Touchy issues’, as you put it?”  
   
“My reason?” Mikasa thinned her lips. “He was… getting worse. Secluding himself. Losing touch with friends. Losing interest in hobbies. I… didn’t know what to do. Couldn’t think of a way to make him better, without drugs and without therapy… So that’s when I had the idea.”  
   
Levi’s face soured. “I do not like the sound of this. You’ve apparently orchestrated something big without warning me. You put me and Armin in danger.”  
   
“You weren’t in danger,” she corrected.  
   
Annie raised her hand, as if she was in a classroom, then promptly put it down. “Didn’t… you say something about him being like a mass murderer?”  
   
Mikasa sighed. “I’m not saying he’s going to be one, or that he’s ever going to even think about it. I just meant, he was on a continuous decline. He was getting worse, gradually. One month, even if it was a bad month, isn’t enough to make a sane person lose their mind.”  
   
Annie shrugged. “I guess…”  
   
“It was one month. I could try without hurting anyone.”  
   
Levi frowned. “So why? Why me? And why Armin? I want answers, Ackerman. Now.”  
   
Mikasa looked him in the eye. “I never expected him to get along with Armin, at all, really… But I suppose it’s evidence that I’m right. He was… broken. He’s destroyed on the inside. You don’t know what he’s been through, what I’ve been through. The fire… it took everything from us, and there was… so much blood, and…” She looked away, cutting herself off. She cleared her throat. “I’m not usually talkative. I don’t know why I’m blabbing. I guess I just don’t know how to deal with these things.”  
   
Annie took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
   
“I’ll get to the point, Levi. Eren is… ruined, like you, like Armin. I thought if anyone could help him, it was someone like him, and that someone was you.”  
   
Levi still stared at her, but his face softened. “Help him? What… should I do?”  
   
“Nothing,” Mikasa insisted, “Don’t act different because I of what I told you. I just, you… You’ve done more than you know, already. Just… know that. I thought he could understand you, and without realising it, the same goes for Armin. Because he’s similar to you, similar to Armin. He’s just… broken.”  
   
“Broken,” Levi repeated.  
   
“I thought… He hides it, he hides it better than Armin, and better than you, but he is just like you. I thought you could help him, heal him, maybe… and, maybe, he could heal you, in a way.”  
   
“Mi…” Annie frowned. “Kasa?”  
   
Mikasa just stared at Levi.  
   
Levi stared back, and gave a small nod.  
 

⁂

  
   
 _“Stop it four-eyes, I’m not a kid anymore.”  
   
“I know.” Hanji’s gaze was focused. “You’re more of an adult than me in a lot of ways… in every way. I’m just worried about you.”  
   
Levi frowned. “Why?”  
   
“Just… because how you are… now.”  
   
Levi’s frown softened. “What are you even on about? I’m better than ever.”  
   
“I know, Levi, I know.” Hanji sighed. “But that’s not always a good thing.”  
   
Levi swallowed hard.  
   
Hanji kissed his cheek. “I’m always here for you. You know that, right?”  
   
“Enough, Hanji.”  
   
“No.” Hanji backed away a little.  
   
Erwin came in and scooped him up in one of his hugs.  
   
Levi felt his feet lift off the ground as he hugged him back. “She’s crazy.”  
   
“No she isn’t,” he corrected, putting Levi down. “I know what she means, and so do you.”  
   
Levi took a deep breath and looked away. “I know I’m the youngest one here, but you two never cease to make me feel like a child.”_  
 

⁂

  
   
Levi drove home, and ended up taking the wrong turn three or four times. It had taken him almost an hour to get from his workplace to home (it usually took twenty five to thirty five minutes), but he got there eventually. He stepped through the front door, kicking his shoes off, letting them land wherever they pleased. He couldn’t be fucked about order or cleanliness at that point. He closed the door behind him and took a deep breath.  
   
“Sir!”  
   
Levi looked up.  
   
Eren walked up to him, but paused. “Are… you okay?”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi stepped forward and pulled Eren into a hug.  
   
“Um?” Eren hugged back, tight. “Sir?”  
   
“Sorry, it’s just… been a long day at work,” he lied. He hugged tight, taking in the forest scent of Eren’s body wash.  
   
“Yeah?” Eren smiled. “I’ll give you tons of hugs, don’t worry.”  
   
“Hm. Yeah.” He pulled away.  
   
“Master,” Armin chimed as he walked over. “Are we going for groceries soon?”  
   
“In a bit,” Levi muttered. “I, need to talk to Eren.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened. “Huh?”  
   
Armin blinked. Then it hit him. “Oh, it’s already the third Monday, huh. Gotta talk to him about, the thing…”  
   
“Yeah,” Levi said with a nod.  
   
Armin blinked again. “Wow, already, huh?”  
   
Levi nodded again.  
   
Eren looked between the two like a lost puppy.  
   
Levi forced a smile. “Let’s talk, in the living room.”  
   
“I didn’t break anything, I swear!”  
   
Levi actually smiled. “It’s okay, don’t worry.”  
 

⁂

  
   
Sitting in the living room, across from each other, Levi pulled the comfy chair to be closer to the coffee table between them. Levi scratched the side of his head before he silently sighed. Best to get it over with, right? “I have a routine for the first three months of any contract.”  
   
“Okay…” Eren took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. That’s cool… Just breathe, Eren.”  
   
Levi offered a crooked smile. “It’s not that big of a deal.”  
   
“But we’re like super alone and sitting without Armin and he made it sound ominous and I’m scared.”  
   
“Don’t hype yourself up, Pup.”  
   
“Huh?”  
   
“You’re setting yourself up for disappointment. It’s not a big deal.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren calmed down a bit, but proceeded to vibrate and wiggle. “Okay just say it.”  
   
“Thirty-one days we’re tied together, but we’re only going to spend four weeks together. You will be leaving the household the morning of the twenty-ninth.”  
   
Eren blinked. “What?”  
   
Levi felt a pang of guilt when he saw just how… hurt, Eren looked. “It’s a time of reflection, for both of us.”  
   
“But, what?” Eren blinked. “Why?”  
   
“Reflection,” Levi repeated.  
   
“Like, mirrors? I don’t like mirrors!”  
   
Levi laughed louder than he should have. “No.”  
   
“Then what?”  
   
“Are you going to let me explain, Pup?”  
   
Eren realised what he was doing and zipped his mouth shut. “Sorry…” Or maybe not so shut. “I just, I thought…”  
   
“It’s a necessary time,” Levi explained. “You will leave on the twenty-ninth and return on the first of the next month. That will give you three days to think about the past month, to think about what you liked, and what you didn’t like. To think about whether you’ve been properly trained, whether you can leave satisfied, and whether I was a good Dom to you. It’s time to think about the contract, think about renewal, revisions, or termination. It’s time for both of us to… honestly, just think.”  
   
“Oh…”  
   
“To think about it clearly, and objectively, we have to go our own ways and compare our time together to our time without each other.”  
   
“But…” Eren cringed. “Where will I go?”  
   
“You will be staying with Mikasa and Annie,” he explained. “They’ve known from the start, since Annie was my sub at one point.”  
   
“Oh…” Eren looked, _betrayed_.  
   
Levi’s chest squeezed. “This isn’t personal, Eren, I’ve done it with Marco, and Jean, Petra, and even Dieter. It’s a normal process I do with all my subs.”  
   
“Oh, okay. So you did it with Armin?”  
   
“No…” Levi bit his lip. “But that was because Armin had nowhere to go. During that time, the two of us kept away from each other as much as possible, so in a way we did as much as we could. The more distance, though, the better.”  
   
“I guess…”  
   
Levi took a deep breath. “It’s only for three days.”  
   
“Four,” Eren corrected. “Twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, and the first.”  
   
“Not quite. You’ll be leaving around noon of the twenty-ninth and returning the first, roughly the same time, so it’ll be about seventy-two hours, give or take.”  
   
Eren frowned.  
   
“I’m… sorry.”  
   
“Huh? Why?”  
   
“You’re… upset. I… don’t want you upset.”  
   
Eren’s frown softened before it melted away. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. “I guess… I’m just,” he sighed again, “I don’t know. I thought I had like twelve days left; that’s practically two weeks. And now it’s like, just one week left… I know it’s just four days difference, but that’s… a lot of time, that’s four, or three nights without you or Armin, or even this house. But I don’t know, I get why you’re doing it, it makes sense, but I guess I’m just… disappointed.”  
   
Levi’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry.”  
   
“Huh?” Eren looked at him. “Oh! No no no! It’s not you, I mean… I’m not disappointed in you; I’m just disappointed because… I wanted, you know… more time with you, and Armin, and more time for the three of us to be together.”  
   
“I… see…” Levi swallowed hard. “We’ll still be on contract, though. You will still be mine and forced to refrain from having sex with anyone or breaking any of the rules of the contract until midnight of the thirty-first. We will meet again on the first of next month.”  
   
“Right.” Eren nodded. “When we’re equals.”  
   
Levi nodded.  
   
“You said that, on the first day I was here… That a Dom can easily overlook what a sub is saying because he is the Dom; likewise, a sub might feel that their opinion is inferior. Right?”  
   
“Exactly.” Levi smiled. “I want you to know… I’m doing this to foster a healthier, more open and expressive relationship between us.”  
   
“Sure, I guess…”  
   
“You still have another seven days here, Eren. You’re not leaving anytime soon.”  
   
“Yeah, I know… I guess, I don’t know. It feels like… wow, my days are numbered. It’s kinda a sucky feeling.”  
   
Levi cringed.  
   
“Sorry.” Eren smiled. “I know you’re doing it for a good reason, and I agree with that reason, Sir… I guess I’m just, bummed out.”  
   
“I think, I am too…”  
   
Eren blinked. “Really?”  
   
Levi bit the inside of his cheek. “I don’t know why… every other sub just took it in shitty strides. Sure, some handled it better than others, but none of them…”  
   
“Oh geez.” Eren bit his lip. “I’m not clingy, am I?”  
   
“No, well…” Levi smiled. “You always want to spend time with me, like a puppy would.”  
   
Eren smiled wide. “But… that’s not clingy or bad is it?”  
   
“No, of course not. I love it.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened.  
   
Levi realised what he said.  
   
“O-Oh!” Eren’s face flushed red. “Okay!”  
   
Levi felt his own face heat up and he promptly stood up. “Tell Armin we’re leaving in fifteen. I need to charge my phone,” he lied. “Then we’ll go.”  
   
“O-Okay!”  
 

⁂

  
   
Thirty minutes later, Armin entered with a twirl, skyrockets going off in the distance as the choir of angels sang, calling for their master. Armin had his head held high as he stepped into his territory, his love, his home—his birthplace.  
   
The grocery store.  
   
Levi followed after, clearly disinterested with the way he muttered little things to himself about how badly he wanted to get it over with.  
   
Eren walked in afterwards and looked around. He knew the grocery store; it wasn’t the one he used to go to frequently but he had been in the building a couple times.  
   
“Paradise,” Armin whispered.  
   
Eren snorted.  
   
Levi shook his head. “Armin usually takes lead.”  
   
One of the workers turned to Armin and offered a paper. “Here you go.”  
   
“Thanks!” Armin did a little dance and turned around. He examined the paper and bit his lip.  
   
Levi groaned. “Really?”  
   
“Yeah!”  
   
“Armin…”  
   
Eren blinked. “What?”  
   
Armin looked up. “Oh, well, they have a thing here, they give this little catalogue of coupons to every tenth or so person that walks in, so I’m just seeing what’s on special. I like coupons. We can save money.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “Put it down.”  
   
“I’m just looking!”  
   
“Down, Armin.”  
   
“There’s good stuff!” Armin whined. “Like uh… horse radish! Okay… no one wants that. Mangos?”  
   
“You’re allergic.”  
   
“Only a _little_ allergic!”  
   
“Wait,” Eren spoke up, “Didn’t you have mangos yesterday, on your sushi?”  
   
“Yeah, it’s a light allergy though. My mouth goes a little numb but it’s not dangerous.”  
   
“Okay…” Eren bit his lip.  
   
Levi sighed. “Put it down.”  
   
“Coupons, though… I like coupons.”  
   
“What the fuck, Armin? You know I can buy the whole store, right?”  
   
Armin looked at his feet. “But it’s a waste…”  
   
“Well,” Eren spoke up again, “Why don’t you give it to someone who needs it? I mean, I don’t know…”  
   
Levi ran a hand through his hair. “Get a cart, Eren.”  
   
“Okay.” Eren turned around and quickly pulled out a shopping cart from the lineup of them. “Where to?”  
   
“Hmmm,” Armin mumbled as he looked around. “We need to totally restock, so… we can head to the produce section. This way.” He led them to the area where all the fruits and vegetables were laid out. He immediately grabbed several red and white onions, looking at their exteriors and giving them a knock before putting them in the cart. He grabbed several whole garlics and tossed them in. Then he moved to the side where the mushrooms were. He grabbed a brown bag, grabbed the tongs, and put the white cap mushrooms in one by one. After that, he went for the leek, and grabbed two bunches of green onions.  
   
Eren watched as Armin flurried through the section, grabbing carrots, cabbage, watercress, avocados, lemons, limes, asparagus, cucumbers, the anime fireball kapow dragon fruit, apples, oranges, more cucumbers, and a bunch of other shit he didn’t recognise.  
   
Armin dropped them all in. “What else?” He turned around to see the bell peppers right behind them. “Oh, what colour should we get?”  
   
“Hmmm.” Levi shrugged. “Does it matter? Eren, what do you want?”  
   
“Red!” he screamed.  
   
Levi and Armin both seized, shoulders spiking, before they calmed down and looked at each other, letting out a small chuckle and sighing in relief.  
   
Eren blinked. “Huh? What? You don’t like red ones?”  
   
“No, no.” Armin smiled. “It’s not that, I love them, it’s just… Well, that’s a safe word so, I don’t know, I guess we freaked out with how… loud you said it.”  
   
“Oh!” Eren bit his lip. “I’m sorry.”  
   
Levi shook his head. “Don’t be. You didn’t do anything wrong. We should have guessed what you meant anyway. Automatic reaction. Anything else we need from here, Armin?”  
   
“Nope.” Armin looked around to double check.  
   
“Oh, hey.” Eren motioned to the side with a nudge of his chin.  
   
Armin looked to see the mangos, where a family of five (one mom, one dad, one four year old and two crying twins, most likely two years old) were. Armin pulled out the coupon paper and walked over to them. “Hi.”  
   
The lady turned to him. “Hi?”  
   
“I got these coupons,” Armin explained. “They’re for mangos, and I’m allergic, so I figure you two could use them more than I could.”  
   
The man took the coupons with a smile. “Thank you!”  
   
The lady instantly smiled. “That’s so sweet, thank you.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “It’s not a problem. Have a good day!”  
   
“You too!”  
   
Armin turned around and walked back towards them, a huge smile on his lips.  
   
Eren grinned and caught, out of the corner of his eye, Levi trying his best to hide a smile as well. Eren turned to Armin and reached under his chin to scratch it, as Levi did to him.  
   
Armin’s face flushed and he slapped the hand away. “Hey now, only Levi can do that to me.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “I don’t see why he can’t.”  
   
Armin’s face reddened even further. “L-Let’s move on!”  
   
   
The three of them eventually moved to the meat section, where Armin bought a bunch of things. Eren stopped paying attention after a while. Levi seemed to have never been paying attention. But Eren looked at all of it and turned to his Dom. “Isn’t that a bit much?”  
   
“We can freeze it,” Levi offered.  
   
“Hm. Kay. Fair enough, I guess.”  
   
Armin suddenly laughed. Both of them looked at him and he chuckled some more. “It’s just… Levi says ‘Fair enough’ a lot, and now you’re saying it… I found it cute.”  
   
Eren grinned.  
   
“Whatever.” Levi shrugged. “Where are we going next?”  
   
“Dairy aisle.” Armin led the way, and the two followed. He grabbed three cartons of milk, one skim, one two-percent, and one whole milk (or “Homo milk” as it was labelled). He grabbed a small carton of heavy cream and put that in the cart as well. “Anything else?”  
   
“Oh.” Eren perked up. “Chocolate milk?”  
   
“Eww.” Levi frowned. “There’s way too much sugar in that.”  
   
Eren pouted. “Well… maybe I want chocolate milk…”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes and grabbed a carton of chocolate milk before putting it in.  
   
Eren grinned and leaned over to kiss him.  
   
Armin chastely kissed back and chuckled.  
   
Levi rubbed his arm. “I’m going to head off for a bit, see if there’s anything I want. Be good. Push the cart for Armin. You’re his manservant.”  
   
“Yes Sir!” Eren saluted.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “One, don’t do that… Second, no ‘Sir’ in public, got it?”  
   
“Right,” Eren quickly un-saluted, “Levi… Oh, wow. That was weird. I called you Levi to your face. Wow. That’s weird. I’m gonna shut up now.”  
   
Levi snorted and walked off.  
   
   
Armin dragged Eren all over the store, filling the cart even further. As they went on, they occasionally passed Levi, who always seemed to drop something strawberry related into the cart (strawberry ice cream, strawberry jam, strawberry sauce, and one time it was actual strawberries). Eren rolled his eyes. “Hey, you think they have any like… strawberry cookies?”  
   
“Oh, we could check!” Armin led the way to the cookie aisle, but he turned around and walked backwards. “You know, in public, you’re my boyfriend.”  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Really?”  
   
“Mhm.” Armin nodded. “Levi doesn’t have a boyfriend or any partner or anything like that, as far as his public image goes. He’s not a big shot or anything, but he’s got to maintain appearances for his company, and dating a nineteen year old at his age…” Armin chuckled. “So, yeah, you get what I mean. He pairs his subs off. You’re my boyfriend.”  
   
Eren blew Armin a kiss.  
   
Armin caught it and placed it over his heart.  
   
Eren chuckled. “I don’t mind being your boyfriend.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks warmed and they took another turn. Cheeks too red to speak, that conversation ended there, but they ended up walking past the aisle with a bunch of jars.  
  
“Hey Arm!” Eren tapped on one of the jars. “It’s your favourite.”  
  
Armin blinked and turned.  
  
Sauce.  
  
Tomato sauce.  
  
Armin heard Satan’s laughter in his ears and his heart screamed in rage. But Armin was a lady (not really but whatever), and a lady was an elegant motherfucker, and no sauce could tear down his good mood.  
  
Until Eren grabbed a jar and put it in the cart.  
  
Armin yanked it out with the strength of a hundred orgasms.  
  
“But I want—”  
  
“Shut up!” Armin slammed the jar back on the shelf. “Sauce… tomato sauce…” Armin squeezed the jar and glared at it. “It’s a massacre. It’s a manifestation of all Satan’s failed orgasms. It’s the Socrates to Nietzsche, Marie Antoinette on the chopping block, Elsa unable to let it go, the lifeblood of weeaboos—It’s the third Shrek movie.” Armin’s eyes watered. “Tomato sauce is the manifestation of every broken dream!”  
  
“Um… Arm’ it’s not, you know, that bad…”  
  
Tears fell from Armin’s eyes. “It’s the baseline… It’s the default, Eren. It’s… it’s the sign that this world is lacking in all creativity.”  
  
Eren glanced to the jar of tomato sauce. It didn’t look that menacing, but… “Okay?”  
  
Armin shook his head. “This isn’t a joking matter…”  
  
“I’m sorry.” Eren offered a smile. “I just have no idea what you mean by the default…”  
  
“It’s like… salt and pepper. People put it on everything. Sure, salt and pepper are a great mix, but if you put it on absolutely everything, then everything you eat will taste the same. So tomato sauce is like that… it’s the default. Look, it’s just.” Armin turned around; and, conveniently, there were pastas. He grabbed two boxes of pastas, one was penne (the short tubes) and the other was spaghetti. “You do not give these two the same sauce!”  
  
Eren blinked. “Why not?”  
  
Steam shot out of Armin’s ears and his eyes were boiling a storm of tears. He took a deep breath and had to wipe his eyes with his sleeve. “Okay, look… for tubes, a runny sauce does nothing. You want something thick, so it coats the inside and doesn’t just drip right off when you pick it up. If this pasta can capture some of the sauce in the inside, then it will be full of flavour. But this one!” Armin shook the spaghetti box. “This one is the opposite. You want a thin sauce on spaghetti, something that coats it but doesn’t drench it.”  
  
“Okay…”  
  
Armin turned around and grabbed two more boxes. One of them was macaroni, and the other had the word ‘Ribbons’ on it, since they were long, flat, and thick noodles.  
  
Ribbon was not the Italian name, but Eren recognised it as Fettuccine.  
  
“For these ones,” he said as he shook the ribbon box, “The wider the noodle, the thicker the sauce. There are guidelines!”  
  
“Okay…” Eren scratched the back of his head. “So what does this have to do with tomato sauce? You can have thick tomato sauce and thin ones…”  
  
“Yeah.” Armin put the boxes down and sighed. “I don’t hate tomato sauce… in the same way I don’t hate salt and pepper. I just… not the same! Fucking! Thing! On everything!” Armin thrashed his arms around. “It’s bullshit!”  
  
Eren burst into laughter.  
  
“Don’t laugh at me!”  
  
“I’m,” Eren chuckled, “I’m not!”  
  
Armin continued flailing before he yanked the jar of tomato sauce off the shelf. “Add a bit of garlic, onions, and herbs and it’s marinara sauce! Add a bit of milk or cream and cheese and it’s a beautiful, beautiful rosé sauce! All you have to do is do a little and you can break away from the chains of this demonic invention!” He raised it above his head. “I will destroy it!”  
  
“No, Arm!” Eren threw himself forward.  
  
Armin screamed and plunged the jar to the ground.  
  
Eren latched onto the jar and pulled. “Armin!”  
  
Armin tried to pull it away from Eren. “Let me destroy it!”  
  
“No Armin!” Eren struggled to claim it. “You can’t!”  
  
“It’s like Lord of the Rings!” Armin pulled harder.  
  
“I never read those books!”  
  
Armin gasped. “Don’t succumb to it’s powers! I have to throw it in Mount Doom!”  
  
“We’re in a grocery store, not Mordor!” Eren yanked hard.  
  
“How do you know about Mordor if you didn’t read the books!?”  
  
“I watched the movies! Armin, come on!”  
  
“No!” Armin screamed, “This is my destiny! Don’t be Gollum! He’s not even hot!”  
  
Levi walked past them and put more strawberries in the cart.  
  
They both paused and looked at him.  
  
Levi looked at them, then looked at the jar. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to fucking know. Leave me out of this.”  
  
Eren tugged the jar and put it back on the shelf.  
  
Levi assumed that was the right choice so he gave Eren’s head a couple pats and walked away.  
  
Armin pouted.  
  
“How about we get those cookies, now?” Eren offered with a smile.  
  
  
Eventually, the two of them were looking at the wall of cookies.  
  
Armin pursed his lips. “I always want to buy one of these, but I never finish it by myself.”  
   
“Well, I can help my _boyfriend_ eat some cookies!”  
   
Armin chuckled and hummed. “Oreos or Chips Ahoy?”  
   
“Oreos.” Eren looked at them. “Regular or double stuff?”  
   
“Regular,” Armin muttered. “Double stuff is great, but I eat like fourteen cookies at once and it makes me feel sick.”  
   
“Yeah, I know that feeling. Oh.” He pulled a box of the golden Oreos. “These?”  
   
“Sure!”  
   
Eren dropped it in the cart and glanced to the side.  
   
Someone was staring at them. No, not them. Someone was staring at Armin.  
   
Eren felt his chest tighten. “Uh… Arm’. Hey…”  
   
Armin looked at him, then turned around to follow the gaze. His eyes widened. “Eld!”  
   
Eld was a blond with brown eyes. His hair parted in the middle, and he had a pony tail in the back. His beard was trimmed short, like a goatee. “Armin?” His brown eyes widened and he stepped forward. “Holy fuck… It _is_ you.”  
   
Armin grinned and ran to hug him tight.  
   
Eld hugged him back and squeezed. He backed away and stared. “Holy shit.”  
   
“Wh-What?”  
   
“I just, wow. You’re… I mean, you’re… hot. And cute. And a lot older, and just… You were such a dweeb when you first came to the house but God damn… You’re, you look great. Seriously.”  
   
Armin blushed and scratched his cheek. “Aha, really?”  
   
“Yeah… holy shit… I thought it was you because of the hair, but just…” Eld shook his head. “You look amazing.”  
   
“So would you…” Armin grinned. “Would you… you know, fuck me?”  
   
Eld took a deep breath and chuckled. “Your brother would run a knife through my throat, but hell yeah… It would be worth it.”  
   
Armin laughed and shifted his weight to one leg, putting both his hands behind his back. “How are you?”  
   
“I’m… good, actually.” Eld nodded. “Pretty good. And, you?”  
   
“I’m great.” Armin nodded in return.  
   
“That’s great! I, uh. I heard you signed a contract with Levi actually… Dieter was fuming mad, man. But, I haven’t really talked to him in a year or two, but I still talk to Gunther.”  
   
“Yeah?” Armin felt his chest squeeze. “How… are they? Good?”  
   
“Good, yeah.” Eld smiled. “Clean, too. Finally. They’re still together, but… I don’t know if it’s a serious relationship or if they just, want companionship or company or sex or what, but yeah. I don’t know… I haven’t, really kept in touch with anyone. I wish I knew how the others were, to be honest.”  
   
“Petra’s in England,” Armin offered.  
   
“Shit. Really?” Eld scratched the back of his head. “So she went through with it? Studying writing?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin grinned. “She’s worrying herself sick over it, since the jobs aren’t really, you know, plentiful, but she’s good. I mean it, she’s really good and she loves it. She also talks to Levi lots, and you know how he is, he keeps her on the right track.”  
   
“Sounds like him, but how does he do that with writing?”  
   
“Oh, well, he’s done a lot of research on the issue,” Armin explained, “Apparently most students wait until after their undergrads to start submitting and publishing things, but Petra’s already published… I think five things now?”  
   
“Published!” Eld’s eyes widened. “Not, novels?”  
   
“No, no. That’s later.” Armin chuckled. “For now she’s submitting short stories, to monthly literary magazines. She’s building a sort of, not résumé, but she’s proving herself so that when she goes to a small publishing house, they will see she can actually get things out in the world. She’s also part of this like, Canadian grant for upcoming artist? So she’s getting money for her stuff, too. Not that much, right now, but it helps, since you have to pay to enter contests.”  
   
“Shit, that’s not fair.”  
   
“It kind of is,” Armin explained. “It’s like, uh… You pay to enter, and if you win it covers your subscription to the magazine, but if you lose you do get feedback and tips for improvement. She’s doing contest after contest, and Levi’s on the lookout here for anything in Canada, or more like North America in general, but yeah. It’s a bit brutal, though. One of her Profs told her if a writer submits to ten contests, she might get lucky if she wins one. The prize money is pretty good though, some are several thousand, and yeah.”  
   
“One in ten chance?” Eld whistled. “Talk about rejection… takes tough skin to go against those odds.”  
   
“That does sound like Petra, though,” he offered.  
   
Eld laughed, “Yeah. That’s good though, she’s got to take every opportunity she can to get ahead. Sounds like she’s really matured, too, huh?”  
   
“Sort of.” Armin smiled wryly, “She’s still a dork.”  
   
“Good.” Eld grinned. “I always liked that about her.”  
   
“Me too. I miss her a lot, actually. She misses it here, but she’s in love with England.”  
   
“Yeah? Does she have an accent?”  
   
“A little! She says she doesn’t, but a couple words she pronounces funny.”  
   
“Man, that’s great!” Eld smiled sadly. “I’m happy for her. What about Oluo?”  
   
“He’s in China!”  
   
“Shit. So he’s still doing that teaching job?”  
   
“Yeah, he loves it; he said he wants to do it for another couple of years before he comes back.”  
   
“What’s he going to do when he comes back? More teaching?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin nodded. “He says he could help ESL kids in elementary school.”  
   
Eld tilted his head. “ESL?”  
   
“English Second Language students,” Armin clarified. “He says he could work in a kind of program to help those kids catch up with their peers.”  
   
“Wow…” Eld scratched the back of his head. “That doesn’t… sound like him at all, no offense.”  
   
“He’s great with kids!”  
   
“Yeah, I guess… I’m just so used to, like, seeing him gag Gunther or something crazy and kinky like that, tying me up with rope.”  
   
Armin laughed.  
   
Eld grinned. “So, uh, you never answered. Are you with Levi now?”  
   
“Yeah. Eren is too.”  
   
“Eren?”  
   
Eren smiled. “Hi.” He offered his hand.  
   
“Eld,” he said as he took it.  
   
“Oh, sorry.” Armin tugged Eren closer. “I’ve been making you awkwardly stand there all this time… Eld was one of Levi’s subs, before me. But yeah, Eren and I are both Levi’s.”  
   
“Damn.” Eld bit his lip. “What I would give to be Levi.”  
   
Eren laughed and Armin giggled.  
   
Eld smiled. “Uh… Levi’s not, here… is he?”  
   
Armin nodded. “He is.”  
   
“I should, I mean, I should probably, you know… go, right?”  
   
“No!” Armin’s eyebrows show up. “I bet he will want to talk to you.”  
   
“Are you sure?”  
   
“Eld,” a smooth voice interrupted them, “Things ended on a sour note for us…” Levi offered a small smile. “But I think enough time’s passed that we can put that shit behind us.”  
   
Eld swallowed hard. “Sir… I mean, crap.”  
   
Levi chuckled.  
   
Eld scratched the back of his head. “Old habits die hard, I guess.”  
   
Levi tilted his head. “I don’t mind… I miss the way you said that.”  
   
Eld took a deep breath, cheeks visibly turning pink.  
   
“Look at that. It’s been three years and I have you wrapped around my fingers in a couple seconds.”  
   
“Shut up!” Eld crossed his arms and huffed.  
   
Levi snickered. “I’ve missed you.”  
   
Eld blinked. “Really?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“I missed you, and Armin too. Everyone, really.”  
   
Armin pouted. “Are you two gonna hug or what?”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes and stepped forward.  
   
Eld leaned down a bit to hug him and he closed his eyes, smiling as the familiar scent hadn’t changed.  
   
Levi hugged tight, counted to four, and then pulled away. “How are you? Everything alright? I mean, financially?”  
   
“Yeah, yeah, I have a good job… Well, more like Mike took pity on me and gave me a job, but you know, same thing.”  
   
“That does sound like Mike,” Levi muttered. “Taking pity on street rats.”  
   
Eld put a hand on his hip. “And are you so different, Sir?”  
   
Levi smiled. “Check and mate right there. You’re right… I’m, glad that…” He frowned. “What I mean to say is… If you need anything, you can ask me.”  
   
Eld swallowed hard and nodded. “Thanks… I mean, um. Thank you? Thank you.”  
   
Armin smiled and nudged Eren. “Now you know what you look like when you try to talk to Levi.”  
   
“Wh-What? Really?” Eren chuckled. “I bet I have less grace, though.”  
   
“A lot less,” Levi added.  
   
Eld opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of beeping went off. He tapped his pockets until he pulled out the phone. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to take this. It was nice seeing you guys, though.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Hope to see you around.”  
   
“Y-Yeah, I’d like that.”  
   
Armin grinned.  
   
Levi turned, cocking his head to motion for them to follow. They did, and he walked in a different direction. Where they were headed, he wasn’t sure, just away from Eld for now. “So, do we need anything else?”  
   
“Nope.” Armin glanced to Eren. “Anything you want?”  
   
“Um… I don’t know, mac and cheese, maybe? Some KD?”  
   
Levi snarled.  
   
Armin nodded. “Follow!”  
   
Levi followed and shook his head. “Kraft dinner, really? Couldn’t you make it homemade?”  
   
“There is beauty in mac’ and cheese,” Armin explained.  
   
“No, there isn’t.”  
   
“Don’t bother, Armin.” Eren looked at his Dom. “You’re gay, you wouldn’t understand.”  
   
Levi frowned. “You take my dick up your ass.”  
   
“Shh,” Eren whispered. “You’re gay, you wouldn’t understand.”  
   
“What does that even mean?”  
   
“Shh.”  
 

⁂

  
   
Eventually the three of them finished up and headed to the lineup. When they got to the cashier, Armin bounced forward.  
   
“Thomas!”  
   
Thomas, a gold-eyed blond, looked up and smiled. “Hey!” He took a look at Levi, Armin, then Eren. “New guy, huh? Not bad looking.”  
   
Levi smirked. “Thank you.”  
   
Eren blinked. “Huh? Oh, are you a member of the?”  
   
“Yes,” Levi explained. “Believe it or not, he’s straight.”  
   
Thomas pouted. “Can you believe they tease me for it?” He put the several produce on the weight and tapped in their code. He was fairly quick at it and filled bag after back. “I’m guessing you’re paying on debit?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
Thomas nodded and blurred through the rest. “Total is two hundred thirty six, and twenty two cents. Whenever you’re ready,” he said as he motioned to the machine.  
   
Levi slipped his debit into the machine and waited until it prompted him for his PIN number. As he waited for it to be approved, he glanced to the lineup and got an idea. “Eren, Armin, take the bags to the car. I’ll follow shortly.”  
   
Thomas laughed. “Short-ly.”  
   
Levi looked up and glared daggers.  
   
Thomas visibly paled.  
 

⁂

  
   
“He’s a dead man,” Armin muttered as they walked out of the grocery store and to the parking lot.  
   
Eren chuckled. “Yeah, looks like!”  
   
Levi came after them. “Hurry.”  
   
Eren gulped. “Did you kill him?”  
   
Levi frowned. “Who?”  
   
“Thomas Wagner,” Armin reminded.  
   
“What? No. I paid for Eld’s groceries in advance. He was in the same line as us and I can trust Thomas. I just want to leave before Eld has a chance to be a little bitch about it.” He clicked the button on his keys and the trunk opened.  
   
Armin dropped all the bags in and then moved to the back seat.  
   
Eren did the same, closed the trunk, and then got in the passenger seat.  
   
Levi got in the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition.  
   
It wasn’t long before they were driving away.  
   
Eren smiled as he looked out the window. “Thomas seemed like a nice guy.”  
   
“He is,” Armin sang. “He’s got such a nice dick, too. Like wow.”  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say he was straight?”  
   
“Yes,” Levi said as he flicked his turn signal. “He’s a switch, so some of his female Doms have ordered him to perform homosexual acts for their viewing pleasure.”  
   
“Wow, and he’s cool with it?”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi made the turn with ease. “That’s the thing about our society. It’s not what Thomas prefers, but he doesn’t mind it. For most people, female heterosexuality is about liking men. Female homosexuality is about liking women. Male homosexuality is about liking men. But, male heterosexuality? It’s about liking women and hating men. Male heterosexuality is about rejecting homosexuality, and it is the only sexuality of the thousands out there that has a ‘rejection’ element. If a gay guy called Thomas cute, he’d just take it as a compliment, tell them he doesn’t swing that way, and get on with his life.”  
   
Armin frowned in the back seat. “Why aren’t more guys like that?”  
   
“Eh.” Eren looked out the window. “It’s kind of a self-defence tactic, though. Guys know they have to act like that or they’re going to get beat up. It’s fucking stupid. Hate for feminine things doesn’t stem from intolerance or even attitude or thought. It all stems from fear of being ostracised. Ostracised, isolated, outcasted… It’s one of the strongest human motivators, and it’s a dangerous one. I mean, all societies have had elements of it…” He looked back towards the interior of the car. “You guys ever hear about that cyber ball experiment?”  
   
Levi glanced at him for half a second before gluing his eyes back on the road. “Cyber, ball?”  
   
“Oh!” Armin leaned forward. “I heard about that. It was a psychology experiment, right? Where the people are playing a computer game where you pass the ball, but after a couple of passes, the computers only pass with each other, and it causes social rejection.”  
   
“Really?” Levi frowned. “Sounds fucking dumb as shit. What were the results?”  
   
“Really conclusive,” Eren stated. “The original study was done with people, where four participants were supposed to pass a ball, but in truth only one of them was a participant, the other three were actors. When they stopped passing the ball to the participant, there was a wide range of emotions. They got depressed, they got angry… some of them actually started crying. Over a game of passing ball. Cyber ball was when they repeated the study to see if it would differ over the computer. Same effect.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “So… You mean people cried because computers weren’t passing the ball to them in a fucking video game?”  
   
“Yep.” Eren nodded. “They repeated the study over and over, and even one time the participants were being paid more each time the computers didn’t pass to them, but they still got upset and depressed. I mean, if you ever want to manipulate someone, just threaten them with isolation and rejection, and ostracism.”  
   
“Hm.” Levi nodded. “Some Doms do that, isolate the sub as punishment. I’ve done it before, only a couple times when things were severe.”  
   
Eren frowned. “How severe?”  
   
“It was years ago. Before Armin. One of my subs hurt another sub.” Levi scowled. “It was severe and deserved.”  
   
Eren nodded. “Yeah… people do anything to avoid ostracism. It’s why there are so many bullies.”  
   
“That’s…” Armin huffed. “I don’t think that really excuses what guys do to each other.”  
   
“I’m not defending them,” Eren clarified. “I just think like… too many times we’re trying to change the way people think and act, but we’re not making an attempt to understand their mindset first. Worst is, they’re doing it to themselves in this mob mentality. I mean, chicks do it too, they badmouth each other and call each other sluts and bitches; that’s what our society tells them to do, and it leads to all kinds of emotional torment, but I guess even that’s better than shoving kids in lockers and beating the shit out of them.”  
   
Armin tensed, bringing his knees up to hug them.  
   
“I was openly bi in high school, and nobody ever had an issue with it.” Eren scratched his nose. “If I came to a school in a dress, people would laugh _with_ me, but if a straight guy did it, he’d probably end a bloody mess. To be fair it was a left-wing and accepting high school, and it was in a pretty liberal town, too. But even in a place where it was A-Okay to be a gay or bi, but so many straight guys were tormented for crying or liking music or acting or art, or whatever. Fucking stupid. Not that things were perfect for me, but yeah, everyone has shit to deal with.”  
   
Levi glanced to him. “You… seem to know a lot about the issue, Eren.”  
   
“Uh, yeah, I guess…”  
   
“Can I ask why?”  
   
“Mom was a psychologist, and she had a minor in sociology. When I was in high school she started focusing on teens and stuff. She read a lot about the damages and the motivations behind the ‘destructive culture’ of high schools. She wanted my opinion on a lot of things, too. I did my own little experiment, an informal one.”  
   
Armin blinked. “Yeah?”  
   
Eren laughed. “I said if I went to school in a dress, nobody would care, right? Well I did that. I wanted to see what that would be like. Given, I was known as a funny guy, so there’s no way I am enough to be representative of all bi guys, but yeah, nobody gave a shit. They laughed. I asked a couple straight guys if they would do it, just to see if there would be a difference. They said hell no, they would get beat up. They even said they would beat up any guy who did it… Of course they didn’t think about beating me up, but yeah, I don’t know. It’s weird as fuck. Wait. Why are we talking about this?”  
   
“Because Armin sucked Thomas’ dick.”  
   
Armin laughed. “Just a couple times… But, sorry, I uh… What would you say, not the cure but, what would you say the answer to the issue is? Because… I don’t know. I mean, those kinds of problems are really bad in high school, I know that much, but it’s not like they disappear afterwards. Those dickheads grow up, have kids. I don’t know… Do you have an answer for it?”  
   
“Well, it’s important to know we’re on an incline in terms of acceptance.” Eren glanced to the rear view mirror to see Armin looking at him. “It’s not perfect, but we have to take that victory. A part of it is just promoting acceptance in all age groups, but mainly in kids and teens. One way to see it is like… When a kid is ten years old and he says gay people should all die, nobody would be surprised if their reason was ‘Because that’s what mommy and daddy said’. Well, most ten year olds wouldn’t say mommy and daddy, but you get my point.”  
   
“Right,” Armin said with a nod.  
   
“But when you’re twenty, you can’t say all gay people should die because that’s what your parents told you. That’s not a good enough reason: You’re an adult and you should have your own opinion. So, when you’re fifteen, you’re in the middle of that, and your opinion is being distorted, and there are all kinds of interfering variables in the mix, social issues, peer pressure, the media… A lot of fifteen year olds don’t have their own opinions on things, just a mix of everything they’ve seen. But, on the other side, it’s also not really that easy to break away from everything and think about it objectively.”  
   
Levi scoffed. “No, even most adults can’t do that.”  
   
“Yeah,” Eren muttered. “The answer is just to promote acceptance, and promote reasons for acceptance, and you’re giving the kids a… I hate this metaphor, but you’re giving them a ‘toolset’ to make their own opinion, I guess.”  
   
Armin pouted. “So there’s no answer?”  
   
“Arm’, if you’re looking for a quick fix to eliminate all the issues that have been festering for years, there isn’t one. If there was, we would have already found it. But that shouldn’t bog you down. Things get better every year, world-wide, and we’re on the right path. Every little thing you do to promote acceptance speeds it up a touch. So yeah… there are guys who will shove weirdoes and outcasts in lockers, and there are guys who will make fun of others so nobody makes fun of them. I mean, all teens are insecure, even bullies, but we are getting better.”  
   
“But!” Armin frowned. “That doesn’t mean a bully isn’t responsible for what he does just because he’s insecure!”  
   
“Of course he is responsible.” Eren sighed. “That’s the thing about motivation, it’s not an excuse. Never, ever, does a motivation count as an excuse. You don’t study motivation to excuse someone.”  
   
“Then,” Armin huffed, “Why study it?”  
   
“It’s like those guys who are huge homophobes, and then they found out a lot of guys who are extra-homophobic are really just suppressing their own homosexual tendencies and desires, and taking it out on other people. Sure they could be suffering, but just because you’re being hurt it doesn’t give you an excuse to hurt someone else. But it’s important to study motivation and reasoning and all that, so that we can learn from it and—more importantly—prevent it.”  
   
Armin relaxed a bit. “I guess… I just wish there was an easier answer. I want things to get better. I don’t want…”  
   
“Everyone wants things to get better,” Levi muttered. His eyes flicked to Eren. “Bullying is a bit of a… sensitive issue, with Armin.” He glanced back to the road, knowing Eren would know exactly what he meant. “But I agree with Eren. We’re on the right path and things are getting better.”  
   
Armin blinked. “You agree with him?”  
   
“I’m thirty-one years old, Armin. I’ve seen this country change more than people realise it has. When I was little, gay people were animals, and everyone thought it was a choice, a choice of sin. Now, gay marriage is a national right, and even internationally there are more countries and territories that have legalised same-sex marriage than ever before. When you’re in the thick of it, day to day, it’s hard to see the bigger picture, but as of right now we have the most humane planet we have ever had. Changes happen over time, though.”  
   
Eren nodded. “Quick changes happen too, but they’re usually a reaction to some kind of disaster, and it sparks action, and if it changes too quickly then things get clunky and rushed and not necessarily better.”  
   
“Hmmm, I guess.” Armin nodded. “I think we’re just… so far away from an ideal world.”  
   
“Look back twenty years.” Levi smiled. “And you’ll see just how much progress we’ve made. Sure, I wish they would play Cher more often on the radio like they did back then, but I’ll happily give gays the right to marry who they love and take the lower infant mortality rates, and all the advances in science, and then just listen to Cher on my phone later.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “You’re right.”  
   
Eren leaned over and smooched Levi’s cheek.  
   
Levi smirked and turned into the driveway. “We’re here.”  
 

⁂

  
   
Levi stepped into the kitchen and waved his hand. “Get me a glass of water.” He heard Armin move behind him and he walked over to the kitchen table. He took a seat and crossed his legs. Cocking his head to one side then the other, he cracked his neck and sighed. Armin placed the glass in front of him and he muttered some half-assed attempt at thanks before he sipped it.  
   
Eren came in with two bags and put them down on the counter. “Hey! I’m not the only one bringing bags in… am I?”  
   
Levi stared at him. “I have two slave boys for a reason, Eren.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “And I’m the pretty boy, so I don’t do the whole… manly work. I kind of avoid sweating, you know?”  
   
“Oh come on!” Eren laughed. “You go running every day.”  
   
“Yeah but that’s _before my shower,_ ” Armin said with a wag of his finger. “Plus it’s kind of a hot day…”  
   
Eren smirked. “You are such a little shit… But you skipped your exercise this morning, so why not help me out?”  
   
“Nope.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “Eren, bring the bags in. Armin, put the shit in the fridge.”  
   
“Yes Sir!”  
   
“Yes, Master.”  
   
Eren left and Armin got to work. Armin organised their groceries on the counter, moving things that needed to be refrigerated into the fridge. “So,” Armin called out, “Did you… tell him about the whole, leaving thing?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
“How did he take it, Master?”  
   
“Relatively… decent.” Levi sipped his drink again and put the glass over the table. “He’s bummed out about it, but he understands why it’s necessary. I’m kind of bummed out too… It’s weird, I usually look forward to this time, a chance to breathe, but…”  
   
“Breathing’s easier with Eren around?”  
   
“Tsk. Don’t get all romantic on me, shit head.”  
   
Armin just smirked. “Yes, Master.” He closed the fridge and turned, but paused. “Um… It’s… Well, it’s good he understands why, I guess… It’s just, sort of hard to believe, you know? That this is our last week with him. Next Tuesday morning, he’ll be gone…”  
   
“Mhm.” Levi nodded slowly.  
   
“So, are you going to… make more use of him?”  
   
Levi looked at him.  
   
Armin smiled.  
   
“What do you mean?”  
   
“I don’t know…” Armin shrugged. “Just lately it’s kind of felt like you've been holding back. Well, I mean, even the first week he was here, you were very forward with what you wanted, now you’re just taking it easy I guess. I don’t mean it in a bad way, but it’s… kind of like, I don’t know, I feel like if you want him to be happy as a sub then you should try to make more use of him, I think at least.”  
   
Levi bit his lip. “Have I?”  
   
“Yeah… ever since, I think it was when Erwin and Hanji were here. You went to drop them off, then you came home, didn’t feel like talking, and you’ve been distant to him. Not to me, but to him…”  
   
“Change the subject,” Levi muttered. “All in all, his leaving is good timing, since Annie and Mikasa finished the last of their shitty finals.”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin frowned and grabbed several cans. “Well, I guess as long as they’re happy.”  
   
“I talked to her, actually.” Levi was about to continue, but he paused.  
   
Eren put down three bags and sighed. “Oh man, three bags are a lot… Maybe I can do four.” He turned around and left.  
   
Armin scratched the side of his head and pulled several things out of the grocery bag. “Who?”  
   
“Mikasa…”  
   
Armin looked up. “Yeah?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“Um… and?”  
   
“Eren is…” Levi sighed. “A genius. On the surface, he’s a fucking idiot, and it doesn’t help that his language skills are poor. Everyone has strong points and weak points, language just isn’t his, but he’s a genius. It’s been obvious from the start… He loves to think. Ever notice that? I know when I’m talking to him, his mind is going wild, it’s just… Too many people are content with simply existing, but he’s always thinking, his brain is always firing. Sometimes they are stupid thoughts, but smart in their own way. Do you know what I mean?”  
   
“I do,” Armin admitted. “It’s like how when we talk about philosophy, he’s got no formal education on the topic, never read a single book about it, but he grasps everything we say easily. Every word we tell him, I have a feeling he won’t just remember them years from now, but he’ll actually understand them. I’ll say one thing and he’ll tell me I said that the first day he was here. I don’t know, it’s kind of creepy,” he chuckled, “But also kind of cool… And he’s, smart. I don’t know, and…”  
   
“Oh my God!” Eren put down four bags. “Nope, I was wrong. Three is my limit. Three, is, my, limit.”  
   
Armin smiled. “You don’t have to bring so many in at once…”  
   
“But I don’t want to do as many trips,” Eren pointed out before sighing dramatically. “I’m at my limit, though… I need to be energised! If I don’t get a smooch in two seconds, I’m gonna—”  
   
Armin was already across the kitchen, hands cupping the sides of Eren’s face, placing a gentle kiss on his lips.  
   
Eren grinned and kissed Armin’s cheek before hopping out of the kitchen.  
   
Armin turned back to Levi. “Sorry, what were we talking about?”  
   
“Eren.”  
   
“Right!” Armin nodded. “He’s just, really smart, I guess. I mean, it’s like, people always expect smart people to be super serious and super hard core mega dreadful and boring, but I don’t know. He’s a silly person, but he’s smart.”  
   
“Mhm. The way he listed off those studies, it reminded me of Erwin a little, how Erwin always lists off statistics, one after another. A wealth of information locked away in that mind…” Levi sipped his drink again, but paused. “Mikasa told me Eren was a genius, but… he rejects his intelligence, in an attempt to… reject his childhood?”  
   
Armin blinked about four or eight times. “How does that work?”  
   
“I’m not too sure, to be honest. I wanted to ask her, I wanted her to clarify, but…”  
   
“But?”  
   
“Mikasa… I had never seen her so hostile, nor so talkative… I had a feeling it was something as heavy for her as it was for Eren. Whatever shitty thing happened to them must have been bad. Their attitude around it is so, distorted. Emphasising his intelligence would upset him. I guess, in whatever warped mindset he has… complimenting him for his brilliant mind would be like complimenting someone fighting anorexia for their skinny body.”  
   
“That’s… kind of extreme.” Armin frowned. “Can you really make that comparison, though?”  
   
“Yes.”  
   
Armin swallowed hard.  
   
Eren dropped two more bags. “One more round and I’ll get them all.” He grinned, but Armin stared at Levi and Levi offered him a glance. “Another smooch?” There was no reply. “Okay then!” He turned around and left quickly.  
   
Armin glanced to Eren as he left. “That’s weird… Why would he see intelligence in such a light that it’s almost, toxic?”  
   
“I don’t know. I can’t say. I’m just guessing here, it’s just… He’s grown to resent his childhood. I’m guessing it was an important part of his childhood. And he resents it by mere association.”  
   
Armin shook his head, not quite believing it. “I just… You don’t think that… I mean, um. What we were talking about, in the car. You know, about how he was talking about being ostracised, and how it’s a horrible feeling… I mean, I know that feeling first hand… You don’t think maybe he was kind of viewed as weird or picked on or left out because of his intelligence, or something like that?”  
   
Levi tilted his head and pursed his lips. “I don’t think it’s impossible to assume, but he’s always been close to Mikasa. I doubt he was ever really alone, but maybe that’s the issue. I know when it comes to the issue of… being picked on, that’s something that hits close to home with you.”  
   
“Was a long time ago,” Armin muttered, instantly busying himself with the groceries.  
   
“I know that. I just don’t want you to project your own experiences on him.”  
   
“I… guess, yeah. It’s just, a lot of what he was saying… I don’t know if I…. I mean, but it’s like… I.” Armin sighed. “I don’t know. I just, I don’t understand his feelings and his attitudes to a lot of things, and in some ways it kind of feels like… Forget it.”  
   
“Armin.”  
   
“I don’t want to say it, Master.”  
   
“Just say it as it is.”  
   
Armin closed his eyes. “I guess I kind of feel like a kid next to him.” He opened his blue eyes again and they softened. “I mean, we’re only two years apart, but… There’s something about him, and I’ve felt it from the start, but I don’t know if I figured out what it was until now. I just, it feels like, um. He’s experienced. He knows the world, I guess. I mean, sure, he doesn’t know tea, or maybe he doesn’t know some random philosopher from Ancient Greece or the eighteen hundreds, but… He knows how the world works. It’s like, do you remember, forever ago, when he was asking me how you spend your money, and if you donate?”  
   
Levi nodded. “You were making the… what did he call it? ‘Storm-boiling’ instead of Stromboli?”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Yeah. I guess, I don’t know. I felt my heart stop when he said he’d rather be kicked out then be a sub to a selfish person. I never even considered that. He knows what he wants from the world, and he knows how it works. He knows a lot of things, a lot of things I don’t… I’m not sure where I’m going with this, I don’t know if I even have a main point, I just…”  
   
“If you have fears, let them out.”  
   
“I fear he won’t like me.”  
   
Levi’s eyes softened. “You can’t be serious.”  
   
Armin lowered his head like a scolded pet. “I just… I don’t know. It’s just, what’s important to me is so meaningless to him. And it’s great that we get along but at the same time we’re so different and have such different interests, that…” He sighed. “I feel stupid, but yeah. I’m scared. I’m really scared.”  
   
Levi pointed at him. “You’re a fucking idiot.”  
   
“I know.”  
   
“He adores you, Armin. You had the same fear with Marco and the same fear with Jean, even Annie. Whenever someone enjoys your company you’re afraid of losing it. You can’t live with that fear, Armin. It will break you.”  
   
“I know, I know…”  
   
“Why not just ask him if he likes you?”  
   
Armin looked up. “N-No!”  
   
“Why not?”  
   
“Because… I don’t want to sound desperate, and look stupid, and be all… needy.”  
   
“Armin.” Levi stood up. “Don’t you understand? He wants you to need him, to rely on him, the way he’s relying on you.”  
   
Armin blinked. “What?”  
   
“It’s that thing he says over and over, ‘Armin can give you something I can’t’. In the same way, you give him something I can’t, and in that same way he wants to give you something I can’t. If you feel like you can rely on him, then do it. He wants it. He wants to make you feel better, he wants to make you feel like everything’s okay.”  
   
Armin bit his lip and nodded. “I guess.”  
   
“Problem solved.”  
   
“Well, mine is.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow.  
   
“Stop avoiding him.” Armin looked up. “You’re keeping him in arms reach, but you’re not letting him really serve you.”  
   
Levi took a deep breath. “I guess… I’ve just, been feeling odd around him. It’s not his fault, it’s just… something Hanji said, forget it. It’s my own issue. I’ll try to deal with mine if you try to deal with yours?”  
   
Armin relaxed and nodded.  
   
Levi smiled softly. “I’m worried about him, though… I’m not quite sure how to say it, but… Mikasa said something that’s been, worrying, I…” He paused, wondering if it would be better for Armin to know or not to know. “I just think, some things may have happened when he was younger, which have been quite disturbing for him. We can theorise all we want, but you know how I feel about that. If he wants to tell us, he will; if not…”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin scratched his nose. “I get it.”  
   
“We both have things we would rather not to tell him, everyone does, and it would be best if we respected that. Maybe he would be comfortable around us, but if it’s as big of a problem as I think, then there’s no way he would tell people he’s only known for a month. It might even take half a year before he’ll even consider telling us, but…”  
   
“I get it,” Armin repeated. “It’s a touchy subject for him… And, you’re right, both of us have our own touchy subjects, and yeah… I’d rather not tell him a lot of things… And it’s not that I’m keeping it a secret, I just…”  
   
“I understand.” Levi tapped the bottom of Armin’s chin. “You’re under no obligation to tell him anything, as he is under no obligation to tell us anything. I know we’ve spent every hour of the past three weeks with us, but we’ve only known him for twenty days. Keep it in perspective, alright?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“Nope!” Eren shouted from the hallway, “I can’t carry five bags!”  
   
Levi closed his eyes and sighed. “Help him, would you?”  
   
Armin grinned. “Yes, Master.”  
 

⁂

  
   
With the fridge fully stocked, Armin got to work in the kitchen and his helper, Eren, was more than willing to do as much as he could. Levi watched the entire thing. From what he gathered (which probably wasn’t accurate since food to him was like words to Eren), it was a dish they had made together before, but Eren was apparently a lot better this time. When Armin told him to chop the parsley, Eren informed him he already had. When Armin asked him to make ‘tomato slice things’, Eren offered them on the cutting board. That wasn’t to say Eren was perfect; when Armin asked him to preheat the oven, Eren looked at him like he was asked to pull a baby chimpanzee out of his ass.  
   
Still, Levi watched. He did more than watch: He examined. Analysed. He looked at the way the two of them talked to each other, the way they would share quick kisses, playfully get mad at each other for eating bits of food while cooking.  
   
It made Levi realise that…  
   
Levi kept watching.  
   
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen someone else make Armin smile that much. And when he looked at Eren, he felt like that smile was unique as well. Levi thought back to all his previous subs. If he had to be brutally honest (which he usually was, anyway), he hated the lot of them. Most of them were worthless wastes of time. That didn’t mean they were bad people, or even bad subs, they were just looking for something else. They were looking for something Levi was not going to give them. That was fair enough argument for Levi to understand that he needed to look elsewhere.  
   
But there were a handful he liked.  
   
In fact, there were many he liked.  
   
But…  
   
Armin.  
   
The contract was between the Dom and the new sub. The ones who would make the decision would be them. But only an idiot would assume the rest of the household wouldn’t have a say in the matter as well.  
   
Levi remembered when they were considering giving Dieter a second month. He was more than ready to give that obedient blond a second month, but it wasn’t just his decision. Oluo, Eld, Petra, Gunther, and himself were all sitting around a table. He had talked to them all individually about it, before attempting some form of group discussion. It was only because he’d gotten green lights—four green lights—that he actually gave Dieter another thirty days.  
   
It would be the same with Eren.  
   
Regardless of his feelings on the matter, Armin’s thoughts on Eren were as important as his own.  
   
To see them smile and laugh and cook together… To see Armin smile and laugh and enjoy Eren’s company…  
   
It made Levi realise something. It made him realise, that…  
 

⁂

  
   
Dinner went well, extremely well. Armin said it was because Eren had gotten better. Eren said of course not and that it was all Armin. To which Armin admitted that Eren kind of sucked at chopping things before but he was much better now. Levi listened to the banter and couldn’t help but smile.  
   
After eating, Levi went to his room. After a couple minutes, Eren followed him. Armin followed after. His two subs sat on his bed, cross legged (“Criss-cross, applesauce!”) and talked to each other. Levi found himself comforted by their simple presence.  
   
The small desk in Levi’s room was more than enough for him to get some work done. Usually he would go in his study, but it wasn’t anything important. He only had to write out a letter or two. But he paused, looking up. “Wait. How do you spell ‘Necessary’? I keep fucking forgetting.”  
   
Armin opened his mouth to speak, but—  
   
“This shirt has one collar two sleeves!” Eren screamed.  
   
Levi looked at him. “What?”  
   
“One collar… two sleeves. So like, one ‘C’ and two ‘S’s.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi stared at him for a full minute before snorting. “Thank you, Pup.”  
   
Eren grinned and rolled over onto his side.  
   
Armin straddled Eren’s hips and tugged at something. “What’s this?”  
   
Levi glanced over.  
   
Armin was holding Eren’s dog tag.  
   
Eren grinned. “Levi gave it to me… It says his name on it. Used to be his.”  
   
“Ooo.” Armin glanced over. “I didn’t know you gave this to him.”  
   
Levi shrugged, pretending it meant nothing. “Are you jealous? I didn’t think it suited you.”  
   
“I’m not jealous,” Armin chuckled. “And you’re right, a dog tag is for dogs. After all, you used to be Erwin’s dog, right?”  
   
Eren sat up, putting his arms around Armin’s waist as he looked at Levi. “You used to be Erwin’s pup?”  
   
Levi let out an annoyed sound through his nose as he put his pen down. “Yes…” He pursed his lips. “Erwin… I, guess.” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fuck it, I’ll just say it: Erwin said I reminded him of a wolf pup… Cute, stupid, dangerous, endearing. I hated the pet name, actually. I never thought it suited me, even if Erwin and Hanji both say it did.” Levi glanced to the paper in front of him. “When I first saw you, Pup, I figured that’s what Erwin must have meant. I doubt you and I are alike in any way, Eren, but yeah…” He shrugged, as if trying to kill the meaning of what he said (both how much it meant and what it meant to him, specifically). “I kept the dog tag, not sure why. Whatever. I found a use for it. Suits you.”  
   
Eren grinned and looked at Armin. “He really cares about me, huh?”  
   
“Doofus.” Armin rolled his eyes. “Of course.” He played with the dog tag and smiled. “I mean, this is a symbol that you’re ours.”  
   
“Ours?” Eren tilted his head. “I’m pretty sure I’m his, like you.”  
   
“He’s my kitten,” Levi explained, “Cats think everything their master owns is theirs.”  
   
Armin grinned and kissed Eren’s cheek. “Mine.”  
   
Eren rolled his eyes. “Uhuh. Is that all you like about the dog tag?”  
   
Armin chuckled and scratches his nose. “Of course not, I like a lot of things about it… I mean, it symbolises you’re a part of my life, and you’re a significant part of Levi’s life now. It shows you’re not only a part of the household, but that we both really like you.”  
   
Eren blinked. “Really?”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes. “Of course, Eren.”  
   
“Really really?”  
   
“Yes, yes.”  
   
Eren looked down and frowned. “I guess… I feel like sometimes I’m the odd one out.”  
   
Levi glanced over.  
   
Eren sighed. “It’s so stupid that I feel this way, trust me, I know, but it’s like… I know you two have spent years together, and you understand each other, you could finish each other’s sentences and sandwiches and yeah. It’s like when I said ‘Red’ and you both jumped, or the way you just read each other. I know it’s just a matter of time, though, but I guess… sometimes I feel like the third wheel, and maybe you two are happier without me and that, I don’t know, maybe you guys can’t wait to kick me out. I thought, when I’m shipped over to Mikasa’s, maybe… maybe you’d see how much happier you were without me and, yeah…”  
   
Armin looked at him before glancing to Levi.  
   
Levi got out of his chair and got on the bed. He sat cross-legged and motioned for Eren to come closer. Armin got out of Eren’s lap and Eren wiggled closer. Levi pulled him into his lap and he shook his head. “You’re a fucking idiot.”  
   
Eren blinked. “What?”  
   
Levi offered a small smile and shook his head again. “If I didn’t want you here, you’d be gone. If Armin didn’t like you, I’d have kicked you out by now… Don’t you get it, you mutt? I appreciate you, I admire you. I wake up every morning and I smile because I wonder what stupid, dangerous, endearing shit you’re going to get in today… Given, not this morning, but I didn’t sleep well.”  
   
“Really?” Eren tilted his head. “I guess… it just feels like, you’re not interested in me lately, Sir…”  
   
Levi glanced past Eren to see Armin giving him a look. Levi let out a small noise and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s a busy season at work.” Lies, excuses, but white lies, and white excuses. “I’m sorry. But I do appreciate you. I’ve been dying to have a sub like you, and I mean that. A sub whose personality won’t burn out, ever. You’re what I want.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened and he looked to the side. “I just, have a hard time believing that Sir… I’m sorry, I know the contract says I’m supposed to confide my fears and not hold anything back, and I’ve kind of been keeping this in… I just, lately it feels like I’m _not_ your sub, just someone living in your house.”  
   
Levi closed his eyes again. “I’m sorry.” He leaned in and kissed Eren’s neck. “I’m sorry I’ve made you feel that way… Let me fix my mistake, and let me show you how much we appreciate you.”  
   
“S-Sir…” Eren felt another kiss on his neck and he shivered. “You don’t have to do that…”  
   
Levi paused and looked at him. “Are you not in the mood, Pup?”  
   
“For you?” Eren chuckled. “I’m pretty much always in the mood for you… It’s just, you don’t have to do it, for me, okay? Like, I don’t need to have anything proven to me.”  
   
Levi kissed the underside of Eren’s chin, then kissed his Adam’s apple. “I don’t think you understand, Pup. I _need_ my subs to know how much _I_ need _them_. Without you, I would be worse off.”  
   
Eren’s cheeks burned and he looked away.  
   
Levi admired the way Eren’s cheeks flushed red, and kissed it to taste the heat. “I want you here.” He moved his mouth back to Eren’s neck, making him moan. “We want you here.”  
   
Despite how distracting Levi’s warm mouth was on his skin, Eren opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off.  
   
Armin’s mouth moved over Eren’s opposite shoulder. His lips and his hot trail of kisses moved up Eren’s neck.  
   
Eren gasped and bit his lip. He closed his eyes. Lulled into heat by the two mouths on opposite sides, working in synchrony, Eren shivered and he felt himself get hard. He leaned his head back and soon his back was against the mattress. He wasn’t sure when or how or why or what their position was rearranged too, but his ass was still in Levi’s lap, legs going past him. Back against the mattress, his head rested in Armin’s lap. Because of their position, Armin’s mouth couldn’t kiss his neck any more, but slim fingers rubbed his shoulders as Levi continued his onslaught.  
   
“Good boy,” Levi chuckled. His hands worked away at the belt holding Eren’s jeans together and he pulled it off; it flowed from his hips and onto the floor with a thud. Levi ran his hand over Eren’s clothed erection, hearing the minor flutter in Eren’s tenor voice. He unbuttoned and unzipped the jeans before moving his head back. He sat up straight and undid the button on Eren’s boxers. He freed the erection and gave it a firm squeeze.  
   
Eren bit his lip, holding back a moan.  
   
Armin chuckled, fingers playing with Eren’s hair for a moment before they pulled at the base of his shirt.  
   
Eren raised his arms to help Armin take it off before he rested in the blond’s lap again, feeling the hardness in Armin’s pants.  
   
Levi stroked Eren slowly, rolling the skin over the head and back again. “It’s true, Armin and I are more… in sync, I guess you could say. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want you here.”  
   
Armin chuckled and leaned down. He slipped the head of Eren’s cock in his mouth and sucked gently.  
   
Eren gasped. With their position, his face was pretty much in Armin’s crotch—not that he minded. He slipped a hand in those blond strands of hair and pushed the mouth to take more of his dick.  
   
Levi smirked. “See? Armin’s being good, for you.”  
   
Armin bobbed his head on the cock several times before he pulled away. He licked the head once before swirling his tongue around it.  
   
“F-Fuck,” Eren whispered.  
   
“Fuck?” Armin teased as he sat up, thumb stroking Eren’s cheek. “You want to fuck me?”  
   
Eren felt his face heat up. “Shut up.”  
   
Levi smirked, stroking Eren’s cock again, now slick with Armin’s saliva. “I think that would be an entertaining sight.”  
   
Eren looked at him. “If th-that’s what you want to see, Sir.”  
   
Levi shook his head. “Tonight is for you, only you. Whatever you want. Both of us are eager to please.”  
   
Eren tensed and looked up to Armin for confirmation.  
   
Armin licked his lips playfully. “How do you want us?”  
   
“I uh…” Eren felt his cheeks burn. “I d-don’t know, to be honest. I never thought, you know, both of you would l-leave it up to me.”  
   
Levi tugged at the sides of Eren’s pants and boxers. “You can call the shots as we go.”  
   
Eren moved his hips up to help Levi slip off his pants. Levi took off his socks, leaving him naked with the exception of his collar and dog tag. He suddenly pouted. “Well, if I call the shots, then you two should take your clothes off.”  
   
Armin chuckled and backed away. He pulled off his shirt; his pants and undies were thrown off as well. His erection sprung free and he stroked himself slowly.  
   
Eren smirked and dipped his head down, returning the favour. He took Armin’s cock into his mouth and heard the blond gasp. He cupped Armin’s ass with both hands as he dove in, burying himself in Armin’s thighs as he took the entire length down his throat.  
   
Armin squished his eyes closed, let out a noise, and grabbed Eren’s hair. “E-Eren…”  
   
Eren’s cock twitched. He moved his head back and then began focusing on the head, bobbing on it several times.  
   
“E-Eren…” Armin pushed him away.  
   
Eren felt the cock slip out of his mouth and he looked up. “What?”  
   
“We’re supposed to play out your fantasy.”  
   
“Maybe I want to get both of you off as my fantasy.” Eren grinned and glanced over to Levi.  
   
Levi had already stripped naked and was sitting on his knees. A dangerous colour of blue flashed in his eyes as he grabbed the back of Eren’s head. “If you want to please me,” he warned, “You better do it right.” He guided his sub’s mouth to his cock and moved his hips forward, pushing it in.  
   
Eren closed his eyes, reminded himself to relax his throat, and moved forward until he nuzzled that patch of trimmed black hair.  
   
“Good boy.” Levi messed up Eren’s hair playfully before he moved his hips back and pushed in again, fucking Eren’s mouth.  
   
Eren was thankful he didn’t have a gag reflex as Levi began to speed up. Still, he kept his throat relaxed. Even without a gag reflex, it was possible to choke. He looked up to see Levi watching him, examining him. He watched pleasure soften the features on Levi’s face, mouth slightly ajar.  
   
Armin chuckled and crawled over to them. He kissed Eren’s neck and then his shoulder. He looked up at Levi, made some kind of non-verbal communication with the man, and smiled. He spanked Eren’s ass.  
   
Eren yelped, just in time as Levi slipped the cock out of his mouth.  
   
“Roll over,” Levi commanded.  
   
Eren moved onto his back.  
   
Armin straddled his hips and pressed their cocks together. He grabbed both of them with both hands and began stroking.  
   
Eren let out a noise.  
   
Armin lowered his back and brought his lips to Eren’s for a short, sweet kiss. “Is this okay?”  
   
“More than okay!”  
   
Levi silently chuckled and got off the bed. Standing, he grabbed his dick and stroked it. “Eren, look this way.”  
   
Eren moved his head back so he was staring at an upside-down Levi. He felt the cock slip into his mouth and he closed his eyes.  
   
Levi thrust his hips forward into the mouth and then moved them back, repeating the action. His breathing became audible as the warm wetness hugged his cock.  
   
Armin pulled their foreskins down and used his palm to rub at the heads of their cocks.  
   
Eren gasped, bucking his hips against Armin as he sucked on Levi.  
   
“Looks like our puppy is enjoying himself,” Levi teased. He pushed his manhood all the way inside Eren and paused. “Good boy, just keep it there.” He smirked and then bent down.  
   
Armin wasn’t sure what Levi was going to do, but he mostly understood. He let go of their lengths, but left them against each other.  
   
Levi opened his mouth wide and took _both_ cocks in his mouth.  
   
Armin brought his wrist to his mouth, biting it to hold back a moan.  
   
Eren thrust slowly into the wet heat and breathed heavy against Levi’s cock.  
   
Levi bobbed his mouth on them and swirled his tongue around both pink heads. He heard both Armin and Eren hide their moans, and he smirked. To have such power over both of them at the same time was just… He moved his head back and then moved his hips back, freeing Eren’s mouth.  
   
Armin relaxed and went back to pleasing the two of them.  
   
Eren let out a heavy moan and opened his eyes. “Where did you learn to suck dick like that?”  
   
“Erwin,” Levi said simply, as if discussing the weather. He grabbed his dick and smacked it against Eren’s cheek twice.  
   
Eren chuckled and licked up the underside, making sure to flick his tongue over the sweet spot.  
   
“Tell me, Pup. How do you want us? Do you want me to fuck you? Do you want to fuck Armin?”  
   
Eren bit his lip and then looked away. “Can I have… both?”  
   
Armin raised an eyebrow.  
   
Levi smirked. “Is that your fantasy, to be between us?”  
   
“Y-Yeah…” Eren chuckled, nervously, “Ever since you made me watch you fuck Armin… I’ve wanted to be between you both.”  
   
Levi glanced to Armin.  
   
Armin grinned and nodded. He moved away from Eren and rolled onto his back.  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
   
“Armin is the best slave I’ve ever had, and I honestly thought I would never get another stroke of good luck in my life.” Levi moved down onto his knees, so his face was next to Eren’s. “But you, you’re a good sub. The best I’ve had in years. As long as you continue being you, I’ll make every one of your fantasies come true.”  
   
“R-Really?”  
   
Levi glanced down Eren’s body, looking at the way Eren’s dick was straight up, wiggling a little side to side, the same way Eren did when he was excited about something. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes. I reward good subs. Now, shit head. Go take it.”  
   
Eren raised his back and crawled over to Armin.  
   
Armin laughed. “Your face is so red, geez. Calm down.”  
   
“Y-Yeah, T-Tuesday’s fine.”  
   
Armin stopped. “What?”  
   
“Nothing!”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. He opened the drawer and pulled out the small, cylindrical bottle of lube. He tossed it in the air.  
   
Armin caught it and looked up to Eren. “Do you want to prepare me?”  
   
“S-Sure…”  
   
“Or…” Armin smirked. “Do you want to watch me finger myself?”  
   
Eren swallowed hard. His cock twitched.  
   
Armin got his answer. He popped the top with his thumb and squeezed it, squirting some of the thicker lubricant onto his fingers. He played with the lube, warming it up a bit, before he lifted his knees. He pressed two fingers inside him, looking at Eren as he did.  
   
Eren bit his lip, watching the fingers sink into the heat he wanted to bury himself in. He glanced back up to Armin – bad move – those blue eyes were staring right into him and he felt his chest squeeze. He silently wondered if he could even go through with it. Sex with Levi was almost too intense, and sex with Armin felt the same way. But sex with both of them, at the same time… Could he really handle a threesome?  
   
“Ah,” Armin gasped, snapping Eren’s attention. He closed his eyes and let out a gentle noise as he rubbed slow circles against the spot deep inside him. He added a third finger and fucked himself with it. His blue eyes opened again, almost drunk with the pleasure, his cock twitching, begging for attention. “Do you, like the way I look, Eren?”  
   
Eren lowered his head, pressing their lips together. He moaned into the kiss, letting it taste like his desperation.  
   
Armin kissed back, feeling his cheeks redden from the heat of Eren’s passion. He broke the kiss slowly and pulled his fingers out. He coated Eren’s cock with the lube remaining on his hands, not too much because he liked it rough, and then smiled. He squirted more of the lube on his fingers and then reached behind Eren.  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow, but closed his eyes, letting out a moan as Armin’s fingers slipped inside him.  
   
“Kitten,” Levi warned, “That’s my job.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Well, it was just convenient.”  
   
Eren let out another noise as two fingers slipped inside him. They searched for his prostate, and eventually found it. Eren’s cock twitched. He grinned. “For a bottom bitch, you know how to finger bang someone.”  
   
Armin laughed and raised his upper body to bring their lips together.  
   
Eren kissed back and rocked his hips, moving his body back against those fingers. Three slipped inside him and he moaned into the kiss.  
   
Although Levi had used a warning tone with Armin, it would be a lie to say he was upset. If anything, he was enamoured by the sight of his playthings with each other. He got back on the bed and moved so he was behind Eren. He put his hands on Eren’s sides and leaned in to kiss his neck.  
   
Eren broke the kiss with Armin out of surprise and gasped.  
   
Armin pulled his fingers out of Eren and then grabbed Levi’s cock. He gave it a quick squeeze before coating it up with the remaining lube he had on his hands. “We’re all ready.”  
   
“O-Okay,” Eren said with a nod.  
   
Levi kissed his shoulder blade. “Move into Armin first.”  
   
“Move into?” Eren looked back. “Pretty sure the verb you’re looking for is, ‘Fuck’, Sir.”  
   
“What did I say about grammar in bed?” Levi gave an amused smile. “Plus, I thought you’d blush yourself into surgery if I told you, ‘Fuck Armin’.”  
   
Eren blushed himself into surgery.  
   
Armin laughed and quickly covered his mouth. “Sorry.”  
   
“Shut quiet,” Eren mumbled, a mix of shut up and be quiet. He pretended he didn’t say anything stupid and grabbed his cock. He rubbed the head against the entrance before he pushed in.  
   
Armin opened his mouth, silently gasping.  
   
“H-How is it?” Eren whispered. “Tell me to stop if you need me to, okay?”  
   
“It feels great.” Armin rolled his eyes. “I know you care, but don’t coddle me. You can wreck my ass if you want.”  
   
Eren’s face went into second stage surgery.  
   
Levi chuckled, low and dark, smooth into Eren’s ear. “It’s true. He can take it.” He reached around and grabbed Eren’s cock, straightening before he pushed Eren forward with his hips, pushing his sub inside his slave.  
   
“Oh fuck,” Eren whispered.  
   
Armin closed his eyes and relaxed as it slid inside him. “Feel good?”  
   
“Mmmm, fuck, yeah. Fuck.” Eren pushed until he was completely submerged in the warm heat, feeling the walls tight around his eager cock. “Fuck.”  
   
“I’m sure you could find nicer words,” Levi muttered. He rubbed his cock against Eren’s ass and then gave no warning as he pushed in.  
   
Eren jolted, squeezing on the head of Levi’s manhood. He gasped and threw his head back.  
   
Levi took the moment of surprise to bite where the neck met the shoulder.  
   
Eren meeped.  
   
Armin pursed his lips, suppressing the bubbling laughter inside.  
   
Eren felt Levi slide in and he leaned down, nuzzling into Armin’s shoulder. “Fuck, more, Sir. More.”  
   
“Obedient little pet.” Levi grabbed Eren’s sides and pushed in until the base of his cock was against Eren’s ass. “Good Pup.” He winced from the tightness and leaned down, kissing Eren’s shoulder. He moved back a bit, hearing Eren whine, and then pushed in again, hearing Eren moan. He moved back again and kissed Eren’s nape. “Don’t forget to fuck Armin. You want to please him too, don’t you?”  
   
“O-Of c-course,” Eren mumbled. He looked at Armin, shared a quick kiss before he moved back—but when he did, he felt Levi’s cock slide inside him as he slid out of Armin. As he pushed back in, Levi slid out of him and Armin’s tightness slid around his cock. “F-Fuck.”  
   
Armin stroked himself as he watched Eren. “Looks like you’re enjoying your fantasy.”  
   
“Best of both worlds,” Eren admitted. “Oh fuck.”  
   
Levi smirked. “As long as you’re enjoying yourself.”  
   
“Mhm.” Eren looked behind him and tilted his head back.  
   
Levi understood. He leaned in and pressed their lips together for a short kiss. “Keep moving, Pup.”  
   
“Y-Yeah.” Eren moved his hips and closed his eyes. Being assaulted by both feelings at the same time made little tingles race down to his fingertips. He rocked into Armin and felt Levi slide out, but to slide out of Armin was to rock into Levi. He found a steady rhythm as he fucked and fucked himself.  
   
Armin stroked himself, watching the pleasure trace over every one of Eren’s features. He bit his lip and held back a noise.  
   
Levi moved as well, timing his hips to the movement of Eren’s.  
   
Eren gasped and looked behind him.  
   
Levi leaned in and kissed his shoulder reassuringly. “Good Pup, just keep moving.”  
   
“Mhm.” Eren nodded, and smiled. “No way am I going to stop now.”  
   
Armin chuckled and was about to say something, but a short moan interrupted him.  
   
Eren knew he was brushing up against that spot, so he aimed himself so he’d hit it easier.  
   
Armin closed his eyes and breathed through his nose. A small whine left his pursed lips.  
   
Eren knew he was getting addicted to the noises Armin made. But if that wasn’t bad enough, he heard Levi breathe heavier than usual in his ear.  
   
Levi reached around Eren, running a hand up his stomach, over his chest, and finally grabbing his jaw. Levi kissed the side of his jaw and sped up his hips.  
   
“Ah.” Eren sped up as well. Levi’s hand grabbing his chin, possessively grabbing his chin, territorially grabbing his chin, made a chill run down his spine.  
   
Armin moved his head back against a pillow and his blond hair was thrown back, revealing his face for once. “Faster,” he whined.  
   
Levi let go of Eren’s jaw and smirked. “You heard him.”  
   
“Y-Yeah.” Eren moved his arms by Armin’s shoulders and leaned down a bit. He bucked his hips, gaining speed.  
   
Armin made a happy noise and opened one eye. “Good boy.”  
   
Eren snickered and leaned down, bringing their lips together.  
   
Levi smirked and buried his cock inside Eren, before pulling all the way out and slamming back in.  
   
Eren broke the kiss with a startled noise. “Oh… fuck!” He grinded his ass against Levi’s hips, which caused him to pull out a bit of Armin. Wanting more of Armin, he slammed into Armin.  
   
Armin gasped.  
   
But then Eren wanted more of Levi, so he pulled back and forced more of Levi inside him. His knees began to shake as the sensations spread inside him. “Fuck, fuck…” He thrust back into Armin and began moving his hips rapidly, needing to feel them both at once. The friction on both ends made him snap his eyes shut. Sight was too much; he needed to focus on their bodies melding with his.  
   
Armin’s hand moved quickly over his cock and he wiggled his hips as Eren went deep inside him. He let out a shameless noise and brought his knees up.  
   
Levi fought back a noise that threatened to give away how fake his composure was. He felt Eren’s body move over his cock, the tightness, the heat, the need… “Good Pup, just like that.”  
   
“I,” Eren whimpered, “I don’t know, how much more I can take. It’s, almost too much.”  
   
Levi leaned forward. “Do you want to stop?”  
   
“No fuck no,” Eren breathed, “I just, I’m going to cum.”  
   
Armin grinned wide. “That’s the point, dumbass.”  
   
Eren laughed and leaned down to kiss his neck as he thrust deep inside the blond. “I just, I’m going to cum before either of you, I mean!”  
   
Levi smacked Eren’s ass, watching his spine straighten. He moved his lips to Eren’s ear. “Cum, Eren.”  
   
Eren nodded and moved as fast as he could. Double the sensation made his body feel like mush and his breathing became heavy. Feeling Levi fuck him deep, then to have him slide out only to sink himself in the tight heat of Armin… He mewled and desperate tingles licked all over his body. He squeezed the mattress, sending wrinkles up and down the bed sheets. He let out a loud, needy moan and closed his eyes. “I’m…” He didn’t have time to finish his sentence. Armin squeezed on his cock as Levi slammed in hard. The two feelings made his knees wiggle and his fingers twitch and his back arc as he came—cumming inside Armin. “Fuck!”  
   
Levi smirked and kissed his shoulder. “Good Pup.”  
   
Eren bent down, catching himself before he fell on Armin. Breathing heavy, he heard the pounding of his heart in his ears. He opened his eyes to see Armin smiling at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back. “You two…” He breathed. “Are way too much.”  
   
Levi leaned down and kissed his shoulder again.  
   
Armin leaned up and kissed his other shoulder.  
   
Eren grinned. “Oh… fuck, I just… That was awesome.”  
   
“Did it fill your fantasy?” Levi asked.  
   
“Yeah!”  
   
Armin nodded. “Good.” He kissed Eren.  
   
Eren kissed back.  
   
Armin eventually pulled away.  
   
Eren looked back.  
   
Levi kissed him before pulling away. “Now…” Levi closed his eyes as he pulled out of Eren. “You said you wanted to get us both off, so get on your back.”  
   
Eren pulled out of Armin, despite Armin’s whine, and he nodded. He moved onto his back.  
   
Levi moved away from Eren and pulled him by the legs so he was at the centre of the bed.  
   
Armin understood. He got up and moved near Eren’s head. “What do you have in mind, Master?”  
   
“I know I’m going to fuck his ass.” Levi gave said ass a spank.  
   
Eren yelped.  
   
Levi smiled. “I want to see you fuck his face. He’s got to earn his place in this house.”  
   
Armin chuckled and wiggled his hips, wagging his dick in the air. He ran a thumb over Eren’s cheek. “Open wide.”  
   
“Aaahhh!” Eren opened as wide as he could.  
   
Armin stroked himself several times before pulling the skin back, exposing the head. He aimed his cock down and pushed it in Eren’s mouth. He closed his eyes, letting out another soft noise. “Wow,” Armin said as he continued to push in, “He really has no gag reflex.”  
   
Eren smiled, or tried to, not as noticeable with a dick in his mouth.  
   
“Mhm.” Levi pushed his cock back in, sliding it until the base was against Eren’s ass.  
   
Armin pushed in as far as he could go and he hugged his own arm. He watched Eren as he moved his hips back and then pushed back in. “Mm, he’s so obedient, Master… It makes me want to Dom him.”  
   
Levi fucked Eren hard and pulled out. “I bet you’ll make him cry in no time.”  
   
Armin watched as Eren’s eyes lit up and he chuckled. “Don’t worry, not tonight…” He closed his eyes as the wet warmth squeezed around his cock. “But eventually…”  
   
Levi slammed back in and watched Eren’s body ripple with an aftershock. He continued to pull out slowly, teasingly, and slamming in. The rush of the walls around his cock made him lick his lips. He leaned down and kissed Eren’s throat. “Good toy. You like being useful? You like being my sub?”  
   
Eren made an affirmative noise against Armin’s cock.  
   
Levi smirked and kissed Eren’s chest. “Good. Because I like owning you, doing whatever I want to you.”  
   
Eren wiggled his hips.  
   
Levi glanced up to Armin. “I want to watch you fuck his throat, harder.”  
   
“Yes, Master.” Armin sped up, careful to watch for any sign of discomfort, but he noticed Eren could take it. His hips moved forward and back and Eren continued to be an obedient object for their pleasure.  
   
Levi raised his back as he timed the speed of his hips to match Armin’s. He smacked Eren’s ass again and felt the whole body jolt.  
   
Armin grinned and leaned in a little.  
   
Levi did so as well, kissing his slave. “Do you like my new toy?”  
   
“I do, Master.” Armin moaned. “Spank him again, for me.”  
   
One corner of Levi’s lips curved upwards. “Hear that, Pup? This one’s from Armin.” He smacked hard.  
   
Eren tried to speak, but it was muffled against Armin’s cock.  
   
Armin closed his eyes as he moaned again. “Did he say ‘thank you’?”  
   
“I think he did.” Levi slammed hard into Eren again.  
   
“Mmm, Master.” Armin opened his blurry blue eyes. “I’m gonna cum, Sir.”  
   
“Cum in his mouth, make sure he tastes it.”  
   
Armin nodded and kept thrusting into Eren’s throat. He curled his toes and nodded. His breathing became heavy and he pulled his cock out, until only the head was in Eren’s mouth. With a squirm, he bit his lip, spilling himself.  
   
“Pup,” Levi warned, “You better swallow all of it.”  
   
Eren did as he was told then pushed the softening cock out of his mouth. “Ahhh,” he opened his mouth, proving he did, indeed, swallow all of it.  
   
Armin grinned and moved next to Eren, rolling over onto his stomach to watch.  
   
“Good Pup.” Levi kissed his throat and continued to thrust in and out of him. He grabbed Eren’s shoulders to steady himself and picked up the pace. He muttered a curse and closed his eyes. His cock moved in that willing pet and he gasped sharply. He bit his lip and squeezed Eren’s shoulders.  
   
“Harder, Sir,” Eren begged, “Faster, please.”  
   
Levi’s eyes snapped open. “You want to be used, do you?”  
   
Eren nodded. “I want it to be as good as possible for you, Sir. Please, Sir.”  
   
Levi slammed into him again and pulled right out before slamming again.  
   
Eren gasped and rubbed his knees against Levi’s hips, trying to coax him into going even faster. “I need to be used! I need to know I’m a good sub, Sir.”  
   
“You’re a good sub,” Levi hissed as he fucked even harder. “You’re a good fucking sub!” With one, final, slam—“Ngh,” Levi barely suppressed the sound as he threw his head back before letting it drop forward. “F-Fuck…”  
   
Eren grinned.  
   
“You look so proud of yourself,” Armin muttered with a teasing smile.  
   
Eren laughed. “Of course I am. I got you both off.”  
   
Armin leaned over and kissed his cheek.  
   
Levi pulled out of Eren and moaned softly. He crashed on Eren’s right, opposite of Armin and moved onto his back. “Fuck.”  
   
“Yes, Sir, we did fuck.”  
   
Levi’s face soured and he smacked Eren’s chest.  
   
“Ouchy!”  
   
“You deserved that, Pup.”  
   
“Yeah, I totally did.”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Let’s get under the covers.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Armin, turn off the lights.”  
   
Armin mumbled something which sounded like him whining about having to get up, but he did so and turned off the lights, sending the room into darkness. There was soft moonlight coming from the window, but for the most part everything was pitch black.  
   
With some rustling and rearranging, they ended up in bed together, with Eren in the middle. Armin buried his head into Eren’s chest, and Eren hugged him tight. He knew Levi wasn’t a cuddler, so he didn’t press the issue; even so, surprisingly enough, Levi slipped an arm around Eren’s waist and pressed against his back. With warm hugs from Armin in the front and the feel of Levi’s rock-hard abs against his back… Eren silently wondered if he died and went to heaven.  
   
Eren nuzzled Armin’s hair and paused. “I can’t believe I only have one week left here.”  
   
Armin bit his lip, choosing not to reply.  
   
Levi ran his hand down Eren’s side. It wasn’t a sexual touch, far from. It was just the only way he knew how to convey what he wanted to say. “Seven days is still a long time.”  
   
“Yeah, you’re right.” Eren forced a smile. “I’m just… it looks like I’m just, staring at the end.”  
   
Levi laughed, low and smooth, the way that made both his pets shiver. “Don’t worry. I have a lot planned for this week. In terms of your submission, and my Dominance… it’s just the beginning, Pup.”  
   
Eren gulped.  
   
Armin giggled. “I’m looking forward to it.”  
   
Eren nodded tentatively. “Me too.”  
   
“Good,” Levi muttered. “But for now I need sleep. So, goodnight.”  
   
“Night night,” Eren chimed.  
   
Armin perked up. “Don’t let the Eren bite!”  
   
Levi paused. “What?”  
   
Eren used his outside voice, “Nothing!”


	25. The Fourth Week (1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Hold up!** BlaqMarquet drew [Fan-Art of Chapter 24](http://blaqmarquet.tumblr.com/post/88218764899/taking-care-of-your-kitten-eren-tentative)! I literally gushed into the sun. I don't even know how to handle it. <3
> 
> Besides that, today's five months anniversary of Tentative Bliss starting, and now look at the chapter title... I know right? I can't believe how far we've come. So! Please, enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 

Eren didn’t think it was possible, but the three of them seemed to drift even closer as the night went on. Eventually, sunlight filtered through the windows and Eren felt the brightness against his eyelids. He ducked his head into Armin’s hair to make it dark again and he made a happy little noise. Armin was snugly in his arms and Levi’s body fit perfectly against his back. Levi’s arm was around his side, almost in a way to remind him who he was owned by, and the three of them breathed the same air. Eren was convinced it would stay that way forever.  
  
But Levi’s phone went off.  
  
It was a quiet hum, not loud enough to wake up Armin, but Eren stirred.  
  
Levi sighed and pulled away from Eren to turn it off.  
  
Eren felt a rush of cold air against his back and he whined.  
  
Levi laughed and moved back to his previous position. He kissed Eren’s shoulder. “I have to get up…”  
  
“No.”  
  
“I don’t want to, Pup, but I have to.”  
  
“No…”  
  
Levi smiled and nuzzled the back of his head. “I love how easily you show how much you want me.”  
  
Eren felt his cheeks heat up from the second word of Levi’s sentence and he gave a little nod. “Of course, Sir…”  
  
“I have to go, though.” Levi kissed his shoulder again and pulled away. “Someone has to pay for this house.”  
  
Eren whined some more, but couldn’t think of a proper argument to make against that. “Come back, please?”  
  
“I can’t.” Levi slipped out of bed and ran a hand through his hair.  
  
“Please?”  
  
“Don’t guilt me,” Levi warned.  
  
“Fine.” Eren moved onto his back, bringing Armin with him. “Can I have a kiss before you go, Sir?”  
  
Levi nodded and pressed his knees against the side of the bed. He leaned over and pushed his lips against Eren’s.  
  
The short and sweet kiss was enough to make Eren’s chest flutter. “And one for Armin.”  
  
Levi glanced to the sleeping blond and stole a quick kiss.  
  
“Good.” Eren nodded. “Come back soon.”  
  
“You loser.”  
  
“That’s me!” Eren chuckled. “One more kiss?”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes, but gave in. He pressed their mouths together before backing away. “And another for Armin?”  
  
“Nope, I’m greedy.” He grinned. “One more for me.”  
  
Levi snorted and kissed Eren roughly. “Good, now go back to sleep, alright?”  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
“Sleep well.”  
  
Eren moved back onto his side and pulled Armin close. He heard faint noises, of running water, then shuffling of towels and clothes, before Levi left and the room went back to silence. Eren nuzzled in the blond tuft of hair and felt himself lull off.  


⁂

  
  
Hours passed before Armin woke. He opened one eye and took in Eren’s scent. He made a happy, pleased noise and wiggled.  
  
“Morning sleepy head.”  
  
Armin opened his other eye and pulled away enough to see Eren’s face. “Mmm… morning.”  
  
Eren placed a lazy kiss on Armin’s forehead before stroking his cheek with his fingertips.  
  
Armin smiled and closed his eyes. “Do you know what we should do?”  
  
“Hm?” Eren tilted his head. “What’s that?”  
  
“We should…” Armin opened his eyes. “Go for a run.”  
  
Eren’s face soured.  
  
“We must.”  
  
“No,” he whined. “You and Levi are both evil… why don’t you guys just sleep forever?”  
  
Armin raised his head to look past Eren. “Went to work?”  
  
“Yeah.” He nodded. “But he gave you a kiss before he went.”  
  
“Aww.” Armin grinned and kissed Eren. “He’s sweet… So, did you like being between us last night?”  
  
“Oh yeah.” Eren pulled Armin closer. “You two are amazing… I mean, the sex was great, and I thought that was great, but when we cuddled I had you on one side and Levi on the other and it was so warm, and I was getting cuddles from both sides… it was better than a bed sheet burrito.”  
  
Armin grinned. “Good.” He kissed Eren’s cheek. “Because… we appreciate you, okay?”  
  
Eren nodded twice. “But if you really appreciated me… you would skip your run and cuddle me some more.”  
  
Armin rolled his eyes and wiggled against Eren. “Come on, we skipped so many days. Let’s just run for a bit.”  
  
“Nope.” Eren closed his eyes. “I’m sleeping.”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Sleeping!”  
  
“Come on!”  
  
“Sleeping!”  
  
“Wake up, Eren.”  
  
Eren’s eyes snapped open and he suddenly sang, “Wake me up inside! Wake me up inside! Call my name and save me from the daaark!”  
  
“Oh my God, you loser.”  
  
“Bid my blood to run!”  
  
“No!”  
  
“Before I come undone!”  
  
“Eren! Stop!”  
  
“Saaave me from the noothing I’ve beecooome!”  
  
Armin glared.  
  
Eren burst into a giggle fit and smooched Armin about eight or forty thousand times.  
  
“You are such a shit.”  
  
Eren kissed him again.  
  
Armin sighed. “You’re lucky it’s so hard to be mad at you. But, fuck… Couldn’t you pick another song?”  
  
“Don’t dis’ Evanescence. I had an Amy Lee phase, okay?”  
  
Armin closed his eyes. “Was it before or after your weeaboo phase?”  
  
“It overlapped, actually!”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Mhm.” Eren nodded. “Mikasa and I used to make anime music videos to ‘Bring Me to Life’, and all of the really typical AMV songs.”  
  
Armin chuckled. “Oh God, I used to love those. I mean I still do, but you know…”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Armin pulled away from Eren and sat up. He stretched his arms and yawned. He patted Eren several times, followed by a couple shoves and nudges. “Okay, come on. Up.”  
  
Eren pulled the bed sheets to make a blob in his arms and he hugged it and shook his head.  
  
Armin snorted and leaned down, placing a small kiss on Eren’s cheek. “Please come with me for a run?”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened. “Bid my blood to run!”  
  
“No!”  
  
“Before I come undone!”  
  
“I swear to God, Eren.”  
  
“Saaaaave meee from the nooothing I’ve beecooome!”  
  
Armin grabbed a pillow and smacked him.  


⁂

  
  
That morning, Armin received a grim reminder that Eren was indeed a fucking tool, but he couldn’t deny the way his heart began to beat a little faster whenever he saw Eren smile at him. He ignored that feeling and (eventually, somehow, after expressing the patience equal to a monastery of monks) the two of them stepped out of the front door, dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Armin donned his white headband and checked his phone for messages. “He’s such a kid.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Huh?”  
  
“Levi.” Armin chuckled and turned his phone so Eren could read off the screen. “He sent a message asking me to make him strawberry milk, ‘pwease’, and covered it in hearts.”  
  
Eren grinned. “That’s pretty cute.”  
  
“I bet he was laughing his ass off when he wrote it, though.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “Just imagine him saying ‘pwease’, though.”  
  
“He does it every once in a while,” Armin admitted. “He does it for ironic value, same reason he calls me ‘darling’ every so often.”  
  
“What a fucking weirdo.”  
  
Armin laughed. “Yeah.” He put his phone in his pocket and glanced forward. “Oh.” He took several steps. “They’re almost in bloom.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Cherry blossoms.”  
  
Eren looked up.  
  
The branches on each of the four trees were speckled with colour, two of them pink, one of them white, another red. Not quite blossomed, but soon.  
  
“Probably another week,” Armin said, “Then.”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren glanced to him. “Then we’ll go downtown, right?”  
  
“Mhm.” Armin began stretching. “Ready for a run?”  
  
“Yes!”  
  
The two of them began, a steady pace. Well… Eren started sprinting, Armin told him to slow down, so Eren went to running, and Armin told him to slow down again, so Eren became a little shit and stopped running completely, causing Armin to whap him on the back of the head, and eventually the two of them found a steady pace. Eren decided just to match Armin’s speed. When they came up to the Reiss house, they saw a girl doing stretches in front of it.  
  
“Hey!” Armin called out.  
  
Krista perked up and smiled. “Hey! I thought I missed you guys for sure!”  
  
“We woke up late,” Eren explained.  
  
“Well, it all worked out then!” Krista’s smile turned to a grin. “You two look like you’re in a good mood!”  
  
“We had a threesome last night,” Armin said as if discussing the weather. Though, in their community, it kind of was like the weather.  
  
“So that’s why you slept in,” Krista giggled. “Must have been tired after a night of that.”  
  
“Mhm,” Eren couldn’t deny it.  
  
Krista finished her stretches and began running on the spot for half a second. “Ready?”  
  
“Yep!”  
  
The three of them found a steady pace; Armin and Krista were already in sync, so Eren just tried to stay around their level.  
  
“So, Eren,” Krista said through her panting, “How are things going with Levi?”  
  
“Good, actually. It’s my last week, though. I don’t know, that has such a… weird feel to it. It’s like, it could be a week before they kick me out.”  
  
“Hmm.” Krista smiled. “Apparently making it to the last week is an accomplishment with Levi… I mean I only know what Ymir tells me, and the way she put it, it’s like… Doms aren’t all the same, and same with subs; everyone wants different things, so sometimes people don’t match up. Most people try to compromise, you know? Levi’s kind of, too rich, and too experienced for compromise, or at least a fifty-fifty compromise. He wants someone who wants what he wants. So if he wanted to kick you out, don’t you think he’d do it by now?”  
  
Eren blinked and turned to Armin. “Yeah?”  
  
“Well,” Armin said with a shrug, “I can’t say anything, but she does have a point…”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren realised. “Yeah!”  


⁂

  
  
On their way back, Armin reached down and scooped up the paper. He left it on the counter by the front entrance and the two of them kicked off their shoes and went upstairs. Clothes thrown aside, they compromised on temperature, though Armin turned it a little hotter than usual. Eren didn’t mind too much, as long as Armin was happy.  
  
Once again they dressed, in t-shirts and jeans, nothing special, save for their collars, and Eren’s dog tag.  
  
They went downstairs.  
  
Armin ran a hand through his damp hair, which had already poofed. “Do you want me to make you something?”  
  
“Sure,” Eren said with a smile as they stepped in the kitchen. “Didn’t Levi want strawberry milk or something, though?”  
  
“Yeah, but we can do that later. He’ll be home about… three-ish, I think it was.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Yeah.” Armin nodded. “I could make pancakes, but… I kind of want to make something else.”  
  
“Let me help!”  
  
“No,” Armin whined. “I want to make you food.”  
  
“So, let me help!”  
  
He turned to face Eren. “Nope nope, nope. I want to do something nice for you, so let me, okay?”  
  
Eren pouted. “Well… I want to do something nice for you too, you know?”  
  
“Well, okay, that’s nice… but then why are you stopping me?”  
  
“Because… I don’t want you doing nice things for me unless I can do nice things for you back, Arm.”  
  
Armin sighed. “I don’t do nice things because I expect them in return, Eren. It’s okay.”  
  
“I know that, but.” Eren shook his head. “You just work so hard to make me happy and it’s not fair that I can’t think of a way to make you feel happy too. You’re just important to me, and I want you to know that. That’s all.”  
  
Armin’s cheeks warmed and he shrugged. “Well, I want you out of the kitchen as I work on your surprise breakfast, so maybe you could do some of my chores until breakfast is ready?”  
  
“Oh!” Eren grinned. “I can do that. Dusting is the main one, and I guess I’ll sweep outside too.”  
  
“Yeah, that should give me enough time.” Armin nodded. “So go get to it!”  
  
Eren zipped out of the room.  
  
Armin smiled and turned around. He opened the fridge and grabbed a small can of coconut milk, then grabbed some peppers and green onions and several other veggies. He grabbed his cutting board and a knife, and set up two pans on the stove. He hummed happily as he grabbed his rice cooker and plugged it in.  
  
He stretched and reached for the stars.  
  
Armin did a little hop. “Okay!” He clasped his hands together. “Time to remind him who his favourite chef is!”  
  
He went in the pantry and grabbed a few things, then grabbed even more things from the fridge again, then grabbed green peas from the freezer (he almost always used fresh ingredients, but green peas had too short of a shelf life, so he bought frozen—let it go, let it go, can’t hold it back anymore).  
  
Once he was all set up, he looked around his kitchen and decided it was time to get started.  
  
He started with the rice.  
  
He measured one cup of Thai Jasmine white rice and gave it a quick rinse before draining and dropping it in the rice cooker. He added another cup of water and half a cup of the coconut milk; he stirred it with a wooden spoon. He added a dash of salt and then opened a small plastic box of dry, shredded coconut. He added a spoon of that too. Clicking the button, the rice cooker came to life and he turned his attention to the bowl on the counter.  
  
He grabbed two large eggs and cracked them in the bowl, then he measured thirty millilitres of whole milk and added it to the bowl. Using two chopsticks, as Annie taught him, he whisked the mixture together until it was smooth and seamless.  
  
Armin moved to one of the pans, the much larger one. He added a dab of olive oil and turned the heat on high. He swirled the oil around on the pan then moved to the chopping board.  
  
He grabbed a white onion, which was a sweet onion, and chopped it finely. Being the warrior of the kitchen he was, no onion could make him cry. He raised the cutting board and used his knife to push everything in the pan. He unwrapped pink butcher wrapping paper and pulled out a single breast of chicken. Placing it on the same cutting board, he diced it up and put the other chicken breasts back in the fridge.  
  
He grabbed a wooden spoon and moved the onions around, making sure they were being cooked evenly. Once the onions were clear, he waited a little longer until the edges browned. That’s when he added the chicken. He gave it three good stirs and then put the wooden spoon down.  
  
“Do, do, do,” Armin sang as he opened the bag of frozen peas. He poured them in a different bowl and then put the rest in the fridge. He grabbed the bowl of peas and moved to the sink. He turned on the tap and ran the bowl under cold water. He put his hand over the bowl as he turned it over, draining the water without losing any peas—oh wait, he lost one. But that’s okay. It was almost summer and that one only swam free.  
  
He turned off the tap.  
  
Armin turned around and put the bowl down and then stirred the chicken and onions one more time. He grabbed a yellow bell pepper and quickly rinsed, cored and deseeded it. Chopping it finely, he threw it in the pan. Then he focused on the carrot, only one. He washed it well and then used his super-duper extra-awesome peeler to make shavings, which he kept to the side. He diced the carrot and threw it in as well.  
  
The rice cooker switched from ‘Cook’ to ‘Warm’ with a snapping sound.  
  
Armin glanced over and nodded. He was making good time so far.  
  
The cold water had quickly thawed the frozen peas, so he threw those in the pan and then turned to the mushrooms. Because they were on special, he had bought Enoki mushrooms, which were long, thin white mushrooms that looked like little cords, popular in East Asian cuisine. He gave them a quick rinse and chopped them to small bits before he threw them in. He did the same thing with a couple green onions, slicing on the diagonal.  
  
He grabbed the wooden spoon and mixed them all together.  
  
Armin hummed a little louder and put the spoon down. He had a swing in his step, a little dance in his hips, as he walked over to the rice cooker. He opened the top and moved his head back to dodge the steam. The gentle smell of coconut filled the air. He smiled and turned the rice cooker to off. He grabbed his plastic spoon and dabbed it under cold water so the rice wouldn’t stick to it. He fluffed up the rice some and smiled.  
  
The rice was perfect.  
  
He grabbed the pan with one hand and scooped the rice into it, one spoon at a time. When there was no more rice left in the rice cooker, he put the pan on the stove. He broke up any clumps of rice and gave it several stirs.  
  
Leaving that there, he grabbed the block of sharp white cheddar and a cheese grater. Over a small plate, he grated something around five tablespoons of cheese before putting the cheese back in the fridge. Looking around, he cleaned up the kitchen and then remembered he hadn’t added the tomato. He grabbed a knife and quickly cored and diced it. He mixed it in with the rice and watched it colour the white grain to a pinkish-orange.  
  
“I’m done.” Eren slipped his arms around Armin’s waist and kissed his shoulder. “Whatchya making?”  
  
“Out!” Armin giggled. “I’m not done yet!”  
  
“Okay, okay.” Eren hugged him tighter. “But what are you making?—Wow that smells good!”  
  
Armin wiggled against Eren. “Out! Don’t spoil your own surprise.”  
  
“Fine fine fine.”  
  
When Eren left, Armin smiled. If Eren had come in only seconds later, the surprise would have indeed been ruined.  
  
He prepared the second pan. It was much smaller.  
  
Armin grabbed the bowl of egg and milk and poured a small amount in the second pan. He flicked the heat to medium-low and spread the mixture around. He didn’t have to wait long until the bottom looked solid and he waited a little longer before adding some of the shredded cheese.  
  
Even if it was a contemporary dish, cheese wasn’t traditionally added. He had seen it on a recipe online once, and tried it, and decided it was a must from then on.  
  
He added a heaping spoonful of the fried rice from the first pan onto the egg mixture in the second pan, and then flipped the egg to make a perfect rice omelette. He transferred it to a plate. His rice omelettes were smaller than most, but he preferred them that way. What would have made two heaping rice omelettes ended up making six smaller ones. He put three on each plate, then added the carrot shavings for decoration. The yellow omelette and the orange shavings looked well together, but…  
  
It was missing something.  
  
Armin pouted.  
  
“Is it ready yet?”  
  
“Almost!” he called out. He opened the fridge, looking for something to add, but he wasn’t sure what he could—there.  
  
Cucumbers.  
  
He grabbed one, washed it quickly, then sliced it diagonally. “I have the plates, but, could you set the table?”  
  
“Sure! Forks and knives?”  
  
“Yep!”  
  
“What do you want to drink?”  
  
“Water’s fine!”  


⁂

  
  
Eren sat in his usual seat, with the table set.  
  
“We’re sitting across from each other?” Armin asked as he put down two plates.  
  
“If you don’t want to, that’s okay.” Eren looked down. And then his eyes widened.  
  
“Well.” Armin grinned as he shifted his stuff over to Levi’s usual seat so they could sit next to each other. “I made something for your little weeaboo heart.”  
  
“Omurice,” Eren whispered, eyes watering. “Sugoi! Kawaii desu ne!”  
  
“Don’t do that.”  
  
Eren chuckled and leaned over to smooch Armin’s cheek. “I’ve never had a rice omelette before!”  
  
Armin took his seat and scooted his chair forward. “Now you’re just like the animes.”  
  
Eren grinned and grabbed his fork and knife. “Don’t you usually put some ketchup on it?”  
  
“We don’t have ketchup, because Levi’s all ‘No processed foods’, but I added some tomatoes.”  
  
“Wow!” Eren cut a piece and indeed the rice was a nice orange colour. He glanced to the carrot shavings and the cucumbers and he couldn’t help but smile as wide as his face would let him. “You thought of everything!”  
  
Armin gave a meek little shrug. “Well, just because it looks pretty doesn’t mean it tastes good.”  
  
Eren forked some of it and brought it to his mouth. “Oh m’ah Ga’wh.” An army of flavours flurried in his mouth, a smooth and creamy egg, peppers, tomatoes, green peas, carrots, grilled chicken, and there were so many subtle flavours, but leading the charge was—”Is that?” Eren said after he swallowed. “Is that coconut?”  
  
“Mhm.” Armin grinned. “I made coconut rice.”  
  
“Coconut rice?” Eren blinked about eighteen times. “You can make rice out of coconuts?”  
  
Armin shook his head and laughed. “No! You just make it with coconut milk and some coconut flakes and the flavour comes out. Most people make it a subtle flavour, but I like to make it pretty pronounced.”  
  
“This is amazing!” Eren shoved the entirety of an omelette in his mouth and already began cutting the second one in half. Chewing and swallowing, Eren looked at Armin. “It’s amazing… You’re amazing.”  
  
“Oh shut up.”  
  
“No, I’m serious Armin, you’re amazing.”  
  
“Stop!”  
  
“No, my boyfriend’s making me good food.” Eren grinned. “It’s like a date, and it’s amazing!”  
  
Armin’s cheeks reddened and he shook his head. “Stop…”  
  
Eren blinked, wondering if he hit the wrong cord. “What? Why?”  
  
“I just… Well, you’re with Levi, not with me.”  
  
“Well, yeah. I adore Levi,” Eren agreed. “But I also adore you. I’m his sub, and I want to be his sub… I love serving him, and I love being a part of his life, and I love that he’s a part of my life too, but it’s not like it’s _just_ me and him. You’re a part of our life too, and we both adore you. I mean, it’s not like we’re just forced to live together because we share a Dom… I have a thing with you too, right?”  
  
“Yeah,” Armin said a little too quickly. He stopped and looked away. “Just, please stop saying things like that…”  
  
Eren stared at him. “Why?”  
  
“I don’t know, I’m just.” Armin closed his eyes. “I’m not used to it, okay?”  
  
Eren kissed his cheek.  
  
Armin smiled and his expression softened as he looked at Eren. “I’ve just, I’ve been around Levi for so long, I’m not really used to all this… I like it! I’m just, it’s kind of hard to adjust. I’ve just been around Levi, and he’s… he’s affectionate, just not the way you are. He is in his own way, not your way. That’s… what I like about you, actually. It’s… it’s great.”  
  
Eren grinned. “Well, I just want you guys to know I like you two too, okay?”  
  
Armin nodded twice. “I like having you here too.”  
  
“R-Really?”  
  
Armin’s smile turned into a grin. “Of course.”  
  
“Um… Well, I don’t want to be like, tactless or anything, but… can I ask why?”  
  
“More like why not…”  
  
Eren blinked. “Huh?”  
  
Armin laughed and shook his head. “I mean, I get warm cuddles every night and every morning, I have a running buddy, you like my food, you call me amazing, you make me _feel_ amazing and _good_ about myself, you cover me in smooches, you give me hugs whenever I want one, and you never feel weird or lame about just being cute with me which is something I can’t get from Levi, and… well, not to mention, you know… you know what to do with your dick.”  
  
Eren snickered.  
  
Armin smiled. “And just.” His smile softened. “I don’t know, you just… you…”  
  
Eren tilted his head.  
  
“I guess, it’s just, it’s a new feeling, and a new experience, I guess. For the first time, there’s a sub who is actually interested in me.”  
  
“Arm’… what do you mean?”  
  
“Well, like, um.” Armin bit his lip. “This contract is between you and Levi. In many ways, I am… purely secondary. I’m not that important. The fact is, Eren, you _only_ have to coexist with me. You don’t have to get along well with me, or even like me. I’ve had subs who made it clear they would prefer if I wasn’t around… and, just, with you, it’s not like that at all… I—”  
  
Eren scooted his chair over and pulled Armin into his arms, hugging him tight.  
  
Armin blinked as he was pushed against Eren’s chest. “Huh?”  
  
Eren kissed the top of his head. “What about the others? Jean? Marco? You guys throw those names around a lot, and Marco was really into you when he was here.”  
  
“Those… I was secondary to them.” Armin pulled away just enough to look at Eren. “At first, I mean. After a few months, they came to really like me, but they didn’t… I mean, I don’t know how to put it. It’s just normal, I guess, for them to focus on the Dom since that’s who they have their contract with, right? I mean, um, you know, I’m also… not exactly…. I mean, I’m introverted, and not always good with people, so… Uh, I’ve… never had many friends. I was picked on. A lot. In school. What we talked about yesterday, about guys beating people up, and shoving them in lockers…”  
  
Eren squeezed him tight, pulling him back in.  
  
Armin pushed his head against Eren’s neck.  
  
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”  
  
“No, um. I’m okay,” Armin explained, “It’s uh, it’s not hard to talk about. It ended when I switched schools. It got a lot better after that, but yeah… I never had a lot of friends, and I kind of just accepted I wasn’t really a desirable person to be around. When I moved in with Levi and Diet’ and the rest of them… I was convinced they talked to me out of pity. I mean my parents just died, I had no one, so I figured they were forcing themselves to make talk with me. But I ended becoming really close friends with Pet’, and Oluo, and Eld, and Gunther. Even Levi liked having me around… but I don’t know. When he asked me to be his sub, I…” Armin took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” He pulled away. “I don’t know where all this came from, forget it.”  
  
“No,” Eren whispered. “It’s okay. Talk to me.”  
  
Armin stared at him.  
  
“If you want to tell me something, tell me.”  
  
Armin swallowed hard. “I was… actually, surprised Levi wanted me. But, after a few months, he ended up talking about, taking a second sub, and I was kind of just like ‘of course he would’, because I never thought he would be happy with just me. I’m… just me.” Armin smiled. “But… Levi knows how to make me feel special. He and I, we have this… openness between us, something I’ve never had with anyone else, and something I never want to have with someone else either. Because it’s so open, it’s almost scary. But with you… it feels like, maybe one day I’ll be okay with having that utter transparency… and that’s actually really scary, especially for someone like me.”  
  
Eren grinned and kissed his cheek. “One step at a time.”  
  
“Yeah… I think it’s the same with Levi… He’s getting scared because he knows you’re becoming more and more important in his life as the days go by, and…” Armin glanced to their food. “Sorry, there’s no point to this. Let’s eat.”  
  
Eren glanced to the food and grabbed a slice of cucumber. “It’s okay, Armin. You’re just letting your feelings out.”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Do you like me?”  
  
Eren glanced over. “Huh?”  
  
“I mean, just, as a person… would you, I mean, would you consider yourself my friend, or?”  
  
“Armin.”  
  
“Yes? Or no? I need to hear it, okay?”  
  
Eren put the cucumber down and turned to face him. He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on those soft lips. “Yes. Don’t… don’t ever doubt that. Ever.”  
  
Armin nodded. “I’ll admit it: I’m pretty pathetic when it comes to confidence. I’ll wake up and I’ll feel so good about myself and so happy, and out of fucking nowhere… something just swoops in and washes all of it away. You’ll…” Armin took another breath. “You’ll have to deal with that.”  
  
“Deal with that?” Eren frowned. “What do you mean?”  
  
“I um, well…” Armin looked him in the eye. “This is your last week here, so this week is really, really about you deciding if you want to live here, so I’m, just, I’m going to tell you, outright. Levi won’t pick you over me. So that means you have to live with every single one of my short comings, every single one of my weird traits, or negative traits, or whatever you want to call them. You need to know that, Eren.”  
  
“Hmm.” Eren smiled. “I think I was the one who had the short cumming last night.”  
  
Armin frowned. “Eren.”  
  
“Sorry!” Eren chuckled and kissed his cheek. “Arm’… Jesus, I don’t know how to say this, but, like… Honest to God, or whatever the fuck does or doesn’t exist out there, I’m surprised you haven’t thrown me out a window yet.”  
  
Armin blinked. “What?”  
  
“You’re going on about all your short comings and negative traits but you’re forgetting that I probably have way more than you do and you should defenestrate me, so I’m just wondering how you haven’t thrown me out a window yet.”  
  
“Well, it’s tempting sometimes.” Armin smiled. “I’m not going to lie: I’ve thought about it.”  
  
Eren cackled and cackled louder when Armin joined in.  
  
Armin grinned and kissed Eren’s cheek. “I hope the food hasn’t gotten cold…”  
  
Eren took a bite of his rice omelette and shook his head. “Nope, it’s still warm.” He grabbed a cucumber and took a small bite. “This one’s good too.”  
  
Armin kissed his cheek again.  


⁂

  
  
“Eat this.”  
  
“Huh? What?” Eren looked away from the television to see Armin holding out a small purple circle and a glass of water. “What’s this?”  
  
“Multivitamin. And water. Eat it.”  
  
“Yes Sir.” Eren saluted before grabbed the vitamin and popping it in his mouth. He bit it with a crunch and smiled. “Dark cherry flavour!” He chugged the glass of water and smiled. “Thank you.”  
  
Armin nodded and crashed on the sofa next to him. “You’re supposed to eat those with food, but I forgot. Need to get back in the habit of eating these with breakfast again.”  
  
Eren nodded and put his arm over Armin’s shoulders. “Do they even work? My dad said there was some evidence to say they don’t.”  
  
“I heard about that.” Armin nodded. “I didn’t read the study, but I read one of those online articles or whatever? You know the ones, where they translate it to normal people speak? Apparently they’re not the magical cure-all thingies, but to be honest one little pill a day isn’t going to change a shitty lifestyle anyway, right?”  
  
“Right.”  
  
“But they do reduce chances of cataracts and some other diseases by like ten percent, so I dunno. I need to do more research on that, but yeah. That’s what I know.”  
  
“Plus placebo,” Eren pointed out. “I should read up on that.”  
  
“You could ask your parents.”  
  
“Mm.” Eren pursed his lips. “Nah.”  
  
Armin leaned on him. “Why not?”  
  
“Uh, um, no reason.”  
  
“Hm. Okay.”  
  
Eren looked over. “What?”  
  
Armin shrugged. “I just wish I had parents.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened.  
  
Armin realised what he said and blinked. “Sorry, wow, I’m being depressing today. I don’t know why. Forget it.”  
  
Eren hugged him tight.  
  
Armin smiled. “Just keep doing that, okay?”  
  
“Of course!” Eren kissed the top of his head. “It’s my job, remember?”  
  
“Yeah.” Armin took in Eren’s scent and melted a little. He was about to say something, but his phone went off. He pouted and reached in his pants pocket to pull out his phone. “Oh.” He pulled away from Eren. “If I make Levi’s strawberry milk it’ll be chilled and ready for him when he comes home.”  
  
“Strawberry milk,” Eren chuckled.  
  
Armin smiled. “He’s such a baby, _such_ a baby.” He got off the couch and offered a hand to Eren. “Come on, I’ll show you how to make it.”  
  
Eren took the hand and got to his feet. “Lead the way!” He kissed Armin’s nose.  
  
Armin blinked and chuckled.  
  
  
Eventually, the two of them made their way to the kitchen.  
  
“So, how do we make it?”  
  
“Well, it’s strawberry milk. And there’s two ingredients. Strawberries and milk.” Armin opened the fridge and took both out. “We’re going to need three cups of strawberries, and each cup is a hundred and fifty grams, and luckily, these,” he shook the carton the strawberries came in before continuing, “Are four hundred and fifty grams.”  
  
“Wow.” Eren ran a hand through his hair. “You know the conversions just like that?”  
  
“Well, it’s more like I’ve Googled them so many times I’ve just memorised it.”  
  
Eren snickered.  
  
Armin handed him the strawberries. “Just wash these and cut off the tops, okay?”  
  
“Sure thing!”  
  
Armin turned around and grabbed his measuring cups. He measured one cup of milk and poured it in the blender. “There’s two ways to make strawberry milk.” He measured two more cups but didn’t pour. “The long way is to boil the strawberries in hot water and make a thick jam, pour it through a strainer, and add a couple spoons of the jam into milk. Stir, and you have strawberry milk.”  
  
“Oh, that sounds simple!”  
  
“Yeah, but I’m lazy and I like things even more simple.” Armin chuckled. “You can just throw the strawberries and milk in the blender and blend until it’s smooth. It won’t be perfectly smooth, but we’ve got a top quality blender so we don’t really have to worry about that.”  
  
“Huh.” Eren sliced off the top of another strawberry. “Sounds more simple.”  
  
“It’s even simpler than that,” Armin pointed out. “The ratio is literally one cup of strawberries to one cup of milk. It’s the easiest thing in the world.”  
  
Eren grinned. “Sounds like it! So, do you ever add anything to it to make it special? Like a banana?”  
  
“Sometimes,” Armin admitted. “But Levi prefers his strawberry milk pure.”  
  
Eren rolled his eyes. “Of course he would.”  
  
Armin chuckled.  
  
“Here, I’m done.”  
  
Armin poured the strawberries in and put the lid over the strawberries. He hit the pulse button and watched it puree in a matter of seconds. After a minute, he opened the top and added two more cups of milk before hitting the pulse button again. “You know,” he easily talked over the quiet hum of the top-grade soundproof blender, “I’m not really a health freak. I mean, I think everyone prefers fresh to preservatives, but I don’t really really care? Levi on the other hand… he looked so disgusted when we he saw the Oreos we bought, and he considered kicking us out because of the mac and cheese, I swear. But yeah, when it comes to flavoured milk, I think it’s kind of incredibly easy to make it at home, and it probably has less sugar.”  
  
“Hm, but I’m guessing most people don’t know it’s that easy, though.”  
  
“Probably,” Armin agreed. “It’s like a smoothie, but even less work.” He hit the button and the blender stopped. “There!”  
  
Eren looked.  
  
Inside the glass container was a simple pink liquid. There were bits of strawberry floating around, but he figured it wouldn’t be noticeable when he drank it.  
  
Armin removed the blender’s glass pitcher from the base and turned to the fridge. He opened the door and put it in. “It’s probably still cold now, but sometimes the blender heats it up just from motion. So we’ll chill it for a bit and it’ll be all good when Levi gets home.”  
  
“Solid,” Eren said with a nod.  
  
“Now, another hug.”  
  
“Aww.” Eren pulled the blondie close and kissed the side of his head.  
  
Armin chuckled and squeezed Eren tight.  


⁂

  
  
“I’m home,” Levi called out as he took off his shoes and shut the door behind him.  
  
Eren walked down the stairs and smiled. “Heya,” he whispered. “Army’s sleeping in the library. He just dozes off every once in a while, it’s cute.”  
  
Levi chuckled. “That it is… Hmm.” He actually pouted. “I wanted him to make me strawberry milk.”  
  
“We already did, Sir.” Eren bounced up and guided Levi to the kitchen.  
  
Levi quickly followed. “You made it?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren turned and opened the fridge. “Well, Armin made it, but I helped. I mostly watched.”  
  
“But…” Levi’s voice was tense.  
  
Eren closed the door and turned around. “Something wrong, Sir?”  
  
“I just… But now you know how to make it?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren grinned. “I can make it for you whenever you want, Sir.”  
  
Levi slammed Eren against the fridge and began kissing his neck.  
  
Eren’s spine jolted straight. “S-Sir?”  
  
Levi’s hands roamed over Eren’s body and he purred. “What a good boy, amazing puppy.”  
  
Eren laughed and felt his face heat up. “Y-You don’t have to, it wasn’t that hard!”  
  
“You’re getting hard,” Levi whispered as he cupped Eren’s crotch.  
  
“S-Sir!” Eren’s cheeks burned. “It’s simple, anyone c-can make it!”  
  
Levi stopped and backed away.  
  
Eren blinked. “Sir?”  
  
“I can’t make it.”  
  
Eren smiled. “I can show you!”  
  
Levi shook his head. “No, I… I’ll fuck up. I tried.”  
  
Eren frowned. “What did you get wrong? It’s like idiot proof.”  
  
“Well, um, last time I tried, I… uh, well, I forgot to put the top on the blender.” Levi looked away. “So pink shit sprayed everywhere. It was like Kirby had diarrhoea all over my kitchen.”  
  
Eren irked. “Did you have to give me that mental image?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi stared at him. “I want my fucking milk.”  
  
Eren pouted. “No reward?”  
  
Levi swore he could see Eren’s puppy ears droop. “Just give it to me.”  
  
“Yes, Sir!” Eren turned around and reminded himself not to open his mouth and ruin moments. He grabbed the glass jar and then grabbed two cups. The smooth pink liquid poured easily into the cups and Eren put the jar down. He grabbed both cups and offered one to Levi.  
  
Levi took the glass and drank. His eyelids slid to half-mast, fluttered, closed.  
  
Eren held back his urge to laugh and he sipped his drink. The smooth, creamy strawberry taste washed over his tongue and he moaned. “Oh wow, this is great.”  
  
Levi finished his cup with a breathy moan and nodded. “Another.”  
  
Eren put his cup down on the counter and grabbed Levi’s cup and the pitcher. “Here you go, Sir.’  
  
“Sweet Jesus,” Levi whispered. “Blow me while I drink this.”  
  
Eren chuckled.  
  
Levi blinked. “I was being serious. Now.”  
  
Eren dropped to his knees. “Yes Sir!”  


⁂

  
  
With Armin asleep, the two of them drank the six cups worth of pink milk and migrated to the living room. Levi sat at the couch and Eren dropped his head in his Dom’s lap. After a while, trying several positions as Levi sat still, he eventually sat next to Levi and leaned on him. He took in the smell of sweet cologne and swore his insides were turning to mush. Eren nuzzled into Levi’s neck and he heard the man laugh.  
  
“I guess they’re right.”  
  
“Huh?” Eren moved back a bit. “About what?”  
  
“About dogs.” Levi ruffled Eren’s hair. “They’re great for stress relief.”  
  
Eren smooched his face.  
  
Levi frowned.  
  
Eren smooched more.  
  
Levi frowned more. “Stop. Enough with all the kissing.”  
  
Eren kissed his face about eight more times.  
  
Levi pointed at him. “Down, boy. Down!”  
  
Eren lowered his head.  
  
“Be obedient.”  
  
Eren gave a dog whine.  
  
Levi couldn’t help but smile. He scratched the underside of Eren’s chin. “Good boy.”  
  
Eren chuckled. He hugged Levi tight and rested his head on the man’s shoulders.  
  
Levi instantly stiffened. “No, Eren—”  
  
Eren hugged tighter. “Arf!”  
  
Levi’s hand latched onto Eren’s wrists. “Let. Go.”  
  
“Huh?” Eren looked to his hand and realised he felt something like a bump? A thin bump?—Scars—His hand was over Levi’s scars. “Oh shit!” He pulled both hands back. “I’m sorry!”  
  
Levi made an attempt to relax, but all he could do was swallow hard. “That’s… okay. Just give me, space.”  
  
“R-Right.” Eren moved back.  
  
Levi looked away. “Sorry.”  
  
“No, no, no! Don’t be, Sir.” Eren offered a smile, but Levi didn’t look his way. After a pause that lasted longer than it should, he bit his lip. “Sir?”  
  
“Just, forget it.” Levi stood up. “That’s an order.”  
  
“Sir?”  
  
Levi walked away.  
  
“Master.” Armin stepped in the room with a smile. “You’re home.”  
  
Levi walked passed him.  
  
Armin turned around then glanced to Eren. “Bad mood?” He noticed the expression on Eren’s face and he realised something was wrong. “What happened?”  
  
“I, uh… I grabbed his scar, by accident.”  
  
“Oh.” Armin relaxed. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it, okay?”  
  
“Okay.”  


⁂

  
  
An hour or two had passed. Eren was still sitting, alone, on the couch. He had pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them tight. He had a sour expression on his face and he huffed. He tried to distract himself with things in the house, but nothing really called to him. He eventually let his thoughts wander. He didn’t know if that was a good idea, but words that were spoken to him, words that entered his head, reverberated in his skull and he couldn’t help but feel a thickness in his heart.  
  
Armin had said that he had negative traits, short comings. Armin had sensitive issues. In the same light, of course, so did he and Levi. That much was common sense.  
  
But…  
  
Eren took a deep breath.  
  
Could he do it?  
  
With all the amazing benefits and positive feelings that he had from living with Levi and Armin, it still felt like he was walking on eggshells. He silently wondered who the fuck would ever walk on eggshells, so he tried to think of a different comparison. It was like a field littered with landmines. Levi had told him that once. Dealing with Armin was like walking on minefield. Occasionally, things would go wrong… and they would go very wrong, and he was powerless to stop that inevitable force.  
  
There were drawbacks to living here.  
  
While he loved it, truly he did, there was stress that came with it. And Eren knew Levi wasn’t looking for someone who just wanted another month… Levi was looking for permanent subs.  
  
Eren was happy, but that didn’t mean he was sure if that was what he wanted.  
  
There were highs that went so high, and there were lows that were so… toxic. There were lows that broke the highs and let guilt seep through the cracks. Acidic guilt wouldn’t just break through the cracks; it would eat away at all of it, corrosive, noxious, violent guilt. The guilt that swam in his chest and destroyed every barrier he had. Guilt that had the power to break him.  
  
Could he really spend another month in the house?  
  
Could he spend a year?  
  
Because, after all, that’s what Levi was looking for.  
  
Could he live in the house for a year?  
  
With all the drawbacks? With all the guilt?  
  
Would he still want Armin and Levi after a year?  
  
Would Levi and Armin still want him after a year?  
  
Eren hugged his knees and sighed.  
  
There were issues. They all had their issues. He wondered if it was smart to put so many people with issues together. Was that a good idea? Or was that just dangerous? Would it help them understand each other? Or would they just become each other’s ruin? While he was enjoying the day to day, he…  
  
The fact was he didn’t want to feel like he cracked an eggshell or blew up a landmine, the truth was he didn’t like the feeling and that feeling would be the end of him if he had to feel it again, but the reality was that in the household it was a pre-determined fact that he would feel that pang of guilt over and over and over again, and he would feel it more for the longer he stayed. And if he really wanted to—  
  
Eren looked to the side.  
  
Levi was sitting next to him, examining him.  
  
“Apples!” Eren screamed and scooted away.  
  
Levi raised a thin eyebrow.  
  
“Fuck… fuck…” Eren put a hand over his heart. “You scared me, Sir.”  
  
“I moved very slowly,” Levi pointed out. “Were you thinking?”  
  
“Uh, yeah.”  
  
“About what?” Levi patted the seat next to him.  
  
Eren wiggled over. “About me, and you, us; and Armin, and the three of us.”  
  
Levi slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him close. “Talk to me.”  
  
Eren looked at him.  
  
Levi leaned over and kissed the corner of Eren’s eyes, twice each. He noted Eren’s confusion and he smiled. “Your eyes looked sad, that’s all.”  
  
Eren smiled and looked away. “Stop.”  
  
“What?” Levi frowned. “Did I do something wrong?”  
  
“No.” Eren sighed. “You can be so fucking sweet sometimes, and it’s amazing, but it scares me because I don’t expect it.”  
  
Levi cupped the side of Eren’s face and turned his head so they were facing each other. “Eren… You are my object, but you’re more than that. You’re my partner, my passion, my most cherished possession…” Levi smiled. “And all that other sentimental shit.’  
  
Eren grinned. “You mean that, though?”  
  
“You’re my responsibility. That’s what I signed for. But that doesn’t mean I just want you to exist and survive… I want you to live. You are so much more than just a tool to me.”  
  
Eren looked down and rubbed his collar.  
  
“On my lap. Now.”  
  
Eren looked up.  
  
“Face me.”  
  
Eren nodded and straddled his hips.  
  
Levi looked Eren in the eyes. “Whether I care about you or not cannot be a question between us. Do you understand me?”  
  
“Y-Yeah.” He nodded.  
  
“Good.” Levi stroked Eren’s cheek with his thumb. “Now. Talk to me… please, Eren.”  
  
Eren took a deep breath. “I just feel, guilty.”  
  
“Guilty?” Levi tilted his head.  
  
“I just…” Eren squished his eyes closed for a second. “I just keep fucking up!”  
  
“What are you talking about?”  
  
“I! I fuck up!”  
  
“Eren, you haven’t ‘fucked up’ once.”  
  
Eren stared at him. “But, your… scar.”  
  
“Oh.” Levi laughed. “Idiot.”  
  
Eren blinked.  
  
“You’re an idiot.” Levi kissed his cheek. “You’re so stupid sometimes it hurts.”  
  
Eren squirmed, not understanding.  
  
“Eren. You have an issue with fire, right?”  
  
“Um. Yeah…”  
  
“Do you remember the night Armin got drunk? He made food for us and asked us to heat it. I set the pan on fire. You started shaking. Did you blame me for it?”  
  
“No!” Eren frowned. “Of course not, Sir!”  
  
“And how is that different than my scar?”  
  
“Because! Because I know about your scar! And! Plus! The issue with the fire is!” Eren stopped. “The… issue with the fire, it’s my issue. So it’s not your fault, because… it’s my issue.”  
  
“That’s right.” Levi nodded. “And this scar is my issue. Armin’s family is his issue. Unless you’re doing something intentionally, then you can’t be blamed. Yes, it’s unfortunate, but it’s not your fault. You’re human, and you will make error. So will I. But like I said, you can’t be blamed.”  
  
“Yes I can!”  
  
“No. you can’t.”  
  
“But!”  
  
“It’s unavoidable. If you can’t live with that then you shouldn’t be in this house.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened.  
  
Levi leaned forward and kissed the corner of his right eye. “That being said… I’d rather you overcome the unfair way you’re treating yourself than leave.”  
  
Eren pushed his forehead against Levi’s shoulder.  
  
“Eren. We live with each other, every hour of every day. We’re going to make each other happy and sad. That’s just how shit turns. I’m sure it was the same way when you lived with your sister.”  
  
“Well, yeah, we were roommates… We argued from time to time.”  
  
“Of course you did. People coexist well, but we don’t coexist perfectly.”  
  
“But…”  
  
“You make me…” Levi frowned and tried again. “You’ve… I…”  
  
Eren backed away and looked at him. “Sir?”  
  
“I’m… happier, with you, in my life. Okay?”  
  
“R… Really?”  
  
“Even if every once in a while you bring up something I don’t want you to, all the good you’ve brought to this house outweighs all the shitty things you do.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
“So, Pup. This is an order from your Dom: Keep things in perspective.”  
  
“Well…” Eren sighed and closed his eyes. “That’s so much easier said than done.”  
  
“Mhm.” Levi ruffled his hair. “That’s why I’m here: To guide you.”  
  
Eren opened his eyes and looked at him. “I… make you happy? I mean, you’re happy with me.”  
  
“You can’t tell?”  
  
“Well, you’re always a grumpy shit.”  
  
Levi snickered and the snickers built up until he laughed. “I’m not happy with you, I’m happy _because_ of you.”  


⁂

  
  
Armin glanced over his shoulder when he heard footsteps. He saw Eren step into the kitchen and he instantly put down what he had in his hand. He walked over and pulled Eren into a hug. He didn’t know what they talked about; he didn’t pry. But, Armin figured things ended on a relatively positive note. He had seen the way Eren’s eyes were wet and all he knew was that he needed to give him a hug.  
  
Eren hugged back and smiled. “Thanks.”  
  
“Any time.”  
  
“I’m…” Eren laughed. “I’m such a loser.”  
  
“You are,” Armin agreed. “But you’re my favourite loser.”  
  
“R-Really?”  
  
“Yeah.” Armin kissed his cheek. “Now.” He pulled away. “I’m making dinner.” He wagged his finger. “It’s special, and it’s for you. So you can’t be here and you can’t look at what I’m doing, okay?”  
  
Eren pouted. “Okay…”  
  
Armin grinned. “Just trust me, okay? It’s going to be amazing. Okay?”  
  
“Okay!”  


⁂

  
  
Eren decided he needed some time alone. He went up to the library and decided to look around. He grabbed a random book and decided to read it. He flipped through the pages aimlessly, following along the story of some guy in Spain about something about starfish (which should be sea stars because starfish aren’t fish), and he decided the book wasn’t interesting enough for him to keep going. He put it back where he found it and looked around. He turned around, putting his back to the bookshelf and sighed.  
  
Somehow the musty air of books was comforting.  
  
The day had started out well and was all comfortable; it was like it got its lubed and decided to masturbate, but then its parents walked in on him and it was awkward, and then the day became awkward. Eren wasn’t sure how he felt about today at all.  
  
He did realise one thing, though: He had a lot to consider.  


⁂

  
  
Dinner was eventually served. They sat outside since Armin had used the grill. Steak! Steak with shredded cabbage and some grilled zucchini and eggplant. Despite the tensions that had laced the day, the conversation at dinner was fairly light hearted. Levi talked about work some, Armin talked about the food, Eren asked questions here and there.  
  
As Eren sliced another segment of medium-rare cooked meat and brought it to his lips, he moaned. He always preferred rare steak (the rarer the better), but never had he had such a moist and tender steak. “What kind of holy cow did this come from? Delicious! And the beef is so lean!” Eren sliced another piece and put it in his mouth.  
  
Levi chuckled.  
  
Eren looked up. He began chewing slower.  
  
Armin laughed.  
  
Eren looked between the two of them and swallowed. “This… isn’t beef, is it?”  
  
Levi shook his head.  
  
Eren’s eyes snapped at Armin. “What am I eating?”  
  
Armin crossed his legs and scooted his chair forward. “I don’t know.”  
  
Eren looked at Levi.  
  
Levi had pity in his eyes as he answered, “Ostrich.”  
  
“O-Ostrich!” Eren glared at Armin.  
  
“Didn’t you just say it was delicious?”  
  
“That’s not the point!”  
  
Armin sliced a portion of his steak. “It’s tender.” He forked the piece of meat and put in his mouth. “Mmm.”  
  
Eren pouted. “Ostrich?”  
  
“What?” Levi glanced at him. “Does your religion say no to ostrich?”  
  
“Well, no. I’m not even religious.”  
  
“Then get your head out of the sand and eat it.”  
  
Eren burst into laughter.  
  
Levi snorted. “I figured you’d like that.”  
  
“Huh?” Armin looked between them.  
  
“Head out of the sand,” Levi repeated. “Like ostriches do.”  
  
“Oh!” Armin laughed. “That’s a bad joke!”  
  
“I know, but Eren likes it.”  
  
Eren was still laughing.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “Yeah.”  
  
Eren poked his steak. “I’m surprised it’s so tasty though… Isn’t like, bird white meat?”  
  
“Ostrich is like beef, really.” Armin shrugged. “Most people can’t tell the difference, except ostrich is lean and tender. Ostrich and venison are usually the leanest meats, I think.”  
  
“Wow.” Eren sliced another piece of his steak. “You’re tricking me into eating weird animals… I don’t know if I can trust you.”  
  
“You can’t,” Levi said simply. “I can’t. But if it’s good food, it’s good food. I trust Armin enough not to poison me.”  
  
Eren realised that was a fair statement. “Hmmm. But I got my eye on you, okay?”  
  
“Okay.” Armin grinned. “Keep your eye on me.”  


⁂

  
  
With dinner ending on a positive note, Eren went back to the library. He sat on the small couch by the end of the room and crossed one leg over the other. He ended up finding a book he liked—recommended by Armin—and flipped the pages slowly, taking his time, reading with ease. When Levi sat down next to him, Eren looked up slowly.  
  
“Oh, you didn’t scream like a bitch this time.”  
  
Eren grinned wide and kissed his cheek. “What’s up, Sir?”  
  
“I just… wanted to talk to you.” Levi frowned a little. “I need you to be more open with me, Eren.”  
  
Eren closed his book slowly and glanced at it. “More open?”  
  
“I know you’re the type to pretend everything’s fine. Well, I know that now. So for the past few weeks, I haven’t, and I guess the only way to say it is that I don’t trust my judgement anymore when it comes to you and your feelings. In time I’ll adjust, adapt, but it won’t happen overnight. I am supposed to take care of you physically and mentally, but also spiritually.”  
  
“Like, séances?”  
  
Levi frowned. “You know what I’m talking about.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah.” Eren sighed. “I just, it’s not that I want to hide my feelings from you, I just kinda think they’re really stupid and they should be ignored.”  
  
Levi scratched his chin. “Listen to me, Eren. Most feelings are stupid. Have you ever heard Armin talk about his fears? What a fucking airhead. I should throw him in the river and force him to sing the song of Betty Boop Sadness.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Nothing,” Levi went on, “But feelings are always fucking stupid. Just because they’re stupid doesn’t mean you bottle them up, though.”  
  
Eren put the book on the table and scootched closer to Levi. “I know you’re right, but…”  
  
“Sh.” Levi pulled him in close. “This is part of your training.”  
  
Eren blinked and looked at him. “It is? Isn’t it me just being a big baby?”  
  
“You’re looking at a man who wanted a blowjob as he drank his pink milk—I am the biggest baby on this side of the planet, Pup.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “But…”  
  
“No,” Levi answered. “You are not being a baby. This is a problem almost every adult deals with… The fact is, everybody needs to vent, everybody needs to let off steam or let out some negativity. Even people who are well off and better off than you will need to vent. Even people who have no troubles in the world will have to let go of some negativity because it builds up for every damn person.”  
  
Eren nodded. “I know that…”  
  
“I know you do. But this is part of my training. Usually, the _real_ training begins in the second month. I have ten areas I train my subs.”  
  
“Ten?” Eren blinked. “Don’t I just have to learn to put my head down and suck dick better?”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes and kissed the side of Eren’s head. “You suck dick just fine.”  
  
Eren grinned. “Really?”  
  
“Yes, but I want to train you physically, to help you achieve the body you want with the flexibility you want. I’ll train you sexually, to help control your urges. Mentally, I’ll train your determination and willpower for obedience. Spiritually, to help you self-actualise. Verbally… which I might just give up on for you.”  
  
Eren snickered.  
  
Levi smiled. “I’ll test you ritually, meaning your habits, and helping form better ones. I will train you in skills, though I think you’re just fine there. I’ll test your limits, learn them, expand them, and respect them. Of course I’ll test you in terms of discipline, too.”  
  
Eren counted with his fingers. “That’s nine.”  
  
“The last one is emotionally. You need to overcome unhelpful emotions, I’ll need you to control your expression, to be more open… I’ll be training you in a vary of ways. Eren, you’re an amazing sub. You have your personality, your fire, and you’re obedient and willing to learn. You’re a well-defined person, and I’m sure you’ll make a sub that the whole community will envy me for.”  
  
“You like that, huh?” Eren grinned and looked up. “Feeling proud of your subs?”  
  
“Mhm. I show off Armin and you’ll see the way Jean, Erwin, Hanji, Ymir, and even Marco to some extent, all wish they had what’s mine. What I shaped, and what I own. You’re perfect. Don’t take this the wrong way when I say I want to shape you, though.”  
  
“No I know! Subs need to be trained. We need structure.”  
  
“A weak Dom will just assume a sub will submit because they are a submissive. A Dom believes they dominate and they hold the power, but it’s the opposite. The submissive _gives_ consent, and gives power to the Dom. A Dom is nothing without a sub. I don’t want you to submit to me because I’m your Dom—I want you to submit to me because you want to. And I want you to submit on your own terms. I want you to hold every ounce of power in our relationship and give it to me because you want me to have it.”  
  
“You’ve said this before, but.” Eren pulled his legs up and hugged his knees. “That’s… so opposite of what I’ve heard. I mean, for so long, it’s been ‘I’m the Dom, if you don’t obey me I’ll punish you, gya-ha-ha’.”  
  
“Is that real submission?” Levi asked honestly. “Or is that just a shitty asshole?”  
  
Eren leaned into him. “But if it’s about me giving, why should I be shaped?”  
  
“Because I show you what I want. If that lines up with what you want, then you give. The fact is, Eren, your job is to please me as much as possible. That should be your goal. And my goal is similar. Help you achieve pleasure through submission.”  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
“In theory, you should achieve more pleasure by serving me better.”  
  
“Right.”  
  
“But how can you think about pleasure and submission, and how can you think about sex, when your mind is swirling a storm because of your feelings? You are my responsibility. You are also under my care. So, you shitty brat, I need to know I can fucking trust you. I need you to be more open with me, otherwise I can’t take care of you. I will fail my job as a Dom if I can’t trust you. I can’t sign another contract with you unless I know I can trust you. Do you understand?”  
  
“Um… yeah.” Eren took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I _will_ improve, Sir. For you and for me.”  
  
“Good.” Levi cupped his chin and kissed him.  
  
Eren kissed back and breathed through his nose.  
  
“Goodnight, Pup.”  
  
“Goodnight, Sir!”  
  
Levi got up and left the room.  
  
Eren glanced to his book and for some strange reason he couldn’t help but smile. There was a butterfly warmth in his heart; and, if he didn’t know better, Eren would say it almost felt like…


	26. The Fourth Week (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for the delay. I've also been extra-late at replying to comments, both here and on tumblr, so sorry about that, but I'm going to get to try to write more! Small warning, just looking at the rest of my plan for this fic, expect some inconsistent chapter length. I usually try to keep it around the average, 9-10k, but it looks like there might be both some massive chapters and some shorter ones ahead. Nothing wrong with inconsistent chapter lengths, but since I update progressively, one chapter at a time (as opposed to a novel where you have the whole thing in front of you), I try to make sure each chapter has enough meat to it, you know? Oh well. Just letting you guys know!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter~!

* * *

 

 

Eren didn’t end up going to bed for a while. Levi had left him in the library to head to sleep, and Eren stayed up. He ended up reading until the end of the book and then put it down. When he checked his phone, the bright light flashed 2:00 AM at him, but he wasn’t feeling tired. He had things to consider, things to think about, and he wondered why he suddenly felt like he was drowning in a surge of thought waves. He wondered if it was because he never considered a second contract? No, that wasn’t true.  
  
He had considered many contracts.  
  
Then what was it? Was it because it was the fourth week and he was somewhat, prompted, to think about it?  
  
Maybe, but…  
  
Eren pondered.  
  
Maybe it was because he was constantly putting the idea aside, in a ‘I’ll get there when I get there’ sort of deal? It wasn’t wrong. That’s what he had been doing. But, now, he needed to think about it. He needed to know, for sure, whether he could consider a second contract. Realistically consider. The ups were high, the downs were low, and everything in between was just… bliss. But he was scared. He was scared and worried of that bliss because that happiness came with a cost and it would change everything about him and his life.  
  
He had gone from Dom to Dom, casuals and serious alike, in a day to day life.  
  
Even now, everything was day to day.  
  
But for the first time, Eren had to consider the future. Eren had to think not just about the next day, or the next week, or even the next month… but he had to consider years. Years, plural, of his life. He didn’t want to go on with it if it was a waste of his time, or a waste of Levi’s time. He knew, that between the three of them…  
  
He put his hand on his heart and sighed.  
  
Eren distracted himself with another book. It was a book of short stories, recommended by Armin. He read a couple, flipping page after page, until there was no more. His eyes wanted to close. He sighed. He put the book down. He grabbed his phone, and the light flashed 4:57 AM.  
  
“Fuck,” he muttered.  
  
Eren got up and put the book down. He was supposed to put the books back where he found them, yadda yadda, but he was tired as fuck and decided he’d do it in the morning, or whenever he woke up. He turned off the lights to the library and sneaked down the stairs. He turned to their room and slipped in, closing the door quietly behind him. He pulled off his shirt and began undoing his pants. When he was undressed, Eren was about to get in when he noticed Armin was curled up on his side of the bed. He smiled and went around the bed and slipped inside.  
  
“Eren,” Armin mumbled and turned, reaching for him.  
  
“Hey Sunshine.” Eren smiled and pulled Armin close. “Still up?”  
  
Armin nuzzled into his neck and didn’t respond.  
  
Eren figured he was asleep and rolled his eyes. He pulled the bed sheets and made sure they were both warm before he closed his eyes. He wasn’t really that tired, but Armin was incredibly warm. Plus, his eyes hurt. He felt Armin drift closer to him and he smiled. He rested his nose in Armin’s hair and nuzzled it.  
  
It was hard to think of the future and all the problems of the future when everything was usually so…  
  


⁂

  
  
“Perfect, as always.”  
  
“Thank you, Master.” Armin smiled as he poured Levi another steaming cup of coffee. He glanced to the time. “You have to leave in ten, Sir.”  
  
Levi nodded and sipped his coffee. “Thank you, Armin.”  
  
Armin poured himself a cup of coffee then paused.  
  
Levi glanced at him.  
  
Armin almost hesitated before he leaned down and kissed Levi’s cheek.  
  
Levi blinked.  
  
Armin turned away and put the pot of coffee back on the drip.  
  
“Kitten?”  
  
“Y-Yeah?”  
  
“What are you so afraid of?” Levi tilted his head to the side. “Do you think I’m going to get pissed over a kiss on my cheek?”  
  
“N-No.” Armin shrugged a little and walked back to the table. He grabbed his fork and knife. In front of them on each plate was two eggs (scrambled, but not very scrambled; Armin style), a slice of toast, three slices of turkey bacon, four strawberries, and cut cantaloupe and melons. All four food groups were essential for a long day at work ahead for his master.  
  
“Armin.”  
  
Armin shrugged a little, again, and then shrugged again, again. “I don’t know… I guess with Eren around I feel more like kissing you all the time. I mean I want to kiss Eren all the time, and I do, but you’re always super serious Levi.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “Yes, Eren has made you a lot more affectionate.”  
  
“He has.”  
  
“I like it.”  
  
Armin looked up. “You do?”  
  
Levi nodded. “I enjoy my subs showing me affection. You did before, but now you have one more way to do it. I enjoy you, and I enjoy your affection. You can kiss me whenever you want… in moderation. If either you or Eren start smooching my face about eight thousand times I’ll throw you in the pool.”  
  
“Hehe.” Armin grinned. “Duly noted, Master.”  
  
“Speaking of Eren, where is he?”  
  
“I tried to wake him up this morning but he wouldn’t budge. I don’t remember him coming to bed last night, so maybe he stayed up again?”  
  
“I see. Let him sleep, but not too long.”  
  
“Of course, Master.”  
  
The conversation faded as they began eating. Their plates were cleared quickly—Levi stole Armin’s strawberries and Armin pretended to be surprised when they were missing—and soon Levi was chugging a third cup of coffee as he gathered his papers with his other hand.  
  
“Master.”  
  
Levi put his cup down. “What?”  
  
“Don’t avoid him.”  
  
Steel blue eyes met Armin’s.  
  
Very few times did Armin ever stand strong in front of Levi, but he stood unwavering, eyes locked with his owner. “I’m talking about Eren… I want you to spend more time with him.”  
  
Levi’s jaw tightened. “Don’t make demands, Kitten. I don’t need to remind you of your place, do I?”  
  
“This is my place,” he reminded. “My job is to serve and care for my Master’s every need, and I will, even the needs he pretends don’t exist, you stubborn shit bag.”  
  
Levi’s eyebrows shot up.  
  
“Listen to me.” Armin took a step forward. “You’re an amazing Dom and Master, both Eren and I are lucky to have you, but you’re just human and you fuck up. And you did fuck up. This week… I know Rivaille’s got the anniversary coming up, and I know you’re going to be utterly swamped with work, but I’m telling you right now you need to put time aside for Eren. He needs it.”  
  
“Armin…” Levi sighed. “The timing is shit, but I’ll do what I can. I’m trying to make time for the both of you, but I’ll be working late a couple days this week.”  
  
“No,” Armin muttered. “If you have to sacrifice time with me for time with Eren, then do it. When it’s the reflection period, I’ll have you all to myself, but right now you only have a week left with Eren. He’s your sub. He needs his Dom to make him feel like he’s a good sub. You fucked up last week. Don’t let it happen again.”  
  
Levi bit his lip and nodded. “I won’t.”  
  
“Good.” Armin walked over, cupped Levi’s face, and kissed him once. “That’s why I love serving you.”  
  
Levi smirked and dipped his head to kiss Armin’s neck.  
  
“Ah, ah, ah!” Armin frowned. “You have to get to work.”  
  
Levi whined.  
  
Armin cocked his head. “Go.”  
  
“I hate you.”  
  
“I hate you too.”  
  


⁂

  
  
“Look who finally rise’d and shined, sleepy butt.”  
  
“My butt’s not sleepy,” Eren mumbled as he rubbed his face.  
  
Armin walked over and gave him an absolutely mandatory good morning kiss on the cheek. “It’s four in the afternoon.”  
  
“Oh butts.” Eren looked around the kitchen. “I’m a bad.”  
  
“You are not a bad.”  
  
“I am a bad.” Eren kissed Armin’s cheek and slipped an arm around Armin’s waist. “Is Levi still at work?”  
  
“Mhm.” Armin nodded and moved his arms around Eren’s neck. He tilted his head ever so slightly. “He’s not going to be home until late late. Like around seven or eight.”  
  
Eren grinned. “That rhymed!”  
  
“Huh? Oh, late and eight, yeah.” Armin smiled. He felt an undying urge build up and he couldn’t ignore it: He went on his tippy-toes and kissed Eren’s nose.  
  
Eren’s eyes widened and he blinked, startled, deer in the headlights.  
  
Armin grinned and kissed the corner of his mouth.  
  
Eren laughed and rested his chin on Armin’s shoulder, hugging him tight. “So what’s the plan?”  
  
“Plan? Oh, well, Levi won’t be home for another four hours, obviously, so we’re going to have a late lunch that I’ll get started on, while you have to do your chores for the day, and then the rest of that time is all free time. Did you want to do something before he came?”  
  
“Not really, just wanted to make sure an apocalypse or something didn’t happen while I was sleeping.”  
  
Armin pulled away a little and tilted his head. “What time did you come to bed?”  
  
“Five? Six? I have no idea.”  
  
Armin pursed his lips and wibbled them a little. “Why did you stay up? Got caught up on another book?”  
  
Book. Eren remembered he had to put the books back in the library. “Ah, a little. I kind of started reading to distract myself though… I was just thinking a lot, about stuff. Some stuff Levi talked to me about.” Eren saw the curious look on Armin’s face that practically said, ‘You don’t have to tell me but if you did then I would totally be super interested to know’. He chuckled. “We just talked about me and him and him training me and stuff… You know he has ten ways he wants to train his sub?”  
  
“Mhm.” Armin nodded. “I’ve been with him for years.”  
  
“Oh, right, of course you would know. But like, ten?”  
  
Armin smiled. “I don’t even remember the ten ways but yeah, he’s luckily very… creative with how he helps us develop skills and how he chooses to test us.”  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow. “I’m a little scared.”  
  
“Good.” Armin kept smiling. “It’s good to be a little scared around Levi… He likes us being a little scared.”  
  
“What a sadist.”  
  
Armin laughed. “The first month contract keeps away from a lot of the sadism and masochism, so you wouldn’t really know… but oh yeah. He’s a sadist.”  
  
“Good.”  
  
Armin chuckled. “You’re into a bit of pain are you?”  
  
“Mhm.” Eren felt his cheeks redden. “To be honest, I have a really high pain tolerance.”  
  
“Oh… I think you’ve told me that before?”  
  
“I think so, yeah. But we didn’t really talk about it. I have a high pain tolerance and just, yeah. I like it.”  
  
“Me too,” Armin whispered. “Of course I like being the one to cause it, too.”  
  
Eren raised both eyebrows this time. “You?”  
  
“I’m not all sunshine and rainbows, you know.”  
  
“Mmm, that’s right, you filthy thing.” Eren laughed as their lips met another time. He spanked Armin.  
  
Armin yelped into the kiss and he broke away to grin. “Don’t get me started when we still have chores to do, Eren.”  
  
“Right, right, chores.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Levi huffed a huffing huff as he huffed through the huffing door, which was also the front door, but for the sake of using huff as many huffing times as huffing possible in this huffing sentence, huff huff the huff door. He closed the door behind him and took off his leather shoes neatly, lining them up because he wasn’t a savage. He took off his coat and glanced to the brunet walking towards him. He tossed his coat.  
  
Eren caught it. “Welcome home, Sir.”  
  
“Mhm.” Levi stretched as Eren put his coat away. When he returned, Levi placed a finger under Eren’s chin and forced him to raise his head. “You look like shit.”  
  
“Mhm.” Eren nodded. “Can I have a hug, Sir?”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes, but obliged his sub. He pulled Eren into his arms and held him tightly.  
  
Eren relaxed against Levi and squeezed his Dom.  
  
Levi let out a silent huff as his eye twitched. He wasn’t used to such… proximity, but considering Eren looked like he needed it… He counted to twenty, and pulled away. “Better?”  
  
Eren nodded. “Yep. How was work?”  
  
“Shitty. More than usual.” Levi moved his right shoulder in a clockwise circle before rubbing it with his hand. “I still have more work to do, actually. The company is getting ready to host an event, which means a lot of our higher ups are shelving their usual duties onto me so they can plan the event. It sounds fair, but I’m pretty sure anyone who can get out of work is using it as an excuse. Not that I blame them, God damn fuck twats, but it’s annoying. It’ll be like this for the week.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren pouted. “Anything I can do to help?”  
  
“Not really.” Levi ran his hand through Eren’s hair slowly. “Just being here is fine for me.”  
  
Eren grinned and lowered his lips to kiss the corner of Levi’s mouth.  
  
Levi smiled and moved his hand to stroke Eren’s cheek with his thumb. “Good boy.”  
  
“Arf!”  
  
Levi’s smile widened into a grin and he shook his head. “Stupid mutt.” His other hand cupped Eren’s other cheek and he leaned in to kiss him once, a chaste kiss. It ended far too early and Levi pulled away. “I think it’s… a little unfair, to you, that I would be so occupied during this week.”  
  
“It’s not your fault!” Eren insisted.  
  
“Well… it is. The event is annual,” Levi explained. “Most subs don’t make it passed the two week mark, as you know, and I just accepted the fact that the sub I was taking would be gone by now. I never expected you to last this long… and, I’m glad you did.”  
  
Eren kissed his cheek. “I’m just full of surprises!”  
  
“That,” Levi ruffled his hair and scratched the underside of Eren’s chin before continuing, “You are.”  
  
“Arf!”  
  


⁂

  
  
“How is he?”  
  
Eren stepped in the kitchen and shrugged. “He looks tired as balls, actually, but he’s in a good mood. Apparently he’s got his work lined up for him, or something.”  
  
“Lined up for him? More like stacked…” Armin shook his head and preheated the oven. “Annie gives me a lot of the inside scoop, actually… She knows Levi’s the moron that likes to… you know, harbour all the work on himself. A part of it is he really built Rivaille up from the ground. It was close to just utterly bankrupt when it fell in his lap and he made it the prime time clothing store in this city. People come from all the surrounding small towns to shop there, you know?”  
  
“Really?” Eren scratched the back of his head. “I feel bad that I have no idea what it looks like.”  
  
Armin laughed. “Really?”  
  
“Mmm, yeah. I mean I know where it is, because Annie worked there but I’ve never been inside… and it’s like, on the side of the mall with the tea and yoga place and shit? So I don’t really go there, at all.”  
  
“Yeah, I get that. But you’ll see it eventually…” Armin nodded and the oven beeped.  
“But until then, we have to make dinner. I actually wanted to ask, are you fine with me making another rice dish?”  
  
“Huh? Rice? Sure. Rice is good. Why?”  
  
Armin chuckled. “I just meant, since I made you omurice the other day, so?”  
  
“No that’s totally cool. Rice is good for you.”  
  
“It is, is it?”  
  
“I have no idea, but rice is easy, right?”  
  
“Mhm!” Armin swayed his hips a little as he turned to the fridge. He grabbed some things. “Come here.”  
  
Eren walked over.  
  
Armin dropped three green bell peppers in his hands, followed by three green onions, one large tomato, and a bunch of herbs. “Wash those while I get everything set up.”  
  
“Yes Sir!” Eren danced over to the sink and placed everything on the counter.  
  
Armin started with bringing water to a boil and then adding some rice. He also added some quinoa to make a bit of a blend between the two and stirred. He covered it and let that simmer for a while.  
  
“All done here.”  
  
Armin grabbed the green peppers, cored and seeded them, and then cut them in half. He gave the inside a quick rinse before placing them cut-side down on a long baking sheet.  
  
“What do I do with the rest of these?”  
  
“Cut the green onions very thin, and um… dice the tomatoes. For the herbs, chop them really really finely, okay?”  
  
“Sure thing!” Eren grabbed a cutting board and a knife and got to work.  
  
Armin grabbed the baking sheet and turned around. With one hand, he opened the oven door and pushed the peppers in. He put a little timer for twenty-five minutes, but he personally liked roasting the peppers a little longer so he wasn’t going to be too worried when it started beeping.  
  
“All done here!”  
  
“Great!” Armin grabbed a pan and added a dab of grape seed oil. “Can you put the onions and herbs in?”  
  
“Sure!” Eren lifted the cutting board and pushed them in.  
  
Armin added some Italian seasoning and – Shrek be damned – some salt and pepper.  
  
Eren gasped into the sun.  
  
Armin blinked. “Huh?”  
  
Eren pointed at the two shakers.  
  
“Oh, yeah. Salt and pepper. I like salt and pepper, okay? I just don’t like it on everything. It’s like how I like maple syrup on my pancakes, but not on my strawberries. Every spice… even tomato sauce… has a time and place, if used in the correct amount of moderation.”  
  
Eren gave him a wary look, but didn’t say anything.  
  
Armin stirred it some more and then glanced over. “Add the tomatoes?”  
  
Eren wasn’t sure why it sounded like a question (maybe Armin was questioning the tomatoes) but Eren did as he was told.  
  
Armin offered him the wooden spoon. “Stir.”  
  
“Yes, Master Armin.”  
  
He rolled his eyes and went over to the rice. He lifted the top and realised it was good to go. He fluffed it up with a metal spoon and then added it to the pan Eren was stirring. “Simple.”  
  
“For you, maybe.”  
  
Armin rolled his eyes. He moved the small pot that had been used for the rice into the sink and moved to the fridge. He grabbed a small bag of feta cheese that was pre-crumbled (because he was lazy and it is totally okay to be lazy in the kitchen from time to time). “Can you move the pan to the other element?”  
  
“Element?”  
  
“Yeah, element.”  
  
“What’s an element?”  
  
“You don’t know what an element is?”  
  
“Like… are we talking fire, water, earth, or are we talking oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur?”  
  
Armin closed his eyes and grinned, silently laughing as he looked away.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Armin closed the fridge door and walked over. He grabbed the pan and he shifted it to another ‘ring’ on the stove that hadn’t been heated. He turned off the gas burners and then added the crumbled feta. “Spoon?” Eren offered him the wooden spoon and he took it. He stirred and nodded. “Looks good.” He scooped up a small amount and blew on it. He took a bite… then nodded. “Good!”  
  
“Ooo, I wanna taste!”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
“Armin!” Eren whined.  
  
Armin chuckled and scooped up a small bit for Eren. “I’m kidding, geez.”  
  
Eren took a bite and his eyes widened. “Oh this is good!”  
  
“But it’s not done yet.”  
  
As if on cue, the oven beeped.  
  
Armin glanced over. “You can go finish your chores; I’ll have dinner ready in about ten minutes, okay?”  
  
“Didn’t we just make dinner?”  
  
“Well yeah, but there’s a bit of a waiting game until we’re done.”  
  
“Okay, okay.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin waited another five minutes to make sure the green peppers were nicely baked before opening the oven door. He scooped in the rice mix into each pepper half and then put it back in the oven for another five minutes. When he had put them on three plates, with an addition of raw spinach salad, Eren had come in time to set the table, and Levi came down soon after. The three of them took their usual seats, with three glasses of water.  
  
“Delicious,” Levi muttered.  
  
“Thank you,” Armin said as he nodded politely. He glanced to Eren, wondering what he would say.  
  
But Eren was too busy stuffing his face with the food.  
  
The mix of tomato, herbs, and rice, with a dash of feta, was soft, compared to the light crunch of the green pepper.  
  
Levi glanced over to Eren and smiled. “Eren.”  
  
Eren paused his devourment to look up. “Mm?” he asked with his mouth full.  
  
Armin rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless.  
  
“I wanted to talk to you about the end of this week.”  
  
Like a chipmunk, Eren’s puffed out cheeks wiggled until he swallowed. “Oh, when I’m…” He sipped his water. “Moving out? For reflection time?”  
  
“No, actually a day before that. On Monday is Rivaille’s anniversary. It’s a dinner event,” Levi explained. “It so happens to fall on your last day with us, but it’s in the evening, from seven to possibly after midnight. The actual event is from seven thirty to eleven, but being the CEO…” He sighed. “You will be coming.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren nodded. “Okay. Is it like a formal dinner?”  
  
“Semi-formal,” Levi replied simply. “Sort of… We’re a fashion company, technically. We sell clothes, but we pride ourselves on what we sell. You could walk in with street clothes, as long as you look sharp and elegant, really.”  
  
“So nothing from my wardrobe.”  
  
“No,” Levi irked.  
  
“God, no,” Armin muttered.  
  
Eren pouted. “I’m not that bad!”  
  
Armin smiled. “No… it’s just, it’s about looking sharp. Levi doesn’t even let me choose my own clothes for these kinds of events.”  
  
“It’s true. Armin is great at dressing, but we want very specific things and you will embarrass both Armin and me if I let you do what you want.”  
  
Eren shrugged. “Okay. I trust you.”  
  
“Good. You’ll be going as Armin’s date. I hope that’s fine?”  
  
“Sure.” Eren grinned. “I got myself a cute date then, huh?”  
  
Armin’s cheeks warmed and he looked down at his plate.  
  
Levi noticed the faint blush and smiled. “That being said… I’m sure you’ll be fine, but do behave yourself. I… Well, the fact is, my company is very curious as to why Armin is living with me. You’re most likely going to be assaulted by questions. If anyone asks, stick to my story: I have known Armin’s family for years, and when his parents passed away I took him in. Simple.”  
  
Eren nodded. “Right… Why do they care?”  
  
“They think they can get my job if they humiliate me I suppose.” Levi shrugged. “Although I’ve already had people do that, and I’ve fired them on the spot.”  
  
“Geez.” Eren wiggled in his seat. “Gotta stay on top, huh?”  
  
“Not really. I don’t mind people wanting to be the CEO of a successful company. Many people look at me with jealousy, some people want my job, and that’s fine. If they want to be CEO, then they’ll work hard so I can pass it onto them when I retire. But there are some people who are looking at me, examining me for a weakness, ready to snatch every dollar I drop on the ground. Frankly, it’s a matter of respect. They can want my position all they want, but some see me as mentor and some see me as enemy.”  
  
Armin whistled. “Business is business, huh?”  
  
“Vicious,” Eren added.  
  
Levi shrugged. “It’s always been that way. But I need them to be vicious if they want to be CEO, anyway. It’s basically a circle of nothing… What are we talking about?”  
  
“Eren at the dinner party,” Armin supplied.  
  
“Yes. Thank you. Best behaviour, Eren.”  
  
“You don’t trust me, Sir?”  
  
“I’m not saying I don’t trust you… I do, I just…”  
  
“They grill you,” Armin explained. “First time I went, I had to hide in the bathroom because three big business guys cornered me and started asking questions.”  
  
Eren paled.  
  
“Don’t worry.” Armin smiled. “Stick with me and you’ll be fine. I know how to handle them now, and if you can’t find me, Annie or… really anyone at our table will come to your rescue if they see you being grilled.”  
  
Eren nodded, committing that to memory. “Who’s going to be at our table?”  
  
Levi shrugged. “I have a good idea, but they’ll give me the list either tomorrow or the day after. Then I’ll have to send it back when they put the wrong people on our table. I’ll get it eight hours later, and I’ll fake fire someone.”  
  
“Fake fire?” Eren tilted his head.  
  
“Fake fire. It’s when I fire someone and they start screaming and apologising and promise and grovel and maybe cry a little, then I’ll give them their job back and get what I want.” Levi grabbed his glass and sipped his drink. “I don’t know what they expect, really.” He put the glass down. “I give them a list of who I want at my table, and they don’t give me that. I resend it with the same list, and they change it a little. I have to do it three times. It’s not that hard: Levi and date, Armin and date, Annie and date, Hitch and date, and lastly Marco and date. And these idiots put the stupid board members I don’t want on my table.”  
  
“But why?” Eren tilted his head. “Why don’t they listen to you?”  
  
“They get pressured from both sides,” Levi explained. “The other higher-ups want to sit at my table. They want to get all buddy-buddy with me so they can hopefully get a raise or a promotion or some shit like that. I feel bad for the people caught in the middle, but…” Levi shrugged. “I usually send out emails to the people wrongly placed at our table, some generic shit: I just got word you have been placed at my table by mistake, that will be changed, sorry for the confusion.”  
  
“Sounds…” Eren irked. “Stressful.”  
  
“It is…” Levi sighed. “But as much as I complain, it’s not all bad. I do enjoy my job. There are perks. I have also made sure to have enough friends in the different levels of the company so I can learn about the inner problems. As if it surprises anyone, people in power are happier with firing subordinates than taking blame. Who knew, right?”  
  
Armin rolled his eyes. “Assholes.”  
  
“It’s fun, though, when I call people out on the shit they do wrong. That’s how I met Hitch, actually. She got fired because she tried to bring up something that was wrong to the store manager and the manager was an asshole, so when she threatened to tell the higher ups she just got fired. I got a long email from her saying my company was shit, yadda yadda, and everyone I work with are assholes. I asked if she wanted to meet me for coffee.”  
  
Eren smiled. “Good! I had an asshole fire me once, when I worked as a waiter.”  
  
Armin looked at him. “What happened?”  
  
“Well, you know how if you have a table of eight or more, restaurants automatically calculate your tip percentage? Well that’s what it says on the menu, and that’s what my boss told me to do, nothing new, I’ve worked as a waiter a couple times, so when I did it for this group of twenty, the guy who was paying complained and said I had no right to choose how much I tip and yadda yadda, yadda yadda, so my boss said he was absolutely right and then fired me on the spot. Fucker.”  
  
Levi sighed. “The customer is always right.”  
  
Armin looked at him. “You don’t believe that, do you?”  
  
“Oh no. It’s the opposite. The customer is almost always wrong. In nine out of ten of all situations, the customer doesn’t know what the fuck they’re talking about. But you tell the customer they are right, because it hurts business if you don’t.” Levi leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I hate people.”  
  
Armin laughed. “You don’t hate us.”  
  
“I do.” Levi smiled. “A little.”  
  
Eren pouted. “Really?”  
  
Armin pouted too.  
  
“I hate how unable I am to hate you.” Levi stared at them both. “So, no, not really.”  
  
Eren grinned. “Good.”  
  


⁂

  
  
After dinner, Levi excused himself to get more done, to which Eren whined, to which Levi told him to stop, to which Eren continued to whine, to which Armin also joined in on the whining, to which Levi gave them a kiss each and left. They ended up whining together a little more before they decided the only true way to deal with such pain was to cuddle. Eren jumped on the couch in the living room and Armin jumped on him. Wrapping their arms around each other, they both smiled.  
  
Armin smiled and nuzzled into Eren’s chest. It smelled nice and he was where he belonged. Everything was good. He rubbed slow circles on Eren’s chest, closing his eyes.  
  
After a good ten minutes, Eren nuzzled Armin’s hair. “You wanna see a surprise?”  
  
Armin’s eyes lit up. “Surprise?”  
  
“Mhm.” Eren pulled down the waistband of his shorts and boxers, letting his cock spring out. “Surprise!”  
  
“Surprise penis!” Armin laughed and shifted lower. “Well.” He grabbed the erection. “I guess that calls for a…” He stroked it several times. “Surprise blowjob!” He pushed the head into his mouth  
  
“Surprise!” Eren shouted in a moan.  
  
Armin bobbed his head several times before popping the head out of his mouth. “I like your dick,” he breathed warm air against it. He kissed the tip, and swallowed it whole.  
  
“O-Oh fuck.” Eren grabbed Armin’s hair and arched his back. “You like my dick, huh?”  
  
Armin nodded with the cock in his mouth.  
  
“You wanna make me cum?”  
  
Armin nodded again.  
  
“You know… cum is like dick sauce, right?”  
  
Armin stopped.  
  
“So you want my dick sauce? You like my sauce?”  
  
Armin glared.  
  
Eren felt teeth—“Ow!”—He winced. “I was just kidding!”  
  
Armin slipped the cock out of his mouth. Steadying it with his right hand, he smacked it with his left.  
  
“Ouch!” Eren pulled his knees up and sat up at the same time. “Armin, I’m sorry!”  
  
“Blow yourself!” Armin smacked Eren’s dick again.  
  
“Ouchie!”  
  


⁂

  
  
Levi was busying himself with work. He knew he had a shit load to do and if he got most of it done early in the week, he’d have the weekend off—in theory—so he busied himself away. He heard one of the double doors to his study open and he glanced up. A sheepish-looking Eren, with a noticeable tent in his pants, waddled over to his desk and walked around it.  
  
“Sir…”  
  
“Yes, Pup?”  
  
“Can I have a blowie?”  
  
Levi snorted. “Ask Armin. I’m busy.”  
  
“But he won’t give me one, since he’s kinda mad at me…”  
  
“And why is Armin mad at you?”  
  
“Because he was giving me a blowie, and then I kinda pointed out cum is like dick sauce, and you know how he hates sauce…”  
  
Levi stared at Eren for somewhere between two and three minutes before a low, dark chuckle left his lips. He pushed aside his papers and tapped his desk. “Get up, Pup.”  
  
“Yes Sir!” Eren bounced on the desk and tugged his clothes off, leaving him only in a shirt.  
  
Levi grabbed Eren’s cock, admired it for a moment, before he began stroking it slowly—teasingly slow—moving the skin over the head and back.  
  
Eren wiggled a bit and let out a little moan.  
  
“You want me to use my mouth?”  
  
“Yes, Sir. Please, Sir.”  
  
“So polite.” Levi kissed Eren’s thigh. “But do you deserve my mouth?”  
  
Eren wiggled on the seat. The slow movements were getting to him… “Y-Yes?”  
  
“Really? And what makes you think you can decide?”  
  
Eren bit his lip. “I-I did all my chores, for weeks, and I helped with dinner, and I’m a dog and good for stress relief; that’s what you said yesterday, and I’m polite, like you said, Sir.”  
  
Levi chuckled and kissed Eren’s other thigh. He let go of the cock and pushed Eren’s knees apart. He moved in where the inner thigh met the crotch and placed a gentle kiss there. “Do you expect me to give you what you want, whenever you want? Please. You’re not even begging.”  
  
“Please Sir!” Eren whined. “Please Sir, I want a reward, Sir. I promise to serve you even better, I promise, I promise! Please?”  
  
“Little more, Pup.”  
  
“Please! Please! Please!”  
  
Levi ran the trimmed nail of his index finger along the underside of Eren’s shaft. “You don’t sound desperate enough to be worth my time.”  
  
Eren’s face flushed red and he curled his toes. “Please, Sir… Please me, Sir. I want you, Sir. Please, please, _please!_ ”  
  
“There you go. Was that so hard?” Levi didn’t give Eren a chance to reply; he reached up and grabbed Eren’s hair, yanking him down so their lips crashed against each other.  
  
Eren whined a moan into the kiss and moved his arms around Levi’s neck. Levi’s tongue forced its way into his mouth and Eren sucked on it, flavouring the kiss with his desperation. He scooted off the desk and fell into Levi’s lap, instantly feeling one hand slither like a serpent around his waist, pulling him closer.  
  
Levi let go of Eren’s hair and moved his free hand down. He smacked Eren’s ass, letting the sound reverberate in the study.  
  
Eren moaned into the kiss, forcing himself to breathe through his nose as their mouths locked against one another. Another smack to his ass made Eren squeal.  
  
Levi broke the kiss and bit down on Eren’s neck.  
  
Eren screamed in bliss and moved a hand into Levi’s hair. His whole body burned and he wiggled in the man’s lap. “S-Sir.”  
  
“You’re such a good Pup,” Levi purred in his ear. He grabbed Eren and lifted him with ease, slamming him back on the desk so he was lying on his back. “Shirt off. I want to see you, all of you, naked, for me, for my viewing.  
  
Eren didn’t have to be told twice; his shirt was thrown aside and he leaned back on the desk, raising his knees to rest his feet on the edge. He arched his neck to the side, trying to show himself off as much as he could.  
  
Levi took a deep breath and moved his mouth to Eren’s knee. With his tongue, he trailed a hot line down Eren’s raised leg, over the underside of his cock, tasting the small pearl of salty precum, and then up his body, over his navel and over his chest, to his shoulder and along the arc to his neck. “Mine,” he whispered in Eren’s ear, “You’re all mine.” He grabbed Eren’s cock and squeezed it once. “All mine.”  
  
“Yours,” Eren repeated. “Yours and no one else’s.”  
  
“Good.” Levi kissed him, gently. “All mine.” He ran his hand over Eren’s chest, feeling the smooth muscles under his palm and fingertips. He captured Eren’s lower lips beneath his teeth and gave it a quick suck before moving his head down, kissing Eren’s neck. Another kiss to his chest, then his stomach, then above his cock, where the soft V pointed to his manhood. Levi grabbed the erection and stroked it, moving the foreskin down to expose the head. “Say please one more time.”  
  
Eren gave a mock-frown. “Sir!”  
  
Levi snickered once before slipping the head into his mouth.  
  
“Fuck!” Eren threw his head back.  
  
Levi bobbed his mouth on the head, letting the sweet spot on the underside glide against his tongue, back and forth.  
  
Eren looked down to watch his Dom take him in his mouth, but when he felt those piercing steel blue eyes looking right at him, he bit his lip. A mix of fear and excitement thrilled inside him, and his panting became heavier.  
  
Levi dipped his head lower, taking more of Eren into his mouth, until he was nose against the base.  
  
“F-Fuck!”  
  
Levi sucked hard on the cock. He moved a hand down to Eren’s ass and gave it another smack.  
  
Eren whimpered.  
  
Levi smirked and guided his fingers to Eren’s entrance. Without warning, he pushed one finger in.  
  
Eren’s eyes widened and he gasped, before his eyes fluttered close.  
  
Levi pushed in and out of Eren’s ass as his mouth bobbed up and down; he found a rhythm between the two and began speeding up.  
  
Eren arched his neck and soon his back followed. “Sir…”  
  
Levi continued, wanting to hear more of the noises that came out of Eren’s mouth.  
  
Eren gasped and squished his eyes closed, focusing only on the feeling. He let out a moan and wiggled his hips, only slightly.  
  
Levi brushed the pad of his index finger against his prostate.  
  
Eren gasped, feeling the man rub slow circles around him from the inside, as the hot mouth worked on his cock. He bit his lip to hide a moan, but eventually it was too much. “I’m, I’m going to cum!”  
  
Levi continued pleasing him, only speeding up as a response.  
  
Eren gasped once more and his hand moved into Levi’s hair. “S-Sir!” He closed his eyes and bit his lips, doing a poor job to stifle his moan, which grew louder, and louder, and louder. “Fuck!”  
  
Levi felt the hot white shoot into his mouth and he swallowed it with ease. He sucked on the head once more, watching Eren squirm, before he slipped it out of his mouth. He stroked the softening cock, admiring it for a moment before giving his foreskin a playful tug. “Now, go apologise to Armin.”  
  
Eren grinned. “Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin hummed a little as he made himself a snack. A couple fruits, raspberries, strawberries, all healthy and ready to ruin with a big dollop of whipped cream. He bit into a strawberry when he heard footsteps. Fear raced through him. He jumped, but realised it wasn’t Levi (if Levi had caught him eating strawberries without giving some to him…). When he realised it was Eren Jaeger, the sauce loving twat fuck chicken shit bull shit criss-cross applesauce monster, he decided to pretend not to know he even existed. Two arms slipped around his waist from behind as Eren muttered an apology in his ear. Armin ignored it.  
  
Eren pouted and kissed his neck. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.  
  
After munching and swallowing the strawberry and cream, he looked over his shoulder. “If you want a blowie, I’m not giving you one.”  
  
Eren leaned in and licked a dot of whipped cream off the corner of Armin’s mouth. “Mmm. Gimme one.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“I meant the fruits.”  
  
“Oh. Still, no.”  
  
Eren used pout.  
  
Armin looked away.  
  
It was not very effective.  
  
“Awww, I’m sorry… I’m Eren the Bad. I am a bad. But please? Love me a little, please?”  
  
Armin’s cheeks flared and he looked down at the bowl of strawberries. He busied himself: He grabbed one, dipped it in the cream, and moved it over his shoulder.  
  
“Ahhh,” Eren said before munching down on it. “Mmm!”  
  
Armin smiled. “You massive loser.”  
  
“Mhm!” Eren swallowed. “Of course!”  
  
Armin looked over his shoulder and kissed Eren’s cheek. “Still not getting a blowie.”  
  
“That’s okay… I got Levi to give me one.”  
  
Armin snorted. “Aren’t you a little cheeky?”  
  
“I’m,” he said just before kissing Armin’s cheek, “Cheeky!” He watched the blond roll his eyes and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry.”  
  
“You should be.”  
  
“I’m sorry. I am a bad, my jokes are a bad, and sauce is bad and evil.”  
  
“Exactly.”  
  
“All sauce is evil… It’s just, I’ve been eating the evil sauce for so long I’m going through withdrawal, you know? That’s why I said that cum was dick sauce. It’s the withdrawal symptoms, not me.”  
  
Armin turned and Eren loosened his arms around Armin’s waist so they were face to face, pressing their bodies against each other. Armin rested his head on Eren’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “You know, I can make you something with sauce.”  
  
“Oh, really?”  
  
“Tomorrow, we can make something with _tomato_ sauce.”  
  
Eren gasped. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Mhm.”  
  
“Are you pulling my leg?”  
  
“Nope.” He moved his head back a bit. “We can even put some salt and pepper on it.”  
  
“Isn’t that…” Eren bit his lip. “Dangerous?”  
  
“A little, but I live for danger.”  
  
“Uhuh. Sure you do, Pumpkin.”  
  
Armin grinned and slipped away from Eren. “Oh…” He turned around to face him. “I was going to tell you this earlier, but I forgot… This, thing on Monday, the anniversary of Rivaille… just… don’t embarrass Levi. Please.”  
  
“I won’t.”  
  
“No, listen… please.” Armin cringed. “It’s just… I don’t know how to say it. It’s just, he’s never brought along a one-month sub before. Like, he usually makes sure his subs are with him for several months before he even considers bringing them along to a public event like this. I’m not trying to scare you or anything, but, like… Please don’t make Levi regret this.”  
  
Eren stared at Armin for a while before giving him a nod. “Okay.”  
  
Armin relaxed and nodded. “Sorry… didn’t mean to damper the mood.”  
  
“That’s okay!” Eren grabbed the bowl of mixed berries with whipped cream in the centre. “We’ll just lighten it up with whipped cream.”  
  
Armin walked forward and kissed the corner of Eren’s mouth. “You’re cute.”  
  
“Not as cute as you.”  
  
“Yes you are. Cuter than me.”  
  
“No I’m not, no one is cuter than you.”  
  
“You are.”  
  
“No I’m not.”  
  
“You are.”  
  
“No I’m not.”  
  
“Yes you are.”  
  
“No, I’m not.”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Nope!” Before Armin could reply, Eren put a blackberry in his mouth.  
  
Armin dipped his finger in the whipped cream and brought it in his mouth and sucked on it.  
  
“You know… I can think of something else we can do with whipped cream.”  
  
Armin’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m interested…”


	27. The Fourth Week (3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold Up! Thenewinshayneity drew [Fan-Art](http://thenewinshayneity.tumblr.com/post/89531297737/half-light-by) for three fics, including Tentative Bliss! Please like, reblog, and maybe even follow them!
> 
> Sorry for not updating in a while. I'll try to speed up~
> 
> Also, this chapter is dedicated to Roses-and-Cinnamon for her request/suggestion. <3

* * *

 

_”Come on! Let’s get you out of the house, okay? You’ve been inside for like… a hundred hours. That’s three digits. Which is kinda cool, practically a new record for you, but come on! You’ve been inside all day… Come on… Please?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Please?”  
  
“Eren…”  
  
“Just a walk to the ice cream store and back?”  
  
“Eren… just… just, leave me alone. Leave. Leave me alone!”  
  
“No. No fucking way. I care about you. I care about you more than I care about anything, okay? Don’t you get that, you big dumb shit? I love you, dork. I care about you, so come on.”_  
  
Her fist slammed against the red, stretched leather.  
  
 _”More than anything or anyone else… I care about you.”_  
  
Her leg arched through the air and she kicked the punching bag with her ankle, rattling the chain it was suspended by. She followed it up with another punch, smashing it with full force.  
  
 _”See? Was that so bad?”  
  
“Eren…”  
  
“Nope, you don’t need to say anything, okay? How about we buy you a new pair of socks? You love socks!”  
  
“Stop…”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Stop it, Eren… Don’t… Don’t pretend that, I… That I can ever!”_  
  
Mikasa let out a scream as her fist slammed the punching bag. Tears raging in her red eyes, she followed up the attack with another—this was the one that struck hard enough to break the metal chain suspending the punching bag. The red leather tube fell to the ground in front of her and Mikasa’s knees gave out. She fell. Catching herself on all fours, her breathing was heavy, from both the exercise that left her sweating all over, and… She shook her head and swallowed hard.  
  
“Mikasa!”  
  
Mikasa raised her head, but didn’t turn around to face the person who called out to her.  
  
Annie rushed to her side, looking at the punching bag. “Holy shit… it broke.”  
  
“The chain was loose,” Mikasa explained, “I’ve already reported it.”  
  
They were at the gym on campus. Both Annie and Mikasa had their annual membership and they made the most of it. Because exams were over and the spring semester had given way to summer, the facility was empty, which meant they could use any part of the gym they wanted without having to wait or have to dry someone’s sweat off a machine first.  
  
Annie kneeled down by Mikasa and moved a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Hey… are you okay?”  
  
“Yeah.” Mikasa closed her eyes. “I was just thinking.”  
  
“About what?”  
  
“About… stuff.”  
  
“Stuff?”  
  
Mikasa took a small breath. “Annie… would you…” She opened her eyes and looked at her girlfriend. “Would you stay with me… even if…. even if I told you–”  
  
“Yes.” Annie shook her head. “You don’t get that yet, do you?”  
  
Mikasa frowned. “You don’t even know what I want to say.”  
  
“That doesn’t matter.”  
  
The two of them shared a silence before Mikasa forced herself up. “Come on, let’s hit the showers.”  
  
“Shitty showers,” Annie grumbled.  
  
“Mmm, maybe not.” Mikasa smiled. “They might actually have a tank of hot water left.”  
  
Annie’s eyes lit up. “You’re right.”  
  
“Let’s go.”  
  
“Yeah.”

⁂

  
  
Annie had insisted on driving, and Mikasa was too tired to argue. It was her car, but she took the passenger seat, slowly closing her eyes as the sun shined on her right cheek. She tilted her head away, feeling her damp hair against her neck. She adjusted her seatbelt and opened her eyes. “I can’t wait to go home.”  
  
Annie made a face.  
  
Mikasa tensed.  
  
“We have a lunch date.”  
  
“Let’s have it at home. I’ll cook.”  
  
“We have a lunch date with people.”  
  
Mikasa blinked. “Who?”  
  
Annie rolled her eyes. “Jean and Marco.”  
  
Mikasa nodded and looked out the window. “Okay.”

⁂

  
  
It wasn't really a place for lunch dates, but it was Marco's favourite place: It was a lounge-style restaurant secluded on the south side of the mall where Jean and Annie worked. They had a nice table at the centre of the restaurants. They ordered their food and ate, and then decided to go for a couple coffees and enjoy the quiet day off.  
  
Mikasa ordered a simple medium roast coffee. She added one of those paper tubes of brown sugar and a dash of milk before swirling her mug with her spoon. When she sipped it, she found it was satisfactory.  
  
Jean went for the dark roast and had his black. Mikasa noticed that. She didn't say anything, but it wasn't usual. Jean never drank his coffee black, especially not a dark roast, but he wasn’t the only one who drank a different drink than usual. Mikasa also noted that Marco ordered a mocha; he usually got a medium roast coffee, with plenty of cream and sugar. She remembered that because everyone called him a little bitch for it.  
  
Annie had ordered a cappuccino, as usual, but there never was a usual order with her. Sometimes she wanted extra foam, sometimes she wanted no foam, and sometimes she wanted just a usual amount of foam. This time she had gone for the usual amount of foam.  
  
Mikasa looked away, glancing out the window.  
  
Their chatter was a background noise to her.  
  
She saw a group of birds fly, and her black eyes followed them until she heard her name.  
  
“Mika.”  
  
She turned to Jean.  
  
Jean had his signature cocky smile on his face. “What do you think?”  
  
Mikasa pursed her lips, knowing she had been cornered. “About what?”  
  
Annie groaned. “You weren’t listening, were you?”  
  
Jean snerked.  
  
Mikasa found a small smile form on her lips. “No, sorry.”  
  
Marco tilted his head. “Are you okay, Mikasa?”  
  
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m just, a little out of it.”  
  
Marco bit his lip. “Why?”  
  
“Just… thinking about stuff there’s no point dwelling over.”  
  
Jean’s smile faded and he ran a hand through his brown hair. “You mean, uh?”  
  
“Hm.” Mikasa nodded. “Yeah.”  
  
Jean’s smile returned.  
  
Mikasa found herself smiling as well, but she wasn’t sure how true the smile was. “Don’t worry about me.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
It was obvious all three would worry.

⁂

  
  
 _”Mikasa…”  
  
“Leave.”  
  
“Mikasa, you’ve been here for two days, you have to eat…”  
  
“Just leave…”  
  
“Mikasa.”  
  
“Leave!”  
  
Jean froze where he was. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “You can’t scream in a hospital.”  
  
“But…” The tears left her eyes and threatened to never leave her the same. “Look at him. What am I supposed to do, when… What am I supposed to do, because… of me…”  
  
Jean took a breath and sat on the chair next to her, staring at the hospital bed. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came.  
  
“How am I supposed to go on and go out and live when… when he’s like this. He did it for me, because of me.”  
  
Jean closed his eyes. “It wasn’t your fault.”  
  
“Of course it wasn’t,” she muttered. “That’s what everyone says, that it wasn’t my fault, but it was, wasn’t it?”  
  
“No.”  
  
Mikasa stared at him.  
  
Jean shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Mika–”  
  
“Don’t,” she cut him off. “Don’t call me that. Don’t you dare call me that. He’s the only one…”  
  
Jean swallowed hard. “Still… it’s not your fault, you know that.”  
  
“Do I?”  
  
“Of course you do! It’s not your fault… it’s their fault. They did this. They made this happen, you know that.”  
  
Mikasa’s eyes turned soft and she looked down._  
  
The phone rang.  
  
 _Jean put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Shh. It’s okay… I’m sure, I’m sure one day he’ll just open his eyes and wake up and it’ll happen any day now; he’s going to be the same asshole Eren that everyone hates.”  
  
Mikasa smiled. “I can’t wait.”  
  
“Any day now.”  
  
“No, really…” Mikasa pushed her head into his shoulder. “I can’t wait.” Her eyes overflowed with tears, breaking like a floodgate. “I can’t wait… I can’t, I can’t… I can’t wait, I can’t…”_  
  
The phone kept ringing; and, eventually, the caller ID was read aloud by an electronic female voice: “Call from, ‘Ackerman K’.”  
  
Mikasa looked up from the kitchen table and watched as Annie walked over. “Don’t!”  
  
Annie paused, glancing her way.  
  
“I… don’t want to talk to them.”  
  
Annie put a hand on her hip. “It’s been a while… You always complain your parents never call, but now you don’t want to talk to them?”  
  
Mikasa shook her head. “Not today. Please, not today.”  
  
“Mikasa…?”  
  
“It’s just…”  
  
“Call from, ‘Ackerman K’,” it repeated.  
  
Mikasa cringed and shot out of her seat. She charged to their bedroom and slammed the door behind her, pressing her back against the door. She clutched her hair, squeezing on her skull, and silently screamed. She dropped to her knees and shook her head, over and over, black hair flailing about as she willed it all to go away.

⁂

  
  
_”Mikasa! Look, I’m a dino-bird! Like a pterodactyl!”  
  
Mikasa sighed, watching as the brunet flapped his arms and kaw’d like a prehistoric migraine.  
  
“Now!” Eren shouted before dropping to the floor and going into the fetal position. “I’m a blueberry!”  
  
Mikasa stared.  
  
Eren groaned and flopped over onto his stomach.  
  
“Can you just… go?”  
  
“Nope!”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Because I’m a blueberry!”  
  
“Eren!” Mikasa thrashes her arm. “Just leave me the fuck alone!”  
  
“No way.” Eren stood up and shook his head. “I’m going to make you smile at least once a day… I promised you I would.”  
  
“I don’t want to smile.”  
  
“I’m going to make you!”  
  
“Enough… just, enough; leave me alone!”  
  
Eren shook his head, put his hand on his hip, and raised his other hand in ‘stop’ motion. “This blueberry says no!”  
  
Mikasa felt the corner of her lips tug upwards, but it soon disappeared. “Please…”  
  
“Don’t make me pull out the big one…”  
  
“Eren, just go.”  
  
“But… Mikasa-chan!”  
  
Mikasa glared.  
  
“Oh!” Eren pointed to her lips. “I see an itty-bitty little blueberry smile!”  
  
Mikasa eventually gave in, letting herself smile.  
  
“You smile, I win!”_

⁂

  
  
“Mikasa.”  
  
She was sitting on their bed when she glanced up to Annie.  
  
“I made some hot chocolate.”  
  
Mikasa grabbed the mug that was more or less thrust in her hand. “Hot cocoa.”  
  
“Yeah, hot chocolate.”  
  
“No, hot cocoa.”  
  
“Not this again…”  
  
“Hot chocolate is when you use chocolate. You used cocoa powder, so it’s hot cocoa.”  
  
“Mhm. Okay darling.” Annie kissed her forehead. “Today, I’ll pretty much agree if you want to put on some lingerie and role play as her royal majesty, so whatever, you’re right.”  
  
Mikasa smiled and looked up again.  
  
Annie leaned in, kissing the corner of her mouth. She ran a hand through her hair. “How are you feeling?”  
  
“Better, I think.”  
  
Annie’s eyes softened.  
  
Mikasa looked at the steaming mug and took a sip.  
  
“How is it?”  
  
“Pretty good, actually. Thank you.”  
  
“Anytime. Anything else you need?”  
  
Mikasa shook her head. “I’ll be fine in a little while… I’ll be okay.”  
  
“Good.” Annie kissed her forehead. “If you need me, I’m in the living room, okay?”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
  
Mikasa didn’t know how many minutes had passed, but her hot cocoa had gotten cold in her hand. That was one thing she liked about hot chocolate and hot cocoa: If it got cold, it pretty much became chocolate milk. It wasn’t like coffee that became God awful. She sipped it and got up. She walked to the kitchen, putting her cup down. She twisted the tap, giving it a quick rinse. She took a deep breath and stepped away.  
  
She walked to Eren’s room.  
  
She looked around at the band posters, to the clutter and mess Eren had considered organised, and to the bed, where there was his teddy bear. It was actually a dolphin, but Eren called it a teddy bear; when Mikasa asked how a dolphin could be a teddy bear Eren had just put a finger to her lips and shushed her, saying she was gay and that meant she couldn’t understand.  
  
Mikasa decided not to question it.  
  
She walked over to the bed and grabbed the teddy bear dolphin.  
  
It was a humanoid dolphin, with two arms and two legs, but with tails and fins. She sat it in her lap and pet it once. It was soft to the touch and when she pulled it in close, the scent reminded Mikasa of her brother. Not by blood, but they were closer than any pair of siblings that had existed, especially since Eren…  
  
She pushed those thoughts away.  
  
She didn’t want to think about them.  
  
She couldn’t think about them.  
  
She tapped her pants and felt the outline of her phone. She pulled it out, turned it on, went to her contacts, found ‘Eren Jaeger’ and hit call. She put the phone to her ear. It rang once, twice, a third time, a fourth, and she had almost expected it to go to the voicemail when a voice came on.  
  
 _”Hey!”_  
  
Mikasa breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
 _”Hello?”_  
  
“Hey.” She closed her eyes. “It’s me.”  
  
 _”I have caller ID. I don’t get that excited for everyone, you know?”_  
  
Mikasa smiled. “How was your day?”  
  
 _”Actually, really good. We woke up and we made strawberry pancakes. Well, I made the pancakes, Armin made a strawberry sauce and cut some strawberries and made whipped cream, you know, all the hard stuff, but it was good! I learned how to make pancakes. They’re a lot like crepes, but that’s kind of a given I guess… Oh, then Levi went off to work, and I was sad to see him go, so Armin cuddled me and we made him desert for when he came back. Armin found a recipe for strawberry brownies.”_  
  
Mikasa raised her eyebrow. “Oh?”  
  
 _”Yeah, he’s not too happy about them.”_  
  
“Levi? Or Armin?”  
  
 _”Arm’, because they tastes great but they were kind of mushy? The flavour was great, but yeah the fruit bits just kinda ended up making soggy spots. But apparently it was good… I didn’t have more than one bite because by the time Armin finished arguing how bad it was Levi ate the whole fucking thing… and he calls me the savage… Anyway, Armin’s all sad now but he’s taking a nap. I’m on my way to boop his nose, then this butt party is probably going to go out to a restaurant…”_  
  
Mikasa tilted her head. “You don’t exactly sound happy about that.”  
  
 _”Well… Okay, see, Armin promised to make something really special with me tonight, something with salt, pepper, and tomato sauce.”_  
  
Mikasa laughed. “Armin agreed to the unholy trinity, did he?”  
  
 _”He didn’t just agree, he offered it himself! But, yeah, since he’s all down I’m gonna make a Betina bet that his booping sadness is gonna keep him from doing it… Looks like I lost my chance, I guess.”_  
  
“I wouldn’t worry.” She crossed her legs, pulling the teddy bear dolphin closer. “I think… just give him a few days. He’s that kind of person.”  
  
 _”Hm, probably.”_  
  
“I’m… I’m glad, Eren. I didn’t think you’d get along very well with him, actually.”  
  
 _”Huh? Why wouldn’t I? He’s so cute… and huggable, and fuckable.”_  
  
Mikasa snorted. She tensed. “It’s just…” She closed her eyes. “You tend to… He’s very book smart, and opinionated… and you usually avoid those kinds of people, smart people.”  
  
 _”I don’t avoid smart people, Mika.”_  
  
“You do.”  
  
 _”No,”_ he sternly corrected, _”I hate hate hate hate hate people with attitude, you know? And there are a lot of smart people… especially at those like events for gifted children mom made me go to… the ones that are smart so they get so haughty and they think they own the world. They’re so fucking rude, too. But Armin’s not like that. Armin was dropped in a bag of sugar as a baby, I’m sure of it, that’s the only explanation for why he’s such a sweet little fuckbutt.”_  
  
Mikasa laughed. “It sounds like you two are really getting along.”  
  
 _”Yeah! You have nothing to worry about.”_  
  
“And… Levi? You’re getting along well with him?”  
  
 _”Oh yeah. Oh, yeah. He’s amazing, and I adore him like you have no idea… He makes me submit, but like he really makes me submit… but at the same time he makes me feel so, empowered, like when he talks about how a sub submits, and why a sub submits and all of that I just… God, Mikasa, the first day I was here I swore I felt like a schoolgirl talking to their crush, and now it’s been three and a half weeks and I still feel the same way. I’m pretty sure one of these days my knees are just going to shake and give out and halfway through a conversation with him I’ll just plop onto the floor and no one can stop me.”_  
  
Mikasa’s smile faded and she frowned. “But, you’re happy?”  
  
 _”More than anything, yeah.”_  
  
“That’s… good.” Mikasa closed her eyes and squeezed her brother’s teddy bear close to her. “So things are… good now, right?”  
  
 _”Now?”_  
  
Mikasa swallowed hard; he caught on.  
  
 _”Y-Yeah.”_  
  
Mikasa silently breathed; he let it go.  
  
 _”But, um… I had a total blast today, and it’s like this every day, because of you, because you helped me and stuff and I just wanted to say thank you, you know, for what you did and stuff.”_  
  
“What?”  
  
 _”Thank you, Mika.”_  
  
“What… what did I do?”  
  
 _”Well, you were the one who uh, you know, got Levi and I to sign a contract, so I met both Levi and Armin because of you, and I totally love it here… And just, yeah. I don’t know. I just wanted to thank you for everything, you know? Because it really worked out. The three of us get along great.”_  
  
Mikasa nodded slowly. “You’re welcome, I guess. Yeah.”  
  
 _”Thanks. Oh, one sec, Levi’s calling me.”_ There was the sound of some yelling before it turned quiet and then there was a faint sound of a kiss. _”Sorry. Levi yelled at me because neither of us cleaned the kitchen, so I had to tell him Armin was sleeping. He’s fucking cute; he just passes out whenever he wants, honey badger don’t give a shit. Anyway, I gotta go clean the kitchen but before that I’m gonna boop his nose, okay?”_  
  
“Boop his nose?”  
  
 _”Well, you gotta swear to secrecy, okay? When Armin’s sleeping I like to boop his nose, just poke it with my finger, or smooch it, or sometimes boop my nose against his nose. You can’t tell anyone! Okay? Promise.”_  
  
“I promise.” She shook her head. “I’m glad you have someone to… boop their nose. Do you also, boop Levi’s nose?”  
  
 _”Are you fucking kidding me? Levi would castrate me and let me die in his pool… Well okay, sometimes when he’s sleeping, but that’s only when I know he’s like a hundred percent asleep, stage four. Though I do get to boop his dick! But I don’t think that’s the same boop we’re talking about…”_  
  
Mikasa pushed a hand over her face and shook her head. She, however, smiled nonetheless. “Go enjoy booping Armin’s nose.”  
  
 _”I will!”_

⁂

  
  
“How about we get you out of the house?”  
  
Mikasa paused. For half a second she was unsure if it was memory or reality, until she glanced to see Annie looking at her from across the room. “Sure.” She moved some hair out of her eyes. “Where?”  
  
“No idea,” Annie admitted. “I didn’t think you’d agree.”  
  
Mikasa smiled.  
  
“Though, I kinda think you agreed because you knew it would make me stop worrying.”  
  
Mikasa didn’t deny it. “I’m fine, really. Just a couple days a year I end up like this.”  
  
Annie walked over, slipping her arms around Mikasa’s waist.  
  
Mikasa pushed her forehead into Annie’s neck and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and shook her head. “I’m okay.”  
  
“This is, uh… it’s because of the whole… fire thing, right?”  
  
“Just…” Mikasa nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay.”  
  
Annie moved a hand into her girlfriend’s black hair, lacing her fingers through the soft strands. “Have you considered seeing like… a therapist, or a professional?”  
  
“Yeah. I’ve seen them before. They don’t help.” Mikasa pulled away and rubbed her neck. She grabbed her keys and her wallet, yanking her purse and shoving stuff inside. “They don’t help.”  
  
Annie hugged her other arm and tilted her head. “How do you know? They’re trained to help.”  
  
“They helped, before.” Mikasa shrugged. “But they did all they could do.”  
  
“What does that mean?”  
  
“Sometimes, time is the only thing that can help deal with things… As time goes on, I get better.” She looked over her shoulder to glance at Annie. “I’m getting better. I know that much. When I saw psychologists, before, they helped me deal with my guilt, my negativity, my feelings towards what happened and the self-hate towards myself. I was… utterly damaged, broken, but they helped me pick up the pieces. Everyone has to do it at least once in their life, don’t they? Eren helped too, so did Jean…” Mikasa’s eyes softened as they went out of focus.  
  
Annie stepped closer. “What… what happened?”  
  
Mikasa shook her head.  
  
Annie smiled and went on her tippy-toes to kiss the corner of Mikasa’s eye.  
  
Mikasa smiled and kissed her nose. “Boop.”  
  
Annie blinked about fourteen times. “What the menstruating _fuck_ was that?”  
  
Mikasa smirked and kissed her cheek. “Nothing. Come on, let’s go.”  
  
“We haven’t decided where we’re going.”  
  
“Let’s get cake.”  
  
“Cake?” Annie blinked. “Cake?”  
  
“Why not?” Mikasa grabbed her red scarf and looped it around her neck. “There’s that white and dark chocolate raspberry cake Krista and Ymir keep drooling over… Why don’t we grab one?”  
  
Annie’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s a good idea. I like that idea.”  
  
“Good. Come on. Let’s go.”

⁂

  
  
Mikasa drove this time. She liked being behind the wheel. The leather beneath her slim fingers as she turned the wheel left and right, slowly, steadily, flicking the turn signal with her pinkie every so often. She stopped in front of a grocery store and turned off the engine. The two of them got out of the car and Annie mumbled something about the rain. Mikasa wanted to stay, stay under the rain, stay where the sky’s teardrops wouldn’t let the fire touch her, but she eventually moved inside. Annie’s arm hooked around hers and she didn’t mind. Annie was always warm, after all. She leaned down and pressed a small kiss on Annie’s shoulder and took in the salty sweet smell of her ocean perfume.  
  
Annie looked up at her. “What’s with you?”  
  
“Sorry.”  
  
“Don’t be. I don’t mind.”  
  
“Hm.” Mikasa turned when they got to the bakery section and she scouted for the cake in question. “Hm.” She glanced to where the calorie pack usually was, but paused. “All gone.”  
  
Annie pouted.  
  
One of the workers put a box atop the display glass. “One small white and dark chocolate raspberry cake.”  
  
Mikasa raised both eyebrows.  
  
“Mine!” someone else said before running up to the counter.  
  
Annie smiled. “Krista.”  
  
The blonde girl turned to them and grinned. “Hey you two!” She walked over and quickly pulled Annie into a hug.  
  
Mikasa let her arm untangle with Annie before she waited her turn to be squeeze. When Krista hugged her, it was too tight for her tastes, but she said nothing, knowing it would only last so long before they broke away. “Hi.”  
  
“I got the last one of my favourite cake!” Krista practically bounced before going back to the display case and grabbing it. “I’m lucky!”  
  
“Yeah,” Annie said with a smile, casting a playful look sidelong at Mikasa.  
  
Mikasa sighed, shrugging. “So lucky.”  
  
Krista blinked. “Huh? What’s up?”  
  
“Nothing,” they said together.

⁂

  
  
With no other cakes looking as delicious as that cake they had yet to taste even once, the two of them left the grocery store empty-handed. They drove off to a small ice cream place Annie adored. Mikasa didn’t really want to go in but she did, nonetheless, only because there was no point complaining. She went in and glanced to the menu. Nothing really struck her as something she wanted, but she decided it was practically impossible to go wrong with a milkshake. She ordered a milkshake that was made of one scoop of vanilla ice cream, two scoops of raspberry ice cream, and she added a banana for a dollar. Which was ridiculous. A banana was not one dollar. But she didn’t complain. She just took a small seat while she waited for them to make it.  
  
Annie ordered a sundae, which she began eating right away.  
  
Eventually one of the workers placed her milkshake on the table and she muttered thanks.  
  
Mikasa sipped it and glanced out the window.  
  
There were people screaming. About what, she didn’t know, but when she saw what was clearly an accident she figured she could piece it together. The glass windows were thin, but it blocked out the noise. She looked up to the sun that was setting, dyeing the sky red. She sipped her drink, letting the cold rush of sweetness glide over her tongue. She looked to the store across the street; a barber shop, where an old man in his fifties was talking with his hands, his hands that he was holding the scissors in. Mikasa looked away just in case she was about to watch the man slice his customer’s head open.  
  
When she glanced back to the table, Annie was resting her chin on one hand, staring at her.  
  
Mikasa looked at Annie’s left eye, then right. “What?”  
  
“Nothing.” Annie smiled. “Just examining you.”  
  
“Huh?” Mikasa arched a single brow.  
  
“You always do that… look out there.” Annie turned to the window. “I always wonder what you’re looking at.”  
  
“Everything,” Mikasa muttered.  
  
“You really like people watching, don’t you?”  
  
“Hm. I guess that’s the word for it, yeah.”  
  
Annie tilted her head and smiled. “Are you feeling better?”  
  
“Mmm.” She sipped her drink. “Yeah. I’ll be okay. You don’t have to worry about me, really. I’m good at taking care of myself.”  
  
“I know that, Mikasa. I’m just saying… I mean, um. Hm.” Annie bit her lip. “In some ways, I just… I can’t do anything to help you sometimes, and it scares me. It really scares me… I think back to what you told Levi, when we were outside Rivaille? On Monday, I mean. About Eren… how he was going down a path… how he was getting worse, and how he was just like… broken. Broken. You said you were broken so I mean, I uh.” Annie’s face soured as she looked for words. “What I mean to say… is I just… I want to make sure you’re okay, and I have no way of doing that. All that time that Eren stayed with us, pretty much two years, I didn’t know he was damaged or broken or suffering or whatever he was… He hides it well, I guess, but…”  
  
“But?”  
  
“But… how do I know… that you’re not doing the same thing, to me?”  
  
Mikasa tensed.  
  
Annie looked straight at her, eyes cold and icy. “How do I know you’re not hiding something from me?”  
  
“Annie…” Mikasa smiled. “I know… you’re more than just my sub, you’re way more than something as insignificant as that. You’re my girlfriend. I care about you, more than anything. More than anyone else…” Her eyes widened. “More than anything or anyone else… I care about you.”  
  
Annie froze.  
  
“I mean that.” Mikasa squeezed her drink. “I know, that sometimes I’m not open about myself, or me, or anything to do with my past but Annie… I’m asking you to trust me.”  
  
Annie pressed her back against her chair and looked away. “I just, I need to know some things, okay?”  
  
“I’m not… I’m willing to say some things, I guess.”  
  
“Okay.” Annie took a breath. “Eren… you said, you said if he ended up being a murderer in like ten years or something you wouldn’t bat an eyelash.”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“How do I know… that you’re any different?”  
  
Mikasa’s eyes widened, but then softened and eventually closed. “Annie.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I’m very different from Eren.” Mikasa chuckled. “And my problems are different than Eren’s.” She opened her eyes. “Yeah, I have family issues, and Eren has family issues too, but we have different families, and different issues. He’s my brother, but he’s not biologically related to me. It’s hard to explain it, but my problems are different.”  
  
“So…” Annie frowned. “What are your problems? What are they? Why are you so secretive about the whole thing?”  
  
“I’m not being secretive…” Mikasa frowned as well. “I just, I don’t like talking about them, because it makes me think about them. In short… when I was younger, I guess… Something bad happened to me. Something… traumatic. And afterwards, I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder… I don’t think it was a proper diagnosis.”  
  
Annie’s frowned melted away. “What do you mean, not a proper diagnoses?”  
  
“I just didn’t fit a lot of the symptoms or a lot of the… I guess, I don’t know. I read a lot about it, and I just don’t think I fit the bill for what the ‘usual behaviours’ were for victims of P.T.S.D.” Mikasa shrugged. “But I had frequent flashbacks… I became void, and I felt numb. Eren… Eren…”  
  
 _”Come on! Let’s get you out of the house, okay? You’ve been inside for like… a hundred hours. That’s three digits. Which is kinda cool, practically a new record for you, but come on! You’ve been inside all day… Come on… Please?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Please?”_  
  
“Eren…”  
  
 _”More than anything or anyone else… I care about you.”_  
  
“Eren was there for me.”  
  
 _”Of course you do! It’s not your fault… it’s their fault. They did this. They made this happen, you know that.”_  
  
“Jean too.” Mikasa looked down at the table. “I recovered; things went well. It took some time… a lot of time, but I got out of that hole. I picked up the little broken pieces and I made myself whole again. I have no regrets about it. My issue is just… even, even if it’s been… four years, since then. I still… I… Sometimes, out of nowhere, it comes back, the images, the danger, the fire, the blood… I just, I can’t stop it, and it comes back and it grabs me and I feel like I’m lost and I’m stuck and I feel like I can’t breathe and I’m choking on my own bad air and… I can’t make it stop. It comes at me, Annie, every memory, of being stuck there unable to move like my arms and legs were broken, and then the fire, and then all I can see is Eren lying in a hospital bed and it will not go away.”  
  
Annie breathed silently, eyes wide.  
  
“And then comes the guilt and the void… the part of me that says, ‘I caused this’. ‘I made this happen’. ‘I made Eren do this’. The voices that used to haunt me, they used to fucking haunt me, and they… They… they were so loud, Annie, they were so loud, but now they’re quiet. They’re quiet and stupid and I can’t even understand how I used to think they were real. But they come back, and the feeling of when I was frozen, at home, when I couldn’t leave the house, when my parents didn’t know what to say to me. Fuck. My parents. Fuck them. I was their perfect girl…”  
  
Annie tilted her head. “I thought they hated you?”  
  
“They did, after it happened.” Mikasa moved some hair out of her eyes. “They wanted a nice little problem-free family. I was everything they wanted. I had straight A’s, I was in four sports teams, head of the cheerleading club, I was everybody’s perfect cookie cutter princess… but when that happened, I went into depression, and I quit all my teams. I still got straight A’s, only because everyone at school was so supportive. They even sent in a formal request to let me write my Advance Placement classes two months later to help me recover. Everyone just, everyone thought I was so brave for surviving it… I mean, the only way we survived was burning down the community centre so…”  
  
Annie’s brows knit together. “What?”  
  
“We didn’t have a choice.” Mikasa looked away, shrugging. “We burned the whole thing down… so at the centre of our small town was this huge pile of ash. We didn’t have a choice. Of course, we claimed it was an accident… Eren’s parents were both very influential, so the two of them sort of skewed some facts… said they were accidents, not murders.”  
  
“Murders?” Annie felt her stomach squeeze in on itself. “Was it… self-defence, or?”  
  
“Like I said… we didn’t have a choice.”  
  
“That sounds…”  
  
“Fucked?”  
  
“For a lack of a better word… yeah.”  
  
Mikasa nodded. “People like to pretend that everything happens for a reason, Annie… Nothing happens for a reason. People die for shitty reasons. There’s no higher plan. Throughout human history, it’s kill or be killed… Just because we were seventeen and in today’s modern day and age didn’t change that. This world is so…” Her eyes brimmed with tears. “It’s cruel. I didn’t deserve what happened… Eren didn’t either. That’s… that’s why… When I think about what happened to Levi… about his scars, about everything… I realised he didn’t deserve what happened to him either, and he if those things didn’t happen to him, he would have probably never committed horrible things either. So I thought… I thought they would work well with each other…”  
  
Annie stared at her sundae. Most of the ice cream had melted, so she brought a spoon of it to her mouth. “So that’s why you didn’t think he’d get along with Armin? Because Armin didn’t have… horrible things happen to him, or whatever?”  
  
“Armin lost his parents,” Mikasa pointed out, “And his brother developed a hard drug addiction.”  
  
Annie rolled her eyes. “Ugh, I still can’t believe Dieter tried to get sympathy from me. You snort cocaine off another guy’s dick, of course Levi’s going to kick you out.”  
  
“And using Levi’s money, no less,” Mikasa added.  
  
Annie nodded. “Dieter knew Levi, Erwin, and Hanji used to do hard drugs like twen’y years ago or whatever… And he knew how Levi felt about it, didn’t he?”  
  
“Hm, yeah.” Mikasa nodded. “He was there when Levi found out Ymir had been doing some stuff.” Mikasa tilted her head. “I think that’s when I figured I liked him, Levi, I mean. He’s always so… ‘You can do what you want; I won’t judge you’, but the minute he knows someone he cares about is in danger…”  
  
Annie nodded again.  
  
“Anyway…” Mikasa moved a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “What were we talking about?”  
  
“Nothing.” Annie smiled. “I have my answers.”  
  
Mikasa looked down. “Sometimes I wish I could tell you everything… I want to… There’s so much I want to say to you sometimes, I just…”  
  
“It’s okay, Mikasa. I know.”  
  
Mikasa nodded once and sipped her milkshake.

⁂

  
  
_”So, like, what, is he taking some other kind of meds now? Is that going to fix him up or something? What’s so magical about this pill that the other one’s can’t do. I mean I trust his parents and all, they’re both doctors, but, fuck, Mika, they’re just loading him up on drugs until they fix a problem that doesn’t need to be fixed.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“So why don’t you say something about it, huh?”  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
“Mikasa!”  
  
She sighed. “What do you want?”  
  
“Mikasa!”  
  
Mikasa looked up from her desk and stared at Jean. They were in an empty classroom, where Mikasa usually had her lunch in peace. She was sitting in her seat while Jean stood with his arms crossed. “What do you want from me? Just… go away.”  
  
Jean leaned back on the desk and looked away. He let out an aggravated sigh and shook his head. “You’re so fucking useless.”  
  
Mikasa blinked.  
  
“You cry and cry, ‘Oh my brother’s in the hospital, wah wah wah, he’s unconscious and never going to wake up because a massive column of flaming wood smashed his body’.”  
  
Mikasa’s eyes narrowed. “Shut the fuck up! What do you know?”  
  
“I was there,” Jean reminded. “The only reason you two made it out alive was because of me, you fucking idiot!”  
  
Mikasa stood up, hands clenched, but the words swirled in the back of her throat, refusing to make sense and come out.  
  
“Eren’s recovered. He’s out of the hospital, but it’s not like he’s just going to magically be fine. I don’t know if what they’re doing is good or bad or whatever, but if you think that stringing him up on meds until he’s barely himself sounds like maybe a shitty idea, then maybe you should open your mouth and say something! Carla and Grisha are fucking in love with you! You’re practically they’re daughter, Mika!”  
  
“Stop. Don’t… don’t call me Mika…”  
  
“Only Eren gets to say that, huh?”  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“There won’t be much of an Eren left if you don’t do something about it, Mika.”  
  
“I said don’t…”  
  
“Mika.”  
  
Sight gone red, Mikasa threw herself forward, yanking her arm back, screaming, and slamming her fist into Jean’s jaw. She watched as Jean was thrown back from the force, toppling over three or four desks in the process. Realising what she did, she put a hand to her mouth and bit her lip.  
  
“There we go!” Jean jumped back up, rubbing his jaw with a wince. “There’s the Mikasa I know!”  
  
She blinked. “What?”  
  
“If you don’t like something, you better do something about it.” Jean frowned. “Don’t just sit there and feel sorry for him.”  
  
“But…” Mikasa looked down, squishing her eyes closed.  
  
Jean smiled and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Oy, it’s okay, okay? I know it’s been hard on you, but come on… we live in this shitty town, and we only have like two good doctors. So if they don’t realise something wrong, then someone’s gotta say something. I know how hard this is for you… but you’re the only one, okay?”  
  
Mikasa leaned into him and sighed. “I’m…”  
  
“It’s okay, Mika. It’s okay. Uh, sorry, Mikasa.”  
  
“No, it’s… it’s okay.”_

⁂

  
  
They got home later than either of them expected. Mikasa put her stuff down on the kitchen counter and closed her eyes. She took another silent breath and then opened her eyes. She stared at the clock atop the stove but the numbers made no sense to her. She rubbed her arm and adjusted her weight to her left foot. She heard Annie shuffling some things, opening her laptop, clicking the mouse, scrolling the wheel. She closed her eyes again, focusing on sound. Focusing on the bare silence. She raised a hand and brought it up to the red pendant she always wore. She clicked the mini button and it opened up like a locket, revealing an image inside. She stared at it for several minutes before she smiled.  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“Shit.” Mikasa snapped it shut. “Sorry.”  
  
“Huh?” Annie blinked. “I just didn’t know it opened up.”  
  
Mikasa shook her head. “You scared me… It’s, just a gift, from a long time ago. Eren got it for me.” She clicked the button and stared at again. “He says it’s my spirit animal…”  
  
“Mhmm.” Annie raised an eyebrow. “Do I want to know?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Well Eren’s convinced his is like Yoshi, isn’t he?”  
  
Mikasa laughed. “That’s as a joke… But this, he’s convinced this is actually my spirit animal… There was a time I was deeply spiritual, a year before I moved out here, actually. I uh… I had been reading about spirits and spiritual connections to animals, of all kinds, from native tribes and groups all over the world, to how different pagans and wiccans viewed the world.”  
  
“Really?” Annie tilted her head. “You don’t strike me as the kind to have had a spiritual phase.”  
  
“I still am, in some ways…” Mikasa rubbed the image with her thumb. “It’s just, really personal, I guess. Sorry.”  
  
“Don’t be.”  
  
“Spirituality is really just something for me, and my inner self, I guess. I don’t really like talking about it, but he was convinced this,” she pointed the locket to Annie before continuing, “Is my spirit animal. Because, well… the metaphor’s kind of obvious.”  
  
Annie stared for almost a minute before she smiled. “He’s kind of sweet.”  
  
“Mhm.” Mikasa nodded. “I’m not sure if I have adopted the idea that it’s really my power animal, since it’s just a fantasy creature, but it gives me comfort… solace, when I need it.”  
  
Annie shifted her weight onto one leg and nodded. “As long as it helps, right?”  
  
“Mhm. That’s the point, after all… I think, at least. Different cultures see the power animal for different purposes, but if it makes me feel better then I’ll keep it around my neck.”  
  
Annie nodded.

⁂

  
  
They decided to watch a movie together. Mikasa wasn’t interested, not in the slightest, but she stared at the screen and focused because she figured Annie would want to talk about it afterwards. People always did that. Saw a movie, then talk. She never understood that concept. Mikasa felt Annie press her back against her and she moved an arm around the blonde’s waist. Even if the movie sucked, the proximity was nice. Annie had taken her hair down, for once, and Mikasa nuzzled the strands of hair, finding them always surprisingly longer than she expected, going past the woman’s shoulders. Who knew one bun could hold up so much hair?  
  
The movie ended and Annie got up to throw out the bag of popcorn they had finished.  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
“I’ll get it,” Annie muttered. She threw out the bag and then walked over to the door.  
  
Mikasa zoned out, not really watching the credits roll up the screen, until a voice caught her ear.  
  
“Hey! You have your hair down.”  
  
Annie smiled. “Hey, butt. What are you doing here?”  
  
“Well decided to give back some of the whips and things we borrowed,” Jean explained as he stepped in, pretty much declaring that he was always welcomed.  
  
Annie, used to this, closed the door and ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll take the stuff.”  
  
Jean offered her a plastic bag.  
  
Annie took it and headed to their bedroom.  
  
Mikasa stood up from the couch and walked towards him. “Hey.”  
  
Jean grinned. “There you are, Mika.”  
  
Mikasa smiled softly, giving a small nod. “Yeah.”  
  
Jean glanced to the bedroom door, which was closed.  
  
Annie was giving them time.  
  
Jean looked back at her. “How are you feeling?”  
  
“Good…” Mikasa looked to the floor. “Kind of.”  
  
“Kind of?”  
  
“I just…”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“I don’t even know what to say, I guess… I talked with Annie, a little, about it… Sometimes I just, I don’t know where my head is right now. I’m happy but I’m not, and I’m worried but I’m not, and it’s just… I can’t pinpoint who I am or how I feel right now. But overall, that aside, I think I’m good.” Mikasa looked up. “I guess that… doesn’t really answer your question, does it?”  
  
“Not at all,” Jean laughed. “But that’s not a bad thing… you’re just figuring it out, which is good. What’s bothering you?”  
  
“Annie.” Mikasa sighed. “I guess I never realised, how much I haven’t told her, about me. About…” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Two years, we’ve been together, and just… You and Marco are so open, and you’ve only dated for seven or eight months… how do you do it?”  
  
“Well, don’t be too hard on yourself. Marco and I started dating right when we met, I guess. You guys were just Dom and sub for a while, the dating and living together bit all came afterwards. Plus, you’re moving at your own pace, Mika, don’t worry about that, okay? Everybody’s a bit different, which is okay. I mean it’s not like Marco and I are without our own problems. A relationship without any problems sounds really nice but I mean come on, you and I both know that’s totally not how it works in the real world. Even if it’s not problems with the other person, sometimes it’s financial issues, or distance. Problems exist, and that’s okay. Just think of it this way, Mika: You know what your problem is, so you can work on it. Even if all you do is tell her a little about yourself every week, you’re still moving forward, and at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing, right? Moving forward.”  
  
“Hm.” Mikasa closed her eyes and chuckled. “To think the day came where I have to take advice from Jean Kirstein.”  
  
“You think that’s bad? You even had to _ask_ for the advice!”  
  
Mikasa laughed and moved some hair out of her eyes. “If I tell Eren, he’d throw me out a window.”  
  
“Oh good ol’ asshole Eren.” Jean grinned. “How’s he doing, anyway? I haven’t talked to him in years… well we never really talked, we more so screamed, didn’t we?”  
  
Mikasa laughed again and pondered over… “He’s okay.”  
  
“That’s good, I guess.” Jean smiled. “You know, I thought about sending him a message or whatever, since we had that big fight where we unfriended each other and unfollowed each other on all those social sites… but I’m pretty sure if I see him again I’ll just punch him in the face. But, you know, pretty sure if I saw anyone from high school I’d want to do the same thing.”  
  
Mikasa nodded. “I’ll agree with you on that.”  
  
Annie stepped out of the bedroom, hair tied up in the bun. “What are you guys talking about?”  
  
“High school,” Jean groaned. “Well, more like just our shitty hometown in general.”  
  
Annie nodded and walked up to the fridge. “Can I get you anything?”  
  
“Nah, I should be heading back actually… Oh hey, do you happen to have a can of whipped cream? For like, obvious Jean and Marco time purposes?”  
  
“We usually have like four ready on hand,” Annie admitted. She opened the fridge, grabbed one, and shook it to make sure there would be enough, before she tossed it in the air.  
  
Jean caught it. “Thanks!”  
  
“It’s light,” Mikasa muttered. She got two confused looks and she smiled. “I mean, light cream. Reduced fat or whatever. Not sure if that matters.”  
  
“I don’t really notice the difference,” Jean admitted. “Plus Marco won’t complain about the calories as much. Thanks!”  
  
Mikasa rolled her eyes and offered a genuine, “Drive safe.”  
  
“I’m walking.” Jean grinned.  
  
Mikasa rolled her eyes and offered a genuine, “Don’t get hit by a car.”  
  
“Thanks, Mika. Thanks.”

⁂

  
  
An hour later, Annie and Mikasa had both showered. Mikasa pulled on a loose black shirt and a pair of dark navy pyjama bottoms, while Annie just went for a long white shirt and a pair of light blue underwear. Mikasa was sitting on the bed, knees up, back against the headboard. She was checking her phone for messages when she felt the queen bed dip to one side. She glanced over.  
  
Annie took a seat next to her, crossing her legs. She ran a hand through her damp blonde hair and examined Mikasa.  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“It’s just… that…” She tilted her head. “How come you haven’t told Jean about, you know, Eren?”  
  
Mikasa shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think he’d handle it very well. I don’t think either of them will.”  
  
“Huh…”  
  
“I honestly expected them to figure it out by now. Eren lived here for two years, and you’re best friends with Jean, so I figured he’d come over eventually… but I think Jean’s… semi-avoiding me, since I remind him of what happened, and he reminds me of what happened. It’s complicated. I’m not hiding anything, I’m just leaving it to them to figure it all out, I guess… does that make sense?”  
  
“Yeah.” Annie nodded. “Makes sense to me. And yeah, Jean… he kinda didn’t want to come over when he knew you were home so, never figured out why. I guess just a lot of history between you two?”  
  
“Between us three…”  
  
“Whoa, what’s with that?”  
  
“What’s with what?”  
  
“You just smiled like you know exactly when the world’s going to end.”  
  
Mikasa realised she was indeed smiling like a fox and she chuckled. “It sounds so stupid now, but it was the world when we were in high school… I used to ‘date’ Jean.”  
  
“Wait, what?”  
  
“We didn’t actually date… He just needed to prove to himself he wasn’t into guys, so he asked me out. It was kind of pitiful, he was saying stuff like ‘You can make me a man’ and I just found it really funny so I said yes. I didn’t try to make him a man or whatever, I just figured he’d realise that he was into guys too and that was okay.”  
  
“Was he like… a homophobe?”  
  
“No, actually.” Mikasa chuckled. “When I told him I went both ways, he said that was cool, and when some other guy came out, he said that was cool too. It’s because Eren was out and Jean–”  
  
“Oh my God,” Annie laughed. “Jean had a crush on Eren!?”  
  
Mikasa laughed and threw her head back. “Yeah. We played truth or dare once, and they were dared to kiss… And, uh…” Mikasa snickered. “I swear the kiss lasted at least three or four minutes. Their hands were all over each other, and then they just like broke away and they were convinced the kiss lasted for a couple seconds. It was really hot, though.”  
  
Annie put a hand over her face. “So is that why Jean and Eren don’t like each other? Because they were gay for each other once?”  
  
“Nah, they always fought, even when they were little. In preschool, Eren got like… not suspended, but he got disciplined because he told Jean to put a plastic bag over his head to get unlimited air.”  
  
Annie froze. “Eren… tried to kill him?”  
  
“It wasn’t like that. We had a class the day before where Eren tried to put a bag over his head and the teacher flipped out and told them never to do it. Jean was absent, so the day after, Eren told Jean to do it and the teacher flipped out again.” Mikasa laughed. “It was pretty dangerous, but he didn’t know what he was doing. None of us remembered it, though, not until we were… fifteen? We found our old report cards from preschool, and we had the section where Eren tried to kill Jean and Jean flipped out and Eren started screaming because he was an evil baby and I just found it funny because I’m morbid.”  
  
“You are so fucking morbid, Mika.”  
  
Mikasa paused and looked at her.  
  
Annie swallowed hard. “Sorry, Mikasa.”  
  
“No. It’s okay.” Mikasa smiled and looked away. “You can say it.”  
  
Annie felt her cheeks heat and she looked away: Annika-Marie F. Leonhart did not blush.  
  
“B-But,” Mikasa pretended she didn’t stutter, “Yeah, they always fought. Jean had a crush on Eren after they kissed… but it wasn’t like, out of feelings or love or anything. It wasn’t love, he was just thirteen and Eren gave him boners, so he asked me out to prove how straight he was… that made Eren hate him even more, but that’s a story for another time…” Mikasa laughed. “It’s funny… looking back on what was such a big deal at the time, and seeing how… meaningless all of it is in the long run.”  
  
“Yeah.” Annie nodded. “But Jean has Marco now.”  
  
“Jean has Marco,” Mikasa agreed. “And I have you.”  
  
“And Eren has Levi and Armin.”  
  
Mikasa frowned. “Not quite the same.”  
  
Annie blinked. “Why not?”  
  
“Well, I mean… Marco and Jean are for each other, and you and I have been together for some time. There’s our relationship of Dom and sub, but it goes past that.”  
  
Annie stared at her. “Yeah…” It was obvious she wanted to say something, but she didn’t. She cleared her throat. “But you don’t think Armin, Eren, and Levi could?”  
  
“Fall in love?” Mikasa looked away. “No.”  
  
“You don’t think… love can exist between three people?”  
  
“That’s not what I said.” Mikasa frowned. “It’s just… they’ve known each other for three weeks. Let’s not jump the gun. You can’t fall in love with someone over a month.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“You just can’t. Love is too complicated for a short time span.”  
  
“Hmm, because when I think about Ymir and Krista…”  
  
“Special case.”  
  
Annie raised an eyebrow. “Who are you trying to convince… you or me?”  
  
Mikasa paused.  
  
“Look, maybe it is too soon, but hey… who knows, maybe the three of them could fall in love and be happy. I’m not saying it’s going to happen right this second, but you never know what’s going to happen down the line. If it works and everybody’s happy, then, you know.”  
  
“Tentative bliss,” Mikasa muttered.  
  
Annie shifted her seat. “What?”  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
“Mikasa…”  
  
“Sorry… I’m just tired.” She put her phone on standby and plugged it in the cord that was on her bedside table. “It’s been a long day… Let’s sleep, okay?”  
  
“Sure.” Annie turned off the light next to her and the room faded to darkness.  
  
Mikasa sank into the sheets and brought her hand up to cup her necklace.  
  
 _”I got you something!”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Eren barged into her room holding a present, horribly wrapped in mismatched wrapping paper. “Sorry… Mom wouldn’t buy new wrapping paper so I kinda stitched what we had leftover from Christmas, but!” He thrust it forward. “It’s the thought that counts, right?”  
  
Mikasa grabbed the present. It was a small box. She pulled a piece of scotch taped and watched the entire wrapping fall apart. She looked up. “Was it supposed to do that?”  
  
“Um…” Eren grinned. “Sure!”  
  
Mikasa snorted and picked up the small box inside. She put the wrapper down and frowned. “This is… jewelry?” She put the small box in her left palm and used her right hand to open it. She backed away at first. “How much was this?”  
  
“It was kind of a knock off, so it was pretty cheap. Sorry, I’m broke.”  
  
Mikasa felt her guilt wash away and she picked up the dark red pendant, in the shape of an orb, with black lines over it. It was a bit fantasy-esque but, “It’s pretty.” She smiled. “Thank you, Eren.”  
  
“But!” Eren hopped his way next to her. “You can open it!”  
  
“Hm.” Mikasa put the box down on her desk and then stared at the pendant. She carefully picked it up and clicked the button, watching the orb split open. Her eyes went wide. “Eren…” She frowned. “What the fuck is this?”  
  
“It’s your spirit animal!”  
  
“What?” Mikasa scowled. “How… could you?”  
  
Eren grinned. “But it’s like you!”  
  
“How is a phoenix like me?”  
  
“Because, like, fire is bad and stuff…” Eren rubbed the back of his head. “But no matter what life throws your way, you rise from the ashes and stuff… so yeah. I just thought, because you’re so strong, and you can rise above anything, and still be there for me… I just thought you’d like it.”  
  
Mikasa stared at the pendant, where the image of a firebird was on the inside. Coloured by Eren’s words, Mikasa smiled. “Thank you.”  
  
“You’re welcome!”  
  
“But… I’m not that strong… I’m still struggling, even now… I have yet to rise above–”  
  
“That’s okay! One day, even if it’s years from now, one day you’ll get better. And I’ll get better. And Jean won’t be a part of our lives. All the good things!”  
  
“Eren…”  
  
“I’m serious. One day all the good things will happen. One day we’ll be totally happy, without having to think about this anymore.”_  
  
Mikasa turned over and hooked one arm around Annie’s waist, pulling her close. “You were right…”  
  
“Huh?” Annie looked over her shoulder.  
  
“Nothing. Talking to myself.”  
  
“Weirdo.”  
  
“That’s me,” she muttered, punctuating her sentence with a kiss on Annie's shoulder.


	28. The Fourth Week (4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold Up! Nikookie drew [Fan-art that just made my day!](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/post/91715749168/three-of-my-favorite-lines-among-many%22) and I would highly recommend clicking that link, liking, reblogging, and even following! 
> 
> On to Chapter 28: So this chapter is dedicated to Vintage-Plastic for their great suggestion!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> * * *

“No!” Eren whined, wiggling left and right as his arms flailed, making a mess in the sheets. “Don’t leave me!”  
   
The sun filtered through the windows of Levi’s bedroom as the man in question sat on the edge of the bed and rolled his eyes. “Fuck off.”  
   
“Levi, Sir!” Eren got on all fours and threw his arms tightly around his Dom’s neck. “Please? Sir? Please? Master, please? Sir? Master? Lord? Headmaster? Cat in the Hat, please!”  
   
Levi whipped a sock to straighten it out before he slipped it over his foot. “What do you even want?”  
   
“Please…” Eren let go and whined. He fell onto his back and wiggled. “Please stay…” He got up again and kissed Levi’s shoulder. “Please stay and cuddle with me a little bit more? Don’t you want to stay with me a little bit more?”  
   
“Of course I do, Pup.”  
   
“Then stay and cuddle…”  
   
“No.”  
   
“Awww!” Eren nuzzled the back of his neck. “At least smooch me goodbye?”  
   
Levi slipped on his other sock and sighed. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he turned his head. “Come here.”  
   
Eren pressed their lips together.  
   
Levi kissed him softly before breaking away. “You know I want to stay, but I can’t, Pup.”  
   
Eren nodded and sighed. He pressed his forehead against Levi’s shoulder. “Just remember that I’m your pup and I’m always eager for you to come back home, Sir.”  
   
“Awww.” Levi smiled. “Now get the fuck off me.”  
   
Eren threw himself backwards and he landed on his back, bouncing once on the mattress before whining, “At least come home soon!”  
   
“I…” Levi sighed before he got up. “Can’t.” He glanced at himself in the mirror and adjusted the collar of his white button up shirt. “I’ll be at work all fucking day.”  
   
Eren cringed. “All day?”  
   
“All fucking day,” he repeated.  
   
“Well, can you at least like… text me?”  
   
“I can try,” Levi offered. “But…” He turned around and looked over his sub’s naked body, admiring it for half a second before his steel blue eyes locked onto green ones. “I’ll be in meetings, several of them. I won’t be able to… and even after the meetings, I have a feeling I’ll have to go out for coffee with a couple people, discuss shitty things about shitty people and shit. That’s how business works: Got to keep shit moving.”  
   
“Well, make it constipated!”  
   
Levi snorted. “My awful humour’s rubbing off on you.”  
   
Eren whined some more.  
   
“Sorry, Pup.”  
   
Eren bit his lip and began rolling the bed sheets into a burrito shield around himself. When he was all snug and tight, lying on his stomach, he stared at Levi and pouted. “I’m gonna die!”  
   
“No, don’t,” Levi muttered. “That’s not healthy, or so I’ve heard. We could always test it out to see if it’s true.”  
   
“I’m gonna do it!”  
   
“Okay, if you want to.” Levi adjusted his tie. “Don’t leave any bloodstains. Armin won’t like cleaning those up.”  
   
“Awww…” Eren rolled onto his side. “I just want to spend more time with you… At least, like, pretend I’m super important to you.”  
   
Levi sighed and walked over to the bed. He leaned down and kissed Eren’s cheek. “You shitfuck, of course you’re important to me.”  
   
“Am I… important enough to make you stay?”  
   
“If it was any other week…” Levi sighed. “Come on, you’re being a depressed loser. It’s not attractive.”  
   
Eren wibbled his lower lip.  
   
Levi snorted and kissed his cheek a second time, feeling the heat rise on Eren’s skin. “I’m sorry.”  
   
“Nah, it’s okay, I know you have to.” Eren smiled. “Don’t be sorry.”  
   
“Well, you’re the fucking jackass guilting me…”  
   
Eren let out another whine as he further burrowed into his burrito.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “Okay, whatever. It’s like six in the morning, go back to sleep, Pup. That’s an order.”  
   
“No,” Eren refused, “I’m gonna cry instead.”  
   
“I can’t believe I’m doing this…” Levi unwrapped the burrito, watching Eren’s head twirl like a spinning top until the rest of his body was free. He scooped up his pup, bridal style, and lifted him up. He turned and walked out of his room.  
   
“Where we going?” Eren clutched onto his shirt.  
   
“You’ll see.” Levi walked down the hall and turned to the stairs. Mindful that Eren was taller than Armin, Levi took great care in making sure neither Eren’s head nor legs hit anything.  
   
“Are you taking me to work with you?”  
   
“Like this? Naked as fuck? You fucking wish.”  
   
“Of course I do…” Eren nuzzled into his neck.  
   
Levi snorted and kept going down the stairs. When he got to the second floor, he turned to the hallway and used his foot to open the first door on the left. Walking into Armin and Eren’s bedroom, he saw Armin fast asleep, hugging a pillow with lips slightly parted. “Now,” he used a quiet voice as he placed Eren down next to Armin. “Sleep.”  
   
Eren pouted.  
   
Levi leaned down and kissed him. “You’re such a blubbering mess when you wake up, just go back to sleep, okay?”  
   
“Okay…”  
   
“Good boy.” Levi kissed his forehead.  
   
Eren smiled and slipped himself under the covers so he could be the big spoon to Armin.  
   
Armin felt the warmth, let go of his pillow, and turned over, burying himself in Eren’s chest and mumbling something about Her Royal Majesty, the Queen of England.  
   
Levi tucked them in and sighed. “Are you happy? Can I fucking go now?”  
   
“Yeah…” Eren nodded. “I’m gonna make us into a burrito extraordinaire.”  
   
“Good.” Levi smacked his hand over his face. “Do whatever the fuck you wanna do.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
“So… I kinda burned the sunny side-ups…” Armin chuckled as he began moving the eggs from the pan to the two plates.  
   
Eren sat at the kitchen table, wiggling happily in his seat. “That just means they’re extra crispy.”  
   
Armin chuckled and was about to reply but the toaster popped out. He scurried over and added one slice of toast to each plate. He walked over to the table and put the two plates down. They didn’t sit in their usual seats, across from each other; Armin took Levi’s spot so they would sit next to each other. They also had mugs with coffee (properly prepared by Eren this time) and a platter of fruits (raspberries, blackberries, sliced banana, blueberries, grapes) between them. “Let’s eat.”  
   
Eren added a dash of salt and pepper to his eggs (Armin made no comment), and then separated off a small section of the egg white with his fork. He popped it into his mouth and nodded. “Still good! Still yummy! See? Everything you do is delicious.”  
   
“Well,” Armin said with a curved smile, “Aren’t you cute?”  
   
“Not as cute as you are!”  
   
“Liar.” Armin ruffled Eren’s hair. “Sorry if it’s boring, though.”  
   
“Boring?”  
   
“Mhm. I’m just tired today.”  
   
“What’s boring?”  
   
“Oh, breakfast.” Armin poked the yolk of his sunny side up with his fork. “It’s just boring.”  
   
Eren glanced at the table, then back to Armin. “What’s boring about eggs and fruits?”  
   
“Well, nothing… there’s just, nothing special. It’s the usual.”  
   
“There’s nothing boring about a good, healthy breakfast; just because it’s a classic doesn’t mean it’s boring!”  
   
“Huh.” Armin smiled. “I guess that’s way to put it.” He yawned and covered his mouth with his left hand.  
   
“Tired, huh?” Eren chuckled. “Are you going back to bed after this?”  
   
“Mmmm, nah.” Armin shook his head. “I’m just going to eat my boring breakfast.”  
   
“Eggs aren’t boring,” Eren repeated.  
   
Armin laughed lightly and then gave a small shrug. “I guess not… it’s just…” He rubbed his face. “Compared to how…” He yawned. “Much work I usually do…”  
   
“Well, Levi’s not here, so you don’t have to go all out.”  
   
“That’s true,” Armin muttered with a nod. “But I want to make nice breakfast for you too…”  
   
Eren grinned and leaned over to smooch his cheek. “You’re adorable. I appreciate it, but you don’t have to do that every day, you know? This is more than fine for me.”  
   
Armin nodded again. “But I was going to make you something special, since you asked for it.”  
   
Eren paused.  
   
“A breakfast…”  
   
Eren leaned in.  
   
“Burrito.”  
   
“Praise The Lord…” Eren placed a hand over his heart.  
   
Armin chuckled and leaned his head on Eren’s shoulder. “I bought tortillas and everything… But someone wrapped _me_ in a burrito, and made me oversleep today.”  
   
Eren grabbed a grape and threw it in his mouth. He chewed it violently before swallowing. “Hey, don’t blame me, you looked ten times cuter all rolled up in bed sheets and pressed up against me! And don’t pretend you didn’t like it, either!”  
   
Armin nuzzled Eren’s shoulder. “That’s true, I like it very much. I guess that’s okay then…” He yawned and didn’t bother covering his mouth with a hand this time, or perhaps he was too tired to notice.  
   
Eren kissed the top of Armin’s hair. “Oy, sleepy butt, eat your breakfast before you pass out. It’s going to get cold.”  
   
“Hmmm.” Armin lifted his head and nodded. “Yeah.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
About an hour or two later, Eren and Armin were in the T.V. room watching the television; or, rather, Eren was watching the television while Armin firmly planted his face in Eren’s chest and softly snored off into his dreams. Eren pet the soft blond hair, threading his fingers playfully through the strands. He was only half watching the show, not really paying attention, but as soon as one of the main characters said the word “Zapper”, he changed the channel so fast that he swore it had to be divine intervention.  
   
Time slipped away.  
   
He wasn’t sure when he got a text from Levi, but when he checked his phone he saw Levi texting him a picture of a jalapeno with the caption of ‘Fuck Bitches; Get Money’.  
   
The two of them sent messages back and forth before Levi was called away in another meeting. Eren put his phone on the table and hugged his Armin tight.  
   
As he stared at the ceiling, Eren pulled Armin closer.  
   
A thought crossed his mind.  
   
His time in the house was running out.  
   
He felt his chest tighten and his breathing became heavier.  
   
Armin shifted a little and yawned.  
   
“Morning!”  
   
He opened one eye. “Hmm?”  
   
“I said morning, you sleepy butt.”  
   
“I’m not…” He yawned again. “Sleepy.”  
   
“Yeah, you are.”  
   
Armin shook his head, blond hair flying everywhere, before he lifted himself up. “I’m awake, right… now.”  
   
“Mhm, okay, but you’ve been sleeping for over an hour, you dork.”  
   
Armin blinked and rubbed his eyes. He leaned forward and kissed the tip of Eren’s nose. “And you cuddled me the whole time?”  
   
“You got it!” Eren smooched his cheek. “That’s my job after all, remember?”  
   
“Mmm.” Armin put his head back down and closed his eyes. “Wuv yew.”  
   
Eren’s cheeks warmed and he grinned. “Do you want to head to bed?”  
   
“Mmm…..” Armin thought about it before nodding. “Yeah.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren gave Armin a piggy back ride up the stairs since he was probably to sleepy to stairs and they went back to their room… then the two of them decided they wanted a change of scenery – which was pretty much their shitty excuse for wanting to jump on Levi’s king size bed.  
   
Far more awake now, Armin stripped what clothing he had and dove under the sheets.  
   
Eren stripped as well and got in bed.  
   
The two of them cuddled up and closed their eyes.  
   
The bed sheets smelled like Levi, smelled like home, like safety, like comfort.  
   
After a while, Armin felt Eren’s arms tighten around him. He opened his eyes and looked up to Eren’s face, noticing how it was scrunched up. He booped Eren’s nose with his nose and tilted his head. “What’s wrong?”  
   
“I just…” Eren opened his eyes. “I miss Levi, you know? I mean, I know he has work and I don’t want to be whiney or clingy, but I just want more of him, because…” He smiled and kissed Armin’s forehead. “Not that I don’t like spending time with you or anything, of course I do, it’s just like um, how do I say it–”  
   
Armin laughed. “It’s okay, Eren.” He kissed Eren’s cheek. “I know exactly what you mean. I miss him too, and I’m sure he misses you right now.”  
   
“No…”  
   
“No?”  
   
“It’s just, I mean…” Eren cringed and pressed his forehead between Armin’s neck and shoulder. “I’m scared.”  
   
“Scared?”  
   
“I’m kinda… scared, you know? I mean, Armin, really, I… I… only have a few days left here, and they’re just going by so fast and so slow at the same time… it’s all coming to an end. And I just, like, I want to show him I’m a good sub and I want to show him that I _am_ worthy of his time… or at least, I think I am… but, most of all, I want to show him… and I want him to know, that I honestly… I want him. And…”  
   
Armin waited for more, but seeing that nothing else would come he closed his eyes. He hugged Eren tight and smiled. “Do you really think he doesn’t know that, Eren?”  
   
“I…” Eren bit his lip. “Well, I think, I think… I think he knows, but…”  
   
“But?”  
   
“But…” Eren squeezed Armin closer. “But…”  
   
“Butt? My butt?”  
   
Eren broke away and glared. “Armin!”  
   
Armin snorted and cackled.  
   
Eren kept glaring.  
   
Armin eventually relaxed and kissed Eren’s cheek. “I’m sorry… but what? I won’t interrupt you this time.”  
   
Eren wanted to be mad, but his lips tugged into a smile. “I… He probably does know, but not like… I don’t think he knows, just how much I want him, and how much I want you, and how much I want both of you.”  
   
“Why don’t you tell him?”  
   
“I can’t!” Eren wiggled. “Do you know how shitty I am with words? I can’t tell.”  
   
Armin used his English teacher voice: “Show, don’t tell.”  
   
Eren wiggled more.  
   
Armin snickered and slipped his arms around Eren’s waist to keep him from rolling off the bed. “Eren, come on… this is Levi we’re talking about. I’m a hundred percent sure he knows.”  
   
Eren sighed, relaxing. “I guess… but I wish there was a way I could show him how much I care about him… even if he already knows, just something I could do for him, something I could give him, anything to just make him see, you know? And something, like, permanent, so he could look at it over and over and remember that like, hey, Eren did this for me, you know?”  
   
Armin nodded. “Do you want to make him something, then?”  
   
“Make something?” Eren looked into Armin’s blue eyes. “Like what? Macaroni heart things?”  
   
“Eren!” Armin snickered. “This isn’t Mother’s Day!”  
   
“Nyaa…” Eren whined some more. “Sorry, I’m just bad at gifts… and I am the bad at arts and crafts and stuff like that… What would you do?”  
   
“Hmmm… I guess I would make him food, I guess. Like maybe you could cook him a meal you like?”  
   
“Uh… Armin, I can only make a few things, like college kid food, and I’m pretty sure Levi would hate everything I make.”  
   
“Well, it’s the thought that counts?”  
   
“But that’s not forever, and it’s not, like, permanent?”  
   
“Hm. Good point. But if you do cook him dinner, horrible memories are forever. And if your cooking is as bad as you say, then it’s solidified that it’s a permanent bad memory!”  
   
Eren screamed and ducked down under the covers. He pushed his forehead against Armin’s tummy and sobbed.  
   
Armin chuckled and ruffled Eren’s hair, as one would do with a dog. “I’m sorry.” He ducked down as well and smooched Eren’s lips. “I’m sowwy, Puppy.”  
   
Eren nuzzled Armin’s chest and pouted. “I need an idea… and you’re just being mean to me!”  
   
“I said I was sorry…” He chuckled. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.  
   
“No you’re not.”  
   
“Nope. I’m not.”  
   
Eren grinned and tugged the bed sheets off of them. “Little asshole.”  
   
“Mhm.” Armin kissed his cheek. “But, okay, let’s focus for real this time.”  
   
“Yeah! So, how would someone, like, permanent their submission?”  
   
“Permanent isn’t it a verb, Eren. You can’t use it like that.”  
   
“You know what I mean.” Eren nudged him. “I guess a tattoo would be crazy, right?”  
   
“Yeah. That would be way too much for just one month together.” Armin pursed his lips. “Submission is an action. Action is motion. It’s not like you can solidify or concretise motion.”  
   
“Motion?” Eren bounced up on his knees. “Motion!”  
   
Armin blinked. “What?”  
   
“I have an idea!” Eren tapped the space in front of him. “I have an idea, Arm!”  
   
Armin sat up as well and crossed his legs. “Should I be worried, by any chance? I feel like I should be scared.”  
   
“Only if you’re scared of a good time!”  
   
Armin irked. “That was kind of cheesy…”  
   
“It was witty!”  
   
“It was cheesy.”  
   
“No!”  
   
“Yeah it was.”  
   
“No it wasn’t!”  
   
“It was cheesy, Eren.”  
   
“But it was good cheese! Like macaroni and cheese cheese, so it’s an acceptable form of cheesy, right?”  
   
“I…” Armin placed a hand over his face. “I guess that’s okay… Anyway, what’s your genius idea?”  
   
“We should get a camera…” Eren grinned and crawled over to Armin so he could whisper in the blond’s ear. “And we should… film ourselves, for Levi.”  
   
Armin’s eyes lit up. “Film ourselves?”  
   
“Mhm.”  
   
“Mmm.” Armin licked his lips. “Film ourselves doing what, exactly?”  
   
Eren purred in Armin’s ear before using his seductive voice, “The frick frack diddly do.”  
   
Armin’s left eye twitched before he smacked a hand over his face. “Eren!”  
   
Eren blinked once, twice. “What?”  
   
“Tch…”  
   
“Well, you wanted to know! So I told you I wanted to do the butt smut on cam.”  
   
“No!” Armin smacked his other hand over his face. “I meant… ugh.”  
   
“I’m sorry…”  
   
“You were getting me all excited, I almost had a whole boner going on and you killed it!”  
   
Eren grinned. “The Eren give’th, and the Eren take’th away!”  
   
“Eren!” Armin moved his hands away and laughed harder than he should have. “You cannot quote the bible when referring to boners! That’s rude!”  
   
“Oh, shit, that’s from the bible? I thought it was from like Gandalf… in Lord of the Rings.”  
   
“It’s from Job!”  
   
“Job?”  
   
“J-Just…” Armin snorted and collapsed onto the bed sheets. “Never mind.”  
   
Eren pouted and crawled over, dipping his head down to kiss Armin’s cheek. “Would it be better if I referred to sex as ‘the intercourse’?”  
   
“No!”  
   
“I’m gonna intercourse you so hard…”  
   
Armin looked unimpressed.  
   
“Okay, okay…” He kissed Armin’s neck before moving his lips to the blond’s ear. “I wanna fuck you.”  
   
Armin smiled. “There we go, much better.” He messed up Eren’s hair. “Good puppy.”  
   
“Arf!” Eren grinned.  
   
Armin’s smile widened and he bit his lip. “But, what I meant when I asked what we were going to do… is, I mean…” His cheeks warmed pink. “If we want to show Levi what a good sub you are… don’t you think you should be the sub in the video?”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened. “Oh…” He smirked. “So you want to be my Dom, huh?”  
   
Armin kissed Eren once, playfully grating his teeth over Eren’s lower lip. “Maybe.” He batted his eyelashes.  
   
“Mmm. You’re just such an angel, though… I bet you’ll be a cute Dom!”  
   
“I bet you won’t say that after I wreck your ass.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Ordered to stay naked, Eren sat criss-cross apple-sauce on Levi’s bed and playfully wiggled left and right. Armin went to go get the camera and get some equipment. He wanted to imagine Armin as this big scary Dom, but the only thing he could think about was the poofy blond fairy hair and that sweet smile. There was no way Armin would be able to be rough. Eren was looking at the ceiling when the door opened.  
   
“I have the camera.”  
   
Eren froze.  
   
Armin was dressed for the part: An open half-jacket made of black leather, keeping his chest visible, a tight pair of pants, hugging his ass, crotch and legs tight, two belts slung loosely around his hips, studded with white metal, fingerless gloves, several necklaces, and a couple rings. In his right hand was the video camera, which was big and expensive; and, in his left hand, were several riding crops, whips, and floggers.  
   
“Hi…”  
   
“Focus.” Armin snorted and put the video camera on the desk, then began lining up the whips, paddles, and all the other goodies. “So, your contract with Levi outlines the limits. That’s between you and Levi. Between you and me, we set our own limits.”  
   
“Oh!” Eren grinned. “Fun!”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Fun comes later, this is serious.”  
   
“Yes Sir!” Eren gave a silly salute.  
   
“Eren.”  
   
Eren coughed. “Okay okay, I’m serious.”  
   
Armin relaxed. “Good. We’ll use the same safe words, of course.”  
   
“Red, yellow, green, got it.”  
   
“I hope you don’t mind… I’m quite into the whole, pain thing.” Armin smiled sweetly. “You mentioned you have a high pain tolerance. Tell me, right away, if it’s too much… and of course, more importantly… tell me if it’s not enough.”  
   
Eren felt heat flash through his body and he grinned. “Sure!”  
   
Armin began fiddling with the camera. It was a usual video camera, longer than it was wide, with a panel on the side that could be moved to reveal a screen. He flipped the screen around so they would be able to see themselves, make sure they’re at the centre of the recording, and set it on. He adjusted it a little bit before walking to the bed. “It’s on.”  
   
Eren grinned and waved. “Hi Levi Sir!”  
   
Armin frowned. He grabbed Eren’s hair and yanked hard. “Quiet.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened and he looked left and right, mouth snapping shut.  
   
“Mutt.” Armin grinned. “Levi is going to watch the video… so in a way, looking at the camera is like looking at Levi. You’re not good enough to look him in the eye, got it?”  
   
Eren felt his cock twitch and he swallowed as he tried to nod.  
   
Armin let go of Eren’s head. “Now be a good boy… Sit up straight, hands behind your back.”  
   
Eren’s spine went straight and he moved his hands. “Wow, you’re really into it, Arm’.”  
   
Armin grabbed the back of Eren’s head again and shoved his face forward into the bed sheets. “That’s ‘Sir’ to you.”  
   
“Sorry Sir!” came the muffled reply.  
   
Armin smiled. “Now, as I said before. Sit up, hands behind your back.”  
   
“Y-Yes Sir.” Eren did as he was told. He heard a metallic click and he looked over his shoulders. His left hand was cuffed, and the cuff had a metal link that hooked to his collar.  
   
Armin grinned. “Good boy.” He put his hands on Eren’s shoulders and made him lean back on him. He moved his hand over Eren’s chest, making sure to let his nails grate across the skin, as well as the leather from his fingerless gloves. He watched Eren’s body prickle with goose bumps and he chuckled. “Already?”  
   
Eren bit his lip, feeling his cheeks warm.  
   
“Mmm.” Armin kissed Eren’s shoulder. “Look at this… I have you all to myself, every little bit of you to myself… isn’t that fantastic?”  
   
Eren shivered.  
   
Armin moved his hand down Eren’s body and grabbed the erection waiting for him. He grabbed it and gave a small, teasing squeeze.  
   
Eren let out a soft noise.  
   
“Say thank you, Pup.”  
   
“Th-Thank you!”  
   
“Good boy.” Armin kissed the side of his head and began stroking, moving his hand slowly.  
   
Eren closed his eyes and relaxed; he felt both warm skin and cool leather on his cock and he felt something warm in his chest.  
   
Armin glanced up to the camera, making sure they were right in the centre of the screen. He gave ‘Levi’ a wink and glanced back to Eren’s body. “Do you like it when your Dom touches you, Pup?”  
   
Eren nodded. “Yes Sir.”  
   
“And how do you want your Dom to touch you?”  
   
“I, I…” Eren opened his eyes, looked into Armin’s blue eyes, and suddenly felt incredibly small. “H-However my Dom wishes to touch me…”  
   
Armin tilted his head to the side. “Isn’t that a bit of a copout, Pup?”  
   
Eren felt his cheeks heat up. “I-I’m just happy my D-Dom w-wants to touch me a-at all!”  
   
“Aww.” Armin kissed the side of his head. “How,” he squeezed Eren’s cock, “Good,” and again, “For you to be so thankful.”  
   
Eren’s eyes snapped shut. “Th-Thank you, S-Sir.”  
   
“Good boy.” Armin let go of it. “Spread your legs.” After his pet did as he was told, Armin grated his nails against Eren’s inner thighs. He watched the way Eren’s knees wiggled, how bad he wanted to squirm, but the pet kept himself restrained. Armin chuckled and then used his palm to rub the same area.  
   
The difference from scratchy nails to smooth palms made Eren inhale sharply.  
   
“You’re a good little Pup.” Armin kissed Eren’s shoulder. “How about I flip you over?”  
   
“Whatever you wish, Sir!”  
   
Armin grabbed Eren’s shoulders; and, in one fluid movement, he slammed Eren’s back against the bed sheets.  
   
Eren’s eyes were wide.  
   
Armin leaned down and kissed Eren’s chest, moving his mouth over the muscles and up to his neck. So close to Eren’s mouth, he heard his breathing shake from what he was doing and Armin smirked. “I have so much power over you,” he purred.  
   
“Y-Yes, please.”  
   
Armin bit on Eren’s shoulder.  
   
Eren tensed and let out a sweet noise.  
   
“Mmm, so you like pain, do you?”  
   
Eren nodded.  
   
“Then you should thank me, for this.” Armin moved his head to other shoulder and bit down, harder.  
   
Eren’s knees twitched and he let out a shaky moan.  
   
As he bit down, he glanced to the camera to make sure they were still centered. Happy with that, he moved his mouth away. Armin licked the teeth marks on Eren’s shoulders and kissed his neck. “You’ll let me do whatever I want to you, right?”  
   
“Y-Yes, Sir!”  
   
“And you mean _whatever_ I want to you?”  
   
“Of course, Sir!”  
   
“Good.” Armin got up and slipped off the bed. He walked over to the table and grabbed a short flogger. It was a whip with three tails. He got back on the bed and rubbed Eren’s chest teasingly. “And you want me to have my way with you, don’t you?”  
   
“M-More than anything!” Eren’s cheeks burned. “Y-Your pleasure is my ultimate goal, Sir.”  
   
“Ultimate goal?” Armin chuckled. “Well if you want to put it that way, I won’t say no… In fact, maybe I should reward you for being so devoted to me…” He moved his left arm back before whipping it forward.  
   
The tails of flogger cracked against Eren’s chest.  
   
“Ah!” Eren’s body seized and his cock twitched. Three red lines were going diagonally across his chest.  
   
Armin dipped down and ran his tongue over each line.  
   
As much as Eren loved the gentle feeling of Armin’s tongue against his chest, applying the pressure to the fresh red lines only made them sting further. He wiggled his shoulders and let out another sweet noise of desperation.  
   
“No wonder Levi says he could grow addicted to you…”  
   
Eren’s eyes snapped open. “H-He said that?”  
   
Armin just chuckled, refusing to answer.  
   
Eren wanted to whine and beg, but he knew better to do that to a Dom… He half pondered doing it anyway, since Armin was a bit of a pushover, but while he was lost in thought,  
   
Armin whipped the flogger harder than last time. It made an audible sound and Eren’s scream of bliss followed.  
   
“F-Fuck…” Eren closed his eyes, soaking in the sting.  
   
“You must be starved…” Armin purred. “Levi’s contract doesn’t let us have this kind of play… aren’t you thankful that I’m whipping you?”  
   
“Yes Sir!” Eren blurted out without thinking.  
   
Armin cocked his eyebrow up. “Are you unhappy Levi won’t play with you this way?”  
   
“N-Not at all!” Eren blushed. He lowered his voice to a whisper, “You fucker… you’re doing this to me because we’re recording.”  
   
Armin grinned, not denying it. He grabbed Eren’s chin. “Speak louder, mutt.”  
   
“Not at all!” he repeated.  
   
“Oh?”  
   
“B-Because, Levi wants to know my limits…” Eren closed his eyes. “And I appreciate that. He’s concerned for my safety; it’s why I feel safe around him, and giving myself to him.”  
   
Armin smirked. “Good boy.” He leaned down and kissed Eren’s lips once. “Good answer,” he whispered low enough that the camera wouldn’t pick it up.  
   
Eren was about to reply, but the flogger cracked against his skin again. He gasped, tensing for half a second before relaxing.  
   
Armin traced one of the red lines and watched Eren wiggle. “Does it hurt when I do this?”  
   
“Yes Sir!”  
   
“Do you want me to stop?”  
   
“No Sir!”  
   
Armin watched his pet vibrate and he cocked his head. “You know, pain is interesting… Most people don’t know why pleasure and pain are linked…” He dug his nail into the red line.  
   
Eren gasped and wiggled.  
   
“Pain releases endorphins,” Armin spoke casually as he leaned down and kissed another line, one that had begun to fade. “Endorphins can help stimulate dopamine.”  
   
“A-Armin!” Eren whined, “This isn’t a biology lesson! I don’t have to know any of this!”  
   
Armin’s smile faded and he stared Eren in the eyes.  
   
Eren shrunk to the size of a grape.  
   
Armin moved a hand to Eren’s throat and then curved it around to grab his nape. He raised Eren up and frowned. “You pay attention to whatever I say, Eren. I might test you on this later.”  
   
“B-But, how am I supposed to pay attention when you’re hurting me?”  
   
Armin’s frown turned into a scowl. “How dare you focus only on yourself, mutt? To a sub, a Dom is above all else. Whatever I say is the ground you walk on. How dare you focus on your pain while I am talking?”  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
   
“Now, be a good, good boy… and fucking listen.”  
   
Eren was pressed back against the bed sheets; and, wrists still cuffed, his arms were crushed under his back.  
   
Armin sighed. “Maybe I shouldn’t be nice to you anymore, since it’s so distracting…”  
   
“N-No Sir! I’ll be good, Sir! Please forgive me, Sir! I’ll try harder!”  
   
Armin smiled and kissed the corner of Eren’s mouth. “That’s what I like to hear. So.” He whipped Eren. “Let’s recap.”  
   
Eren was whipped again and his whole body shook.  
   
“Pain releases endorphins.” Armin dug every nail on one hand into a different red line.  
   
“Oh fuck,” Eren whispered as his knees wiggled and tingled.  
   
“Endorphins can stimulate dopamine.” He applied more pressure. “Dopamine is the main neurochemical behind feeling good, and, of course, orgasms.”  
   
Eren breathed heavy.  
   
“Endorphin’s don’t directly stimulate dopamine, though.”  
   
Eren bit his lip to hold back a sound of desperation.  
   
“One of the things they do is inhibit a chemical known as GABA.”  
   
Eren could not care less.  
   
“With an inhibition of GABA, there results in an excess of dopamine.” He moved his hand away, admiring the marks he made with his nails.  
   
Eren relaxed and breathed heavy.  
   
“It’s not as simple as that, but there you have it.”  
   
Eren opened his eyes. “How interesting, Armin.”  
   
Armin grinned and grabbed Eren’s cock. “Still rock hard, I’d say you were interested.” He gave it a squeeze.  
   
Eren closed his eyes. “Are you going to test me?”  
   
Armin chuckled and leaned over, placing a small kiss. “Do you think you’ll pass?”  
   
“Probably…?”  
   
“Well, let’s raise the stakes a little.” Armin bit down on Eren’s lower lip and tugged playfully before letting go. “If you get something wrong, this scene ends now, and I’ll still give Levi the recording. He’ll watch you fail as a sub.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t!”  
   
“Why wouldn’t I?”  
   
Eren whined.  
   
“You do make cute noises, but I’m still doing it. First question. What does pain release?”  
   
“En-dolphins!”  
   
Armin pressed his forehead against Eren’s chest. “Close enough…” He raised his head. “And what do en _dorphins_ do?”  
   
“Well dolphins make people happy, so they release dopamine.”  
   
Armin closed his eyes. “And how do they release dopamine?”  
   
“Because they only swim free!”  
   
Armin’s jaw tensed. “Remember how I said you kill my boner?”  
   
“Eren give’th, and Eren take’th away!” Eren erupted into laughter.  
   
Armin slapped both hands over his face and shook his head. “You know Levi’s seeing this, right?”  
   
Eren looked back, staring upside-down at the video camera. “Hi Sir!”  
   
“Oh my God…” Armin shook his head. “You know you’re doing this to show Levi what a good sub you are.”  
   
Eren lifted himself up so he face to face with Armin. “Well, I am a good sub, just a dorky sub, and… I mean, if I’ve been here for four weeks, I’d like to think Levi likes me for who I am, so I’m reminding him that I’m a total dork but I love being a sub too. I mean, yeah, every sub needs training and they need order, and corrections and punishments, and change of habits, but at the core of who I am…” He kissed Armin’s nose. “I’m me, take it or leave it, right?”  
   
Armin grinned and kissed him softly. “Right.”  
   
Eren threw himself back down and looked at the camera. “Levi, Sir, I’d blow you a kiss but my hands are tied.”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes. “I have no idea how Levi keeps a boner with you.”  
   
“It comes and goes,” Eren admitted with a snicker. “I take’th away, but I always give’th.”  
   
“You know, Eren, the quote just says give and take, there’s no reason to add the ‘thhh sound.”  
   
“Oh… Well, I’m talking about the Gandalf version.”  
   
“There’s no Gandalf version!” Armin raised his voice, “You already told me you didn’t read the Lord of the Rings!”  
   
“Sorry! I watched the movies!”  
   
“That’s not in the movies either!”  
   
“Well…” Eren pouted. “Okay I don’t have a defense for that.”  
   
Armin fell onto his side and sighed. “This video recording is officially a failure.”  
   
“No!” Eren wiggled. “I’ll be good. I promise!”  
   
Armin smiled. “Mhm… well, you, Mister Mood Killer, are going to have to get me back in the mood.”  
   
“Okay, okay! I’ll be a good boy, I promise.” Eren sat up on his knees. “Untie me and I’ll get the mood back, I promise.”  
   
Armin sighed and got up. He crawled over to Eren and reached around him. There was a switch to the cuff, but it was impossible to reach by the cuffee. He clicked it and let Eren free. He put the cuff and the chain to the side and looked at Eren. “How are you going to get me back in the mood.”  
   
“Like this!” He got off the bed and pointed to the edge of the bed. “Sit.”  
   
Armin raised an eyebrow.  
   
“I, uh, I mean… please Sir, if you would sit here…”  
   
Armin got off the bed and walked around it. He took his seat and glanced to the camera. They were still visible, so he looked back at Eren. “And how are you going to get me excited, Pup?”  
   
Hearing Armin say the word like _that_ sent a thrill down to his groin. He swallowed hard and pushed Armin back a little. “Relax, okay? It’s uh… something I did for Levi, in the first week I was here.”  
   
Armin raised an eyebrow as Eren straddled his lap. “Hm?”  
   
Eren felt his cheeks heat up as he looked at Armin. The usual angel face was serious, stern, and made him feel small. It was different, and thrilling, but different. He couldn’t say he preferred one to the other, but it was nice to have the difference. He closed his eyes and leaned in, kissing Armin softly.  
   
Armin kept his eyebrow raised but closed his eyes as they kissed. Before he could really enjoy it, Eren moved his head back. He opened his eyes again, about to ask, when he felt Eren’s breath tingle against his wet lips.  
   
Shit.  
   
He was good.  
   
Eren slowly moved, rotating his hips in a slow circle, grinding his body all over Armin’s lap. He felt his heart beat fast; it wasn’t only the first time he was doing this to Armin, but Levi was watching as well… and he had no idea just how many times Levi would watch the video either. He pushed those thoughts aside. He had to be a strong sub. He was a sub and his job was pleasing his Dom, both of them at this point. This was one chance he had, and he wasn’t going to waste it. He kept his upper body straight while his hips swayed over Armin’s tight leather pants.  
   
Armin swallowed hard. Their lips were so irresistibly close, and yet he feared that even a small movement could break Eren out of his trance.  
   
Eren opened his eyes, making firm eye contact. He moved his hips forward, grinding himself against Armin’s crotch, and he went so far as to push his hardening length against Armin’s bare stomach, and his chest against Armin’s chest.  
   
Armin’s left hand squeezed the bed sheets, but he didn’t break the eye contact. So close, he could enjoy Eren’s scent; it somehow made him think of a fresh, cool breeze that moved through the forest, carrying the air of dry pine, bark of oak trees, vibrant leaves the same colour as Eren’s eyes.  
   
Through the tight, thin leather, every sensation was practically skin on skin. Armin felt himself get hard and he moved his hands, moving up Eren’s legs.  
   
Eren smiled and his cheeks warmed into a pink. He shifted his hip, applying his weight to one leg than the other, moving the pressure back and forth. His hands ran up Armin’s chest, slipping through the opening of the half-jacket, slowly making their way up to the shoulders underneath the leather.  
   
Armin breathed, “Fuck…”  
   
Eren moved his lips to Armin’s neck, kissing softly. “Is this good, Sir?”  
   
Armin nodded. “Yeah… keep going…”  
   
Eren could feel how hard Armin was getting through the pants and it made him smile. He, himself, was also hard and his cock was rubbing against Armin’s stomach with every movement of his chest.  
   
Armin’s toes curled and he reached down, grabbing Eren’s cock. He stroked it once, twice.  
   
Eren shivered but focused on dancing on Armin’s lap.  
   
“Shit…” Armin whispered as he began moving his hips in rhythm to Eren’s. “You’re good.”  
   
Eren applied more pressure, focusing on moving his ass over Armin’s length.  
   
Armin closed his eyes and gave Eren a teasing squeeze.  
   
Eren bit his lip and retaliated with a slow grind against the aching erection beneath him.  
   
Armin closed his eyes. “Ngh.”  
   
“Did you like that, Sir?”  
   
“Yeah… fuck, stop. I’m going to cum.”  
   
Eren did as he was told, although he secretly applied some pressure to Armin’s cock. “Can’t I make you cum, Sir?”  
   
“In leather pants?” Armin chuckled. “I don’t want it to stain… plus, I’ve never had the chance to fuck you, Pup. That’s not fair, is it?”  
   
Eren grinned. “Nope, we should change that.”  
   
Armin cocked his head to the side. “Get off me and prepare yourself for me, like a good boy.”  
   
Eren jumped off and scrambled over the bed to the bedside table where Levi kept his lube.  
   
Armin took the moment to breathe and calm himself down. He pulled his half jacket off and threw it to the floor.  
   
“Stripping, huh?” Eren smeared some lube on his fingers and watched Armin.  
   
“Do you like the sight, Pup?”  
   
“Mmmmhm!”  
   
Armin undid one belt, then the other, then pulled both off at the same time. He teasingly tugged each finger of the fingerless gloves before slipping those off as well.  
   
Eren raised his legs and pushed two fingers inside himself. He bit his lip and thrust his fingers in and out.  
   
Armin undid the zipper of his leather pants and slowly slipped them off; his cock finally springing free. Kicking those off, he was only left in his collar (which he wouldn’t ever take off).  
   
Eren pushed in the third finger, eyes glued to Armin’s body coming to him like a predator ready for its prey.  
   
Armin glanced to the camera, once again making sure they were visible, and then back to Eren. “All ready for me, Pup?”  
   
“Always, Sir.”  
   
Armin smirked and grabbed his cock. He pulled the skin back to reveal the pink head and he rubbed it against Eren’s hole.  
   
Eren bit his lip and smiled. “Please, Sir?”  
   
“Hmm.” Armin chuckled. “Since you’re so polite…” He pushed in.  
   
Eren closed his eyes as Armin filled him, one inch at a time. He breathed heavy until Armin was fully buried inside him. He gave the cock a teasing squeeze and was rewarded by Armin making a sweet noise. Dom or sub, Eren realised, Armin still made those noises he truly adored.  
   
Armin closed his eyes, letting out another noise as he enjoyed the feeling of the tightness. He reached down and grabbed Eren’s cock, stroking it playfully before he pulled out.  
   
Eren reminded himself to breath as Armin moved out.  
   
Armin pushed back in.  
   
Eren swallowed hard and his knees wiggled.  
   
Armin kept moving his hand over Eren’s cock; he found a stable rhythm between his hips and his hands and he looked down at Eren, watching the brunet squirm in the pleasure he was being given. He smirked. “Do you like that, Pup?”  
   
Eren nodded. “Y-Yes Sir…” He looked at Armin, completely above him and he squeezed on him. “Do I feel good, Sir?”  
   
“Very good,” Armin breathed.  
   
Eren felt Armin brush against that spot inside him and his breath hitched in his throat.  
   
Armin smirked, finding that tad of information _very_ useful. He began thrusting his cock against that spot and he watched the goose bumps prickle all over Eren’s body. He moved his hips faster, hand jerking with the sped up rhythm as well.  
   
Eren closed his eyes and bit his lip. “Fuck…”  
   
Armin grinned and kept pushing the head of his cock against that spot.  
   
Eren wrapped his legs around Armin’s waist and pulled him in close, forcing his cock to submerge in the heat.  
   
The sudden rush of pleasure made Armin gasp and he squeezed Eren’s cock before stroking it quickly. “Bad dog!”  
   
Eren chuckled and raised his hips. “You seem to be rewarding me for it though…” He moved his hips back against the cock and began fucking himself with Armin’s dick over and over again.  
   
Armin couldn’t help himself; he kept stroking Eren. “Faster.”  
   
Eren complied, moving his body fluidly against the cock. He let out small, short noises as he closed his eyes, melting away into the feeling.  
   
“Fuck… I’m going to cum…”  
   
“Mm.” Eren smirked. “Please cum, Sir… please enjoy me, Sir.”  
   
Armin moved his hand over Eren faster and began moving his hips in time with Eren’s. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead and he bit his lip, stifling a desperate noise. “Ngh…” He felt little twitches everywhere. He squished his eyes closed. “Nhh… Fuck!” Armin screamed, moving his shoulders back as he came inside Eren.  
   
Eren squeezed on Armin’s cock, milking it for every bit he could.  
   
Armin breathed heavily and opened his eyes, staring at a cocky looking Eren.  
   
“Am I a good pet?”  
   
“Satisfactory,” Armin teased.  
   
Eren grinned and lifted himself up, wrapping his arms around Armin’s neck and bringing their lips together. “Do I get a reward?”  
   
Armin pulled out of Eren and moved his head back. He didn’t even bother replying; he just pushed Eren’s entire cock into his mouth and began bobbing his head.  
   
“Fuck!” Eren squished one of his eyes closed. He looked down at Armin.  
   
With all the cockiness gone from Eren’s face, Armin smirked. He sucked hard on the head and rubbed his thumb over Eren’s cock.  
   
Eren took a deep breath and threw his head back. “Fuck… fuck…”  
   
Armin nuzzled the base of Eren’s cock before moving his mouth back up to the head, and doing it all over again.  
   
“Oh shit…” Eren grabbed Armin’s hair and fisted it. He swallowed hard and his lips parted as he panted heavily. “Armin, I’m gonna…”  
   
Armin moved faster, focusing on the head as he bobbed his head over and over and over.  
   
Eren’s breathing became shaky and he closed both eyes. He let out a soft noise before his knees began to shake, fingers twitched, toes curled, and a shot of pleasure tickled his spine. He threw his head back and came, shooting hot, white, and sticky, in Armin’s mouth.  
   
Armin swallowed and slipped the cock out of his mouth, licking his lips.  
   
Eren fell backwards and crashed on the bed. “Holy fuck…”  
   
Armin’s legs felt like jelly, and he half wondered if he would make it, but he slipped off the bed and gave the camera one wink before he stopped the recording.  
   
“Come here…” Eren whined.  
   
“I’m coming,” Armin laughed. He got back on the bed and moved next to Eren.  
   
Eren grinned and closed his eyes. “Unfair.”  
   
“Huh?”  
   
“You’re an amazing sub, an amazing slave, an amazing Dom, an amazing equal…” Eren grinned. “I’m so lucky to have you.”  
   
Armin grinned and kissed his cheek. “You’re not half bad yourself.”  
   
Eren chuckled and closed his eyes. “Nap time?”  
   
“Nap time,” he agreed.  
  
 

⁂

  
   
After a second long nap of the day, a second long shower of the day, another nap, and lunch (cucumber sandwiches since Eren was being good), Armin and Eren found themselves once again in Levi’s bedroom. Armin had slipped on a pair of tight black boxers and a baby blue shirt. Eren decided to just go with a pair of loose dark green boxers. They felt the soft sheets against their skin and spent time together, poking each other, poking fun at each other, talking, about silly things, and sharing laughs.  
   
The entire time, Eren felt it was bittersweet, because in a couple days he would…  
   
Armin ran his hand through Eren’s hair and messed it up.  
   
Eren shook his head and frowned. “You’ve done that like forty times today!”  
   
“Have I?” Armin blinked twice and tilted his head.  
   
“Yeah!”  
   
Armin chuckled and did it again. “But it’s just… how is your hair so soft?”  
   
“My hair’s soft?” Eren ran a hand through his hair. “Not as soft as yours.”  
   
“Well, yeah.” Armin shrugged. “But yours is a lot of fun, and I get to mess it up since you’re such a puppy.”  
   
“Arf!” Eren chuckled.  
   
Armin snickered and brought their lips together.  
   
Eren closed his eyes as they kissed, stroking his thumb over Armin’s cheek, caressing it gently.  
   
The door opened.  
   
They both blinked and looked at the door.  
   
Levi stood there, staring at them, one eyebrow up. “Yo.”  
   
“Yo, yo, yo!” Eren made pseudo gang signs with his hands. “Swag!”  
   
Levi turned around and slammed the door shut behind him.  
   
“I’m sorry!” Eren laughed. “I won’t do it again!”  
   
The door opened a crack and Levi peered in for half a minute before he pushed the door open again. “I don’t mind,” he began slowly, “But why the fuck are you two in my bed?”  
   
“Because…” Eren’s cheeks heated up. “It smells like you…”  
   
Levi’s voice was deadpanned as he muttered, “How sweet.”  
   
Armin laughed louder than he should have.  
   
Eren frowned. “Can you try to be a little romantic?”  
   
“I’m fucking thirty-one.” Levi walked in and put his side bag down on the desk. “I don’t have time for romance.”  
   
“Liar,” Eren whispered. “You secretly like it.”  
   
The corner of Levi’s lips tugged upwards. He didn’t deny it. He turned to the bed and sighed.  
   
Armin slipped out of the bed. “Can I get you something, Master?”  
   
Levi glanced to him and shrugged. “Not really… I’m only here for half an hour, maybe an hour, then I have to meet someone for coffee.”  
   
Armin walked over to Levi and gently tugged off his coat. “Downtown?”  
   
Levi let it slip off. “Yeah.”  
   
Eren crossed his legs. “So you drove over the bridge just to be here for half an hour?”  
   
Armin placed Levi’s coat over his chair.  
   
“Mhm.” Levi rubbed his neck. “It was a good day, in the sense that no one gave me shit I didn’t need, but it was exhausting. Really, really, exhausting.” He sighed. “I just wanted to unwind, I guess…’  
   
Eren scooted closer to the edge of the bed and opened his arms for a hug.  
   
Levi pretended to be annoyed, but he closed the distance and slipped his arms around Eren’s waist. He felt Eren’s arms around his neck and Levi nuzzled into his neck, closing his eyes.  
   
Eren grinned like a fucking idiot.  
   
Armin watched the little scene in front of him and he smiled, biting his lip to hold back a chuckle.  
   
Levi pulled away and looked at his sub. “Thanks.”  
   
“You’re welcome!” Eren poked Levi’s nose. “Anytime.”  
   
Levi scowled.  
   
Eren laughed and leaned up to kiss Levi’s cheek. “Can I give you a back massage?”  
   
Levi opened his mouth, then paused. He tilted his head. “Can you give a back massage? Because that would be great.”  
   
“Yeah!”  
   
Levi’s eyes narrowed. “Can you _actually_ give me a back massage or are you just going to give up in ten seconds and try to jerk off my dick until I smack you?”  
   
“I can _actually_ give a back massage! I mean I’m no professional, but I know what to do to make it feel good.”  
   
“Feel good?” Levi’s eyes narrowed further.  
   
“No, no, not like that!” Eren made a disgusted face. “I used to give them to my sister all the time, so it’s not sexual or anything.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi seemed content with that answer. “Fair enough.”  
   
Armin gave a coy smile as he crossed his arms. “Can I watch?”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes.  
   
Eren moved back on the bed and tapped the space in front of him. “Sit.”  
   
Levi turned around and did as he was told. “I think I regret this already.”  
   
“Okay, now Armin has to put his head in your lap.”  
   
Armin walked over to the bed and adjusted himself so he was on his back, head in Levi’s lap.  
   
Levi frowned. “What’s the point of this?”  
   
“Pets are stress relief,” Eren said as if it was fact. “And you have to take your shirt off.”  
   
“Why the fuck would I have to do that?”  
   
“Because you have sexy back muscles and it’s like my reward for being good.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes, but he unbuttoned one button after another until he peeled the shirt from himself. He tossed it away and looked over his shoulder. “Happy, you fuck?”  
   
“More than,” Eren admitted as he kissed Levi’s shoulder. He moved his head back and put his hands over Levi’s skin. He ran his thumb over Levi’s spine, and wiggled in position before he began. His hands moved over Levi’s shoulder, slowly at first; his fingers weaved into the muscles, trying to find knots, sources of tension.  
   
“Mm.” Levi closed his eyes, slipping his hand into Armin’s hair. “Not bad…”  
   
Eren grinned and kissed the back of Levi’s head, feeling the short black strands of his undercut prickle against his lips.  
   
Armin purred at the hand in his hair.  
   
“This is…” Levi smiled. “Nice.”  
   
“It’s our job,” Eren reminded.  
   
Armin nodded. “You really don’t let us take care of you, you know?”  
   
“Of course not. The Dom is the caregiver.”  
   
“Bullshit.” Armin pouted. “That’s not true.”  
   
“Everyone,” Eren emphasised, “Cares for everyone.”  
   
“That’s right,” Armin agreed. “Plus, it’s such a stressful time at work for you…”  
   
Eren kissed Levi’s nape as his hands continued. “You should lean on us more… you know it almost makes me feel guilty.”  
   
Levi opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. “I guess… I just, I want to be the pillar of support.”  
   
“Master…” Armin sighed. “We have to support you too.”  
   
“If you’re supporting a pillar of support, then how will it support you, Kitten?”  
   
“Well, that just means we have to find a better metaphor.” Eren smiled. “What’s that thing, like power bros? The thing where the snake is eating its own tail?”  
   
“Ouroboros,” Armin said. “That works; it’s a nice circle of support… and kind of eating itself, but, support!”  
   
“Ouroboros,” Levi repeated. “I like that.”  
   
Eren snickered. “But for us, it’s more of a guy sucking his own dick, am I right?”  
   
Armin’s body shook with violent laughter as he erupted into a giggle fit.  
   
Levi closed his eyes and sighed the most pained sigh anyone had ever sighed.  
   
Eren meeped. “Sorry!”  
   
Armin kept laughing.  
   
Levi frowned. “Don’t encourage him!”  
   
Eren kissed his shoulder. “I said I was sorry…”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
When Levi left, he reminded Eren how disappointed he was. To which Eren took him seriously and shrieked, to which Levi had to clarify he was joking. Eren decided to seize the moment and abuse the guilt in Levi’s eyes to get another hug out of the man. Levi reluctantly agreed. But, he eventually had to go. He told them he’d back fairly soon, but his voice didn’t echo the positivity of that statement.  
   
Armin eventually fell asleep again.  
   
Eren stared at the sleeping blond, wondering just how someone could sleep so much, but on some level he was pretty sure he was envious. He secretly wished he could sleep like fourteen hours a day.  
   
Eventually, Armin woke up and found Eren snacking on something in the kitchen. “Hey.”  
   
Eren glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “Morning Sunshine!”  
   
Armin chuckled and rubbed his face. “What time is it?”  
   
Eren turned to the stove. “Seven, thirty, ish. Seven twenty-eight.”  
   
“Hm, I should make dinner… but I don’t really want to cook.”  
   
“Oh, we could go out?”  
   
Armin moved some hair out of his eyes. “Levi’s been out all day; he’d want to stay in for dinner. I would order, but…”  
   
Eren looked left. Eren looked right. Eren swallowed hard. “I could… cook dinner?”  
   
Armin nodded. “Yeah, we could.”  
   
“N-No I mean like um.” Eren vibrated in place. “I could do it, alone, if you’re not up for it?”  
   
Armin blinked. “Oh. Do you want to do it alone?”  
   
“Not really.” Eren scratched his nose. “I’d prefer doing it with you, but if you’re not up for it then that’s okay! You cook all the time, so you deserve a break.”  
   
Armin smiled softly. “You’re so nervous.”  
   
“Ah well uh hm maybe. I’ve just, like, never cooked for Levi or you, so… I’m pretty sure you guys won’t like it, but…”  
   
“Well usually I figure out what we’re doing and you just do what I say… so how about, today, you lead, I’ll follow? So I’ll still help you.”  
   
“Help me not burn anything, yeah, that would be awesome!” Eren bounced. “What can we make?”  
   
“Hmm… What can you make?”  
   
Eren turned to the fridge and opened it. He stared at the packed fridge, trying to find an idea before he closed it and walked over to the pantry. He looked around before he screamed, “Oh!” He ran out holding a small cardboard box. He thrust it into the sky as if he was holding a holy artefact.  
   
“Praise The Lord.” Armin used two fingers to point to his forehead, then downwards, right, then left, making a cross with hand movements. “Kraft Dinner’s Mac and Cheese.”  
   
“I can make this!” Eren screamed.  
   
Armin laughed. “But one won’t be enough for three people.”  
   
Eren paused, walked back into the pantry, and came back with the second box they bought. “Huzzah!” He thrust it into the sky and the glorious angels began to sing as they whirled around the sacred relic. There was one super cute angel who even winked at Eren! He was a little bit of a feisty thing (but we won’t tell), maybe even a demon in disguise… or a demon made holy by the power of Kraft Dinner.  
   
“Eren,” Armin cleared his throat.  
   
“Huh, what?”  
   
“Nothing.”  
   
“Oh but…” Eren lowered the boxes of macaroni and cheese. “Levi doesn’t like cheesy things.”  
   
“He likes cheesy things, just not cheese strings. Cheesy sauce is okay.”  
   
“Oh!” Eren beamed, but that faltered. “I don’t think he’d appreciate macaroni and cheese…”  
   
“It’s okay.” Armin smiled. “He won’t mind you doing something for yourself. If anything, he’d appreciate you doing something you like.”  
   
“But, yeah, I mean he’d choke it down but… he’s having a tough day.”  
   
“Well maybe you can take him to bed and wrap him in a burrito after.”  
   
“Burrito…” Eren whispered. He looked down at the macaroni and cheese. “Burrito…” He looked up. “I have an idea…”  
   
Armin’s eyes widened. “Eren… this is dangerous territory…”  
   
“Let’s do it.”  
   
“But…”  
   
“Let’s do it!”  
   
Armin breathed heavily. “Okay.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren and Armin set up the kitchen, getting out all the veggies they thought they would need and washed them all. Eren bit his lip and tilted his head. “So… where do we start?”  
   
“Hmmm, lots to do.” Armin nodded. “I guess we can start the ground beef, since that we have to cook the longest. Just chop some garlic, throw the meat in, mix it, bit of seasoning and that’s that.”  
   
Eren pursed his lips.  
   
“What?”  
   
“Oh.” Eren glanced to him. “I was just thinking like… how do we want to do the burritos. Do we want to make them and then serve, or do we want to have it like a taco night, where everybody gets to make their own burritos, to their taste and stuff?”  
   
Armin’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh! That sounds like fun!”  
   
“My only one sort of… not really ‘fear’, but I kind of think if we did that… Levi would just ignore the mac’ and cheese, wouldn’t he?”  
   
“Yeah,” Armin snickered. “We could mix the meat and the Kraft dinner together? Then it would be like uh, what’s that company, hamburger helper or whatever?”  
   
“Oh.” Eren nodded. “That’s a good idea. So do we just make them separately and just smoosh them together?”  
   
“Hmmm… well, we could probably make it all in one pan. Less to clean.”  
   
“Then let’s do that!”  
   
“Sure thing!” Armin looked around. “Okay, so I’ll prepare the pan, you can chop the garlic, right?”  
   
“Yeah!” Eren nodded and grabbed the bulb of garlic. He broke off two cloves and put the rest of the bulb back. He grabbed a cutting board and put the cloves down. He used the flat of a wide knife to crush the outer shell and he peeled it with ease. He turned on the faucet and ran the knife and his left hand under cold water, as Armin taught him, so the garlic wouldn’t stick to them. He sliced the cloves horizontally, then vertically. He then chopped them to finer pieces until he figured they were good enough. He brought the cutting board to the pan and used his knife to fling them in.  
   
It was a wide and deep pan, made for lots of food. As soon as the garlic hit the oil, it sizzled.  
   
Armin used a wooden spoon to stir the garlic around.  
   
Eren grabbed the pink butcher wrapper of ground beef and quickly unwrapped it. He waited until the garlic browned at the edges before dropping it in.  
   
Armin broke it up with the spoon and began stirring it.  
   
“So… how do we make mac and cheese with the ground beef?”  
   
“It’s not actually that hard. You just pour some water to make it boil and cook the pasta, and then keep it on high and the water evaporates.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren nodded and walked over to the kettle. “Simple.” He turned it on and waited.  
   
“You take over here, okay?”  
   
“Sure.” Eren took the spoon and stirred.  
   
Armin opened the spice rack and pulled several them. “A couple dashes of chili powder,” he explained what he was doing while he was doing it, “A dash of onion powder, a bit of paprika, some cumin, and hmm.” He looked around in the spice rack and pulled out crushed red pepper flakes. He added a little bit for flavour, but not enough to make it spicy.  
   
Eren heard the kettle beep and he whistled. “Fast-ass kettle…”  
   
“This is the rich life,” Armin flipped his hair.  
   
Eren snorted. “Gonna put it in now, or wait until the meat browns?”  
   
“Until the meat browns.” Armin grinned.  
   
Eren put the wooden spoon down, since it was evenly broken up. “I guess I’ll go chop some of the other stuff.”  
   
“You could make the salsa?” Armin glanced at him. “Just like… I don’t know, dice two tomatoes and an onion and just kinda throw it all in a bowl? Or maybe half an onion?” He shrugged. “That’s what I usually do. It’s not like, super flavour packed salsa, but we don’t want it to overpower everything else since we’ve got the mac and cheese and all.”  
   
Eren nodded and grabbed two tomatoes. He did as he was instructed, dicing two tomatoes. He grabbed a small piece and threw it in his mouth.  
   
Armin was stirring the beef, eyes focused on that, but he leaned to the side, opening his mouth for some too.  
   
Eren threw a piece in.  
   
Armin munched happily.  
   
Eren grabbed a bowl and pushed the tomatoes in. He grabbed the second tomato and diced it as well. He grabbed a small piece and threw it in his mouth.  
   
Armin was stirring the beef, eyes focused on that, but he leaned to the side, opening his mouth for some too.  
   
Eren threw a piece in.  
   
Armin munched happily.  
   
He pushed the tomatoes into the bowl and grabbed the onion. He peeled the outer part and began dicing it.  
   
Armin was stirring the beef, eyes focused on that, but he leaned to the side, opening his mouth for some.  
   
Eren threw a large piece in.  
   
Armin munched happi—He coughed and wheezed.  
   
“Hehehehe,” Eren whispered to himself.  
   
“Eren!” Armin’s eyes watered.  
   
“Hehehehehehehe.”  
   
“Meanie…” Armin glanced to the bowl as Eren pushed the onion in. “The meat looks good. I’ll add the water, you add the KD okay?”  
   
Eren opened the two cardboard boxes and took the cheese powder packets out.  
   
Armin added the hot water.  
   
Eren tossed in the macaronis.  
   
Armin stirred with the spoon and then put the lid on. “Give that like ten minutes or something. I’ll make the guacamole.”  
   
Eren nodded. “I’ll chop the lettuce.”  
   
Armin grabbed the avocados and smiled. “It’s nice having competent help in the kitchen, you know?”  
   
“Oh?” Eren grinned. “I’ve risen to the rank of ‘Competent’, you sure it’s not too soon?”  
   
Armin laughed and sliced the avocados, coring them. “You’re really good, actually.”  
   
Eren grabbed something that looked like lettuce and got to work. “Really?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin nodded. “I like having you around, if you haven’t noticed that already.”  
   
Eren smiled. “Even in the sacred inner walls of your kitchen?”  
   
“Even here, yeah.” Armin looked over his shoulder. “You know, Marco was with us for four months and I usually kicked him out when we were making food together.”  
   
“Really? Was he that bad?”  
   
“Well… he meant well, but sometimes I’d catch him doing some things. Like he wanted to add paprika to everything because it was pretty and red… which was okay, but sometimes we already added like three tablespoons to something, and he wanted to add like eight more.”  
   
Eren snorted and began chopping.  
   
“It’s even worse now, because whenever we cook he always somehow gets a fashion idea and he runs out without telling me, and then whatever we’re making burns.” Armin shook his head. “He means well. Bless his soul, or his little cotton shoes, or however that thing goes, but he means well…”  
   
“Awww, guess he’s not as good as me, huh?”  
   
“Nope.” Armin chuckled. “You’re perfect.”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
It was with a groan that Levi pulled into the driveway. He turned off the engine and unclicked his seatbelt. He pressed his forehead against the steering wheel and closed his eyes. He sighed, closing his eyes, enjoying the silence that came with being a weirdo who faceplanted into their car, not that there was anything wrong with that. He kept his eyes closed.  
   
He didn’t know how long had passed, probably long, but he didn’t care. He sat back in his chair and stared at the roof of his car, eyes naturally gravitating to the open sunroof above.  
   
It was dark.  
   
He was recharging.  
   
He grabbed his phone and checked it.  
   
His phone also needed recharging.  
   
Levi yawned and rubbed his eyes. He opened the car door and then grabbed his things. Stepping out of his seat, he felt a nice breeze of cold wind and he soaked it up. He closed the door behind him and clicked the button on his keys that made his car beep, doors lock.  
   
He went up the stairs and stopped at the top step. He glanced up and noticed the stars were out.  
   
“That fucking late already?” Levi sighed. “Wasted my whole Friday, huh?”  
   
Levi paused.  
   
Friday…  
   
Friday.  
   
Friday was… at the end of the week.  
   
Levi pursed his lips, knowing what that meant.  
   
Eren.  
   
He shook his head, deciding he didn’t have the energy to deal with that train of thought. He turned to the door and pulled out his keys. He unlocked the door, opened it, and stepped in.  
   
He took off his shoes and placed them neatly on the side. He closed the door behind him and put his stuff down at the small counter near the front door. He stepped in and continued walking down the hall until he entered the kitchen. He heard laughing. His subs were laughing. Or, to be precise, Armin was laughing.  
   
Eren was screaming.  
   
Levi poked his head into the kitchen.  
   
“I am a strong!” Eren shouted, “Independent! Chef, who don’t need no man! Okay!?”  
   
Levi blinked.  
   
Armin laughed harder, hugging his chest; his whole body was trembling, looking as if he might break at any moment, face red.  
   
“I am strong!” Eren repeated.  
   
“Oh.” Levi blinked. “Is that so?”  
   
Eren whirled around and stared at him, eyes wide. “S-S-S-S-Sir!”  
   
Armin’s laughing reached the point where he could barely breathe.  
   
“Easy,” Levi muttered.  
   
Eren shrieked and began bouncing on the spot. “Sh-Shut up, Armin!”  
   
Armin’s face only got redder, so he turned away and left the room.  
   
Levi looked at Eren. “Everything okay?”  
   
“Y-Yeah!” Eren scratched the back of his head. “I… I made, dinner.”  
   
Levi blinked. “Oh? Alone?”  
   
“W-Well, Armin helped, but I mostly made it, so like, it’s not anything fancy or really good or anything.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes and crossed the difference between them. He leaned in, capturing Eren’s lips in a sweet kiss for half a second. “Don’t be so hard on yourself; I’m just happy you want to help around the house.”  
   
Eren scratched the back of his head again and looked down to his feet. “I-I just don’t want you to like, get your hopes up, and be disappointed in me, okay? Don’t put your standards too high.”  
   
“Don’t worry.” Levi smiled. “They’ve always been pretty low for you.”  
   
“Asshole!”  
   
Levi’s smile widened.  
   
Armin’s laughing became audible again from the other room.  
   
Levi glanced in his general direction. “Can I ask what happened?”  
   
With the voice of a thousand mountains, Eren boomed, “No!”  
   
Levi actually took a step back.  
   
“Sorry…” Eren fumbled his hands together. “I um… I just made a bit of a joke out of myself, since I uh; I ended up chopping cabbage instead of lettuce, because I didn’t know they were two different things…”  
   
Levi paused. “They’re two different things?”  
   
Armin walked back in the room, two hands over his face. “Two peas in a pod, made for each other. You’d burn the whole place down without me, I swear.”  
   
Levi noticed Eren’s shoulders tensing, but turned to Armin. “That’s why I keep you around, of course.”  
   
Eren relaxed and eventually smiled. “Levi’s right, we need you to survive.”  
   
Armin made an ‘awww’ noise before looking at Levi. “Are you ready for dinner, Master?”  
   
Levi nodded. “Sure, I’m kind of curious what Eren made.”  
   
“I said, don’t get your hopes up,” Eren reminded.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes.  
   
Armin chuckled. “It’s finger food, so let’s wash our hands.”  
   
After said washing of hands (and rewashing of hands since Eren did not wash his hands to a satisfactory level) and drying of hands (and Eren was scolded for not drying his hands), the three of them moved to the table. Levi’s face remained neutral as he stared at the dishes. Levi was modest about himself; he always knew he knew jack-shit about food. But he could see a several bowls, one of guacamole, one of chopped lettuce (cabbage?), one had grated cheese, and one had salsa (Armin’s style). There was also a small tub of something white and then there was a big pot that looked disgusting.  
   
“Oh!” Eren brought both hands up. “We forgot to heat the tortillas.”  
   
“It’s okay.” Armin smiled. “We have one of those sandwich presses, so it only takes twenty seconds per tortilla. I figured we’d warm them whenever we wanted one, to keep it hot and all.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren relaxed. “That’s a good idea, yeah.”  
   
“I’ll get three.”  
   
Levi watched him leave the room. “So what exactly will I be ingesting tonight?”  
   
“Well, okay, so Armin’s going to get the tortillas, and we’re going to make our own burritos!”  
   
“Burritos…” Levi whispered in disbelief. “How the freckled _fuck_ did I not see that coming?”  
   
Eren snorted.  
   
Levi’s lips curved into a smile. “You’re so fucking weird. I adore you.”  
   
His cheeks burned red. “A-Ah well, J-Jack’s a b-boy’s name,” Eren blurted out. He fumbled his hands together and looked at his feet.  
   
Levi cocked his head to the side. “You’re cute.”  
   
“J-Jill’s a g-girl’s name.”  
   
“Jill?” Armin walked in with a plate of tortillas and he put them on everyone’s plate. “What’s that about Jill?”  
   
“Nothing!” Eren cleared his throat. “S-So, here’s the cheese, we took Swiss because we thought it would be cool to change it up. Um, and here’s the salsa, onions and tomatoes, simple. Here’s… the cabbage.”  
   
Armin snorted.  
   
“Anyway,” Eren kept going, “Then sour cream, and guacamole. It’s kind of like a taco night, but with burritos.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Sounds cool, but what the fuck is that?”  
   
Eren stared at the ground beef and macaroni and cheese mixture. “Well! Do you want to guess?”  
   
“Gandalf’s menstruation fluids?”  
   
“What?” Eren irked. “No!”  
   
“Looks like it.”  
   
Armin frowned. “Just stick to shit jokes. No period jokes.”  
   
“You two are typical gay boys.” Levi snorted. “Good to know.”  
   
“Anyway!” Eren screamed. “It’s the meat and some macaroni and cheese. We uh, we mixed it because we were pretty sure you’d just ignore it if you had the choice.”  
   
Levi smirked. “You know me well enough… Very well, let’s try this monstrosity.” He glanced at Eren, then Armin. “You two first.”  
   
Armin smiled and added the mac and cheese, a tiny bit of salsa, then lots of cabbage. He folded his burrito perfectly and took his seat.  
   
Eren on the other hand started with the cheese and placed the steaming mac and cheese mixture on top of it to melt it. He then went for sour cream, some salsa, and a bit of guacamole. He folded his burrito as well; it wasn’t as perfect as Armin’s but it held together.  
   
Levi watched them eat, looking for any sign of discomfort, before nodding. He cleared his throat. “So how… does one, make a burrito?”  
   
Armin smiled. “Just put some stuff on it for now, then fold it. The only bad thing you could do is overstuff it.”  
   
“Yeah,” Eren agreed. “Just go for it, Sir.”  
   
“Very well…” Levi added a couple spoons of the meat then added some cheese. He added some cabbage as well, then a spoon of the salsa.  
   
“No sour cream?” Eren motioned towards it with a nudge of his head.  
   
Levi sighed and added a small drizzle. “So I’m done, now what? Is this good?”  
   
“Yeah,” Armin said with a smile.  
   
Eren put his burrito down and got up. “Okay so like, most people put their toppings in a line first.”  
   
Levi looked at Eren. “So what should I do?”  
   
“It’s pretty easy, here… mind if I?”  
   
“Go for it.”  
   
Eren grabbed the top and bottom flaps of the tortilla and lifted it in the air for half a second before putting it down. The stuffing was ordered in a nice line. “Now, you have to grab these two sides…” He took the two flaps that were on both sides of the ‘line’ of toppings. “And you fold them towards the centre. Now’s the bit of a tricky part. You gotta take the third flap…” He used his thumbs to hook the bottom side over. “And you tuck it in a little bit…” He did as he said. “Then just roll!” He rolled it and it the burrito was complete. “See?”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “That didn’t look too hard.”  
   
Armin nodded. “Because the tortillas were just heated, they’re pretty stretchy, so they’re easy to work with.”  
   
“Now…” Eren took his seat again. “Eat!”  
   
Levi swallowed hard and took his seat. He scooted forward and grabbed his burrito. Once he was sure it wouldn’t fall apart, he brought it too his mouth…  
   
Eren leaned forward.  
   
And tentatively…  
   
Eren leaned forward.  
   
“Stop that.”  
   
Eren backed away.  
   
Levi frowned and took a bite. As soon as he did, the rush of flavours charged in his mouth; the meat was seasoned right, the cheesiness was melting in his mouth, the rush of hot with the chill of cool ingredients like the sour cream and tomatoes worked together and his eyebrows shot up.  
   
Eren swallowed hard. “S-So?”  
   
Levi chewed and eventually swallowed. “Not bad…” He licked his lips. “I liked it.”  
   
Eren shot to his feet and threw his hands in the air. “Yes!” He screamed and began singing Yoshi’s theme song as he swayed his hips in a way nobody should ever sway their hips to music from a kid’s video game.  
   
Levi glared. “Sit the fuck down, mutt.”  
   
Armin nudged Levi’s leg with his foot. “Let him have his fun.”  
   
Levi sighed. “Fine.”  
   
“I!” Eren screamed, “Am amazing!”  
  
 

⁂

  
   
After dinner, Armin had gone to clean the kitchen and Levi went out to the garden. Eren quickly moved to the kitchen as well, to help wash the plates and pots and pans, but Armin shooed him away. It wasn’t the first time Armin Arlert had shooed him out of washing dishes, but there was something about Armin’s body language that told him he wasn’t going to win this one. Eren reluctantly left and then noticed Levi outside.  
   
The lights of the garden were on, and so were the pool, but Levi was fully dressed, standing by himself.  
   
Eren looked down and saw a pair of slippers that looked like they belonged to Armin. He stole them and opened the sliding glass door to the garden, stepped out, then turned around to close the net, making sure no bugs would go in. His steps were quiet on the tile walkway towards the pool and he looked over to Levi.  
   
Levi had a white rod in his hand, the length of the base of his thumb to the end of his pointer finger. He brought it to his lips, sucked in, then blew out a ring of smoke.  
   
Eren blinked. “Sir?”  
   
Levi glanced over to him and offered a small smile. “Hey Pup.”  
   
Eren opened his mouth to speak, but he wasn’t quite sure what to say. He looked at the pool, which was brightly lit up, and saw the wavy refracted light ghost over his shirt and arms. He stared up at the night sky, watching the stars twinkle above.  
   
“Why are you out here?”  
   
Eren tensed. “Do you not want me here, Sir?”  
   
“No.” Levi paused. “I mean yes. I mean, I don’t mind if you’re here or not.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Starting to sound like me.”  
   
“Heaven forbid,” Levi muttered before bringing the rod to his mouth and sucking in.  
   
Eren rubbed his wrists, not quite sure what to say.  
   
Levi let out another breath of smoke and sighed. “You don’t have to be here, if you don’t want to.”  
   
“I want to.”  
   
Levi paused for half a minute, before he glanced sidelong at Eren. “Do you?”  
   
Eren shifted his weight to his other foot. “Why wouldn’t I?”  
   
“I’m just saying, you see your Dom here all alone, you probably think he wants company.”  
   
“Th-That’s not it.”  
   
“It’s cool, Eren, I appreciate it and all, but I don’t fucking need your pity, alright?”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “I said that’s not it!”  
   
Levi stared at him. “Then why the fuck are you out here?”  
   
“Just ‘cause like…” Eren shrugged. “I want to spend time with you.”  
   
Levi kept staring.  
   
Eren felt somewhat prompted to speak, but there was nothing else to it.  
   
Levi eventually sighed and looked up at the sky and shrugged. “Suit yourself.”  
   
Eren stared at his feet and then bit his lip.  
   
“If you have something to say, just say it, okay?”  
   
“I just, like, I know you’re stressed and stuff!” Eren wiggled left and right. “But, I um…” He paused and looked over to Levi. “I’m just kind of worried that it’s my last few days here and I really don’t get to spend any time with you… and I don’t want to come off as selfish, because I know you’re doing it for your work, and I appreciate what you do and I respect that you have a life and stuff like that, so it’s totally cool and stuff, but I just really… the truth is, I just really… I like talking to you.” Eren smiled. “I like talking to you, even if you just call me a mutt and make fun of me, there’s so much about you that I adore and I just want to spend what little time I can with you.”  
   
Levi lowered the white rod and stared at it. “Damn, I’m out.”  
   
Eren blinked. “Wh-What?”  
   
“Flavour shots, or whatever. Flavour vapor? Oil? No fucking idea.”  
   
“What?”  
   
“It’s one of those electronic cigarettes, without nicotine. I fucking hate smoking, but I used to do it when I was stressed, so sometimes I just take this out and smoke the vapor. They’re flavoured, and I just ran out.” Levi stuffed the e-cig back in his pocket and glanced to Eren. “That’s all.”  
   
“O-Oh…” Eren sighed and looked down. “Um…”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
Eren frowned. “Why do you do that?”  
   
“Smoke? I told you. Stre–”  
   
“Shut up!” Eren shouted.  
   
Levi’s sputtered and came to a stop.  
   
“I’m fucking… pouring my heart out to you! And you’re just a bastard who fucking ignores what I say! Isn’t that part of my contract? Confide my feelings to you? How can you pretend you’re taking care of me if you always brush me off when I try to tell you how I feel? Fucking Christ, Levi! Why do you do that?”  
   
Levi stared at Eren, but his eyes eventually fell to his feet. “Defense mechanism.”  
   
Eren’s eyes softened.  
   
“The idea of someone… wanting to be so close to me, is… kind of scary, alright?” Levi looked at the pool and his hands crunched up into a fist. “I… I don’t respond well, but I appreciate it. I just, don’t know how to react, okay? I’m not doing it on purpose. I’m sorry.”  
   
Eren relaxed and looked down. “I’m sorry.”  
   
“No.” Levi looked up. “Don’t be.”  
   
“No, I should be.”  
   
“Eren—”  
   
“It’s okay.” Eren scratched the back of his head. “Sometimes I just want you to be that… pillar of support, but if you’re just supporting us then you’re gonna crumble, right? We have to support you too. Yoshiboros.”  
   
“Ouroboros,” Levi corrected.  
   
“Same thing. Guy sucking his own dick.”  
   
Levi slapped a hand over his face.  
   
Eren chuckled and closed the distance, smooching his Dom’s cheek. “Sorry.”  
   
“Don’t be.” Levi grabbed the back of Eren’s head and brought their lips together. He inhaled sharply as he kissed, taking in Eren’s scent, before he backed away. “Don’t ever be sorry for being you.”  
   
Eren’s cheeks flushed and he looked away. “Y-You’re strawberry flavoured.”  
  
“That’s the electronic cig. Of course I’m picking the strawberry flavoured one.” Levi smiled and kissed his cheek. “I want… to spend… so much more time with you. I know. It feels like we’re on a countdown, right? Only a few more days. Tonight’s over, so there’s really just, Saturday, Sunday, then Monday is the event at Rivaille.”  
   
Eren pouted.  
   
“It’s okay.” Levi frowned. “I’ll try to clear time… I really… I want to, Eren, don’t think for a second that I don’t want to spend time with you. And, I don’t think you’re selfish. Not at all. You’re respectful and, just… You’re you. And I like that. I like being with you, spending time with you, just… talking to you. I don’t know why, I just feel happier when I do. And Armin, he’s been so much happier since you’ve been here. I’m… almost scared to watch you go, I have no idea what kind of hole you’ll leave when you go… This house… won’t be the same without you.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened. “S-Sir…”  
   
“S-Sorry.” Levi let go of Eren’s head and backed away. “I should head to bed.”  
   
“Yeah! We have the weekend tomorrow.” Eren smiled. “Let’s go somewhere.”  
   
Levi cringed and looked away.  
   
Eren pouted. “Don’t tell me…”  
   
“It’s not too bad.” Levi sighed. “Just a couple hours I have to go in…”  
   
Eren smiled. “It’s okay. It’ll… just make me cherish the time I have with you a little more.”  
   
Levi stared at him. “Eren.”  
   
“Y-Yes?”  
   
“That was corny as balls.”  
   
“Sorry, Sir. Oh… I’m not supposed to be sorry for bei—”  
   
“No, that was corny as balls; you should fucking apologise.”  
   
“Sorry, Sir.”  
   
“You’re forgiven.” Levi kissed the corner of his mouth. “Now, spend tonight in my bed, will you?”


	29. The Fourth Week (5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Hold up!** I got lovely [fan-art of the last chapter](http://lucaneedsanewname.tumblr.com/post/91900498114/heres-that-fanart-i-mentioned-the-other-day) and you should totally check it out!
> 
> It's 9am. I've never updated a fic at 9am before (don't worry, I got plenty of sleep; just went to bed early), but I love sleeping so I might never get this chance again. Let's do it~!
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to Notsofriendlyghost, for just being an overall inspiration to me and one of my closest friends. <3
> 
> Also, holy crap, TB just broke 300k... you guys are _still_ reading this? LOL.
> 
> * * *

“Morning Armin!” Eren popped into the kitchen and planted a quick kiss on Armin’s cheek, careful not to lean too close to the stove since the pan was doing the crackle cackle sizzly do.  
   
Armin smiled. “Good morning, Eren.”  
   
Eren smooched him again before turning away and hopping to the kitchen table. “Good morning, Sir!” He leaned down, aiming to steal a kiss from his Dom.  
   
“Ew.” Levi moved away and hissed at him.  
   
Eren blinked. “Wh-What?”  
   
“Seriously?” Levi frowned. “I thought we were past the whole… vest, stage.”  
   
In all, Eren was wearing a pair of loose black shorts, a white t-shirt, and an old man’s vest that resembled a violent blur of colourful ponchos being hastily sewn together.  
   
Levi was pretty sure he could sue for assault by having to look at it.  
   
Eren tugged his vest and then rubbed it. “But… I like my vests.”  
   
Levi gave a crooked smile. “As long as you’re happy, I guess…”  
   
Armin walked over to the table with three plates and put them down, on purposely letting them make a noise as the ceramic plates hit the glass. “Eat while it’s hot.” Armin opened his mouth to say something, but a noise cut him off.  
   
The home phone went off.  
   
Armin walked over to the counter and picked up the phone. He checked the caller ID, then made a face. He hit the green button and brought it to his ear. “Hello…?” He looked to the side. “Oh, no, this is Armin; may I ask who is speaking?” He paused. “Oh! Hello, no, sorry, you just missed him… Yes, he left for work… Oh, really?” Another pause. “No, no, it’s nothing that important… Okay, I guess I’ll tell you, Levi was just in an awful mood this morning, so I’d pick another day to talk to him if it’s not urgent.”  
   
Levi smirked.  
   
“Yes, yes,” Armin continued, “You too.” He smiled. “Goodbye.” He hung up and put the phone on the base.  
   
Eren blinked at the two of them.  
   
Levi crossed his legs. “More lies?”  
   
“From the tablecloth,” Armin chuckled.  
   
“Good boy.” Levi smirked. “Was that, fucking, Hewlett Packard?”  
   
Eren raised an eyebrow. “Wait, isn’t that the printing company? Printing. Printers? What do they do again?”  
   
“Printers,” Armin said with a smile. “And some other hardware stuff, but we’re talking about a guy Levi works with, Henry Packard… we both hate him and I call him Hewlett Packard because I’m secretly really mean.”  
   
“Not that secretly.” Levi sliced a pancake with his fork and knife. “But to call him Hewlett Packard is a compliment, because HP can actually do some things right.”  
   
Eren snickered. “So you told him Levi already left for work?”  
   
“Yep.” Armin did a little dance and took his seat. “Coffee, Sir?”  
   
“I’m fine,” Levi muttered.  
   
Armin looked at Eren. “Coffee?”  
   
“Yeah, sure.”  
   
Armin got up again and quickly poured Eren a cup, added a bit of milk, and offered it.  
   
“Thanks Sunshine.” Eren brought it to his nose and took in the nice smell before he sipped it.  
   
When Armin took his seat again, Levi leaned over and scratched behind Armin’s ear. “Good kitten.”  
   
Eren watched as Armin’s cheeks flushed red and Eren decided that was a tad bit of information he would definitely need later in his little mental toolbox of tricks. “So, is that like, does that happen often?” He got two faces of confusion. “I mean, telling Hewlett Packard that Levi’s at work?”  
   
“I do for some people,” Armin admitted. “HP is one of those that I do it forever and always. I know Levi doesn’t want to talk to him, so maybe I got him not to bug Levi today too, since I said Levi was having a bad day.”  
   
Levi grabbed Eren’s cup of coffee and took a sip.  
   
Eren whined.  
   
Armin snorted. “I can get you your own cup.”  
   
“No, I’m fine.” Levi snickered. “By the way, I might actually get out of work early today. It’s too early to know for sure, but if I’m lucky…”  
   
Armin’s eyes lit up. “Oh, well, that’s perfect; I was thinking of seeing a friend today, too, but I didn’t want Eren to be all alone, though.”  
   
“Well,” Levi glanced at Armin, “I guess I will just have to keep Pup company, now won’t I?”  
   
Armin feigned innocence and pretend he didn’t see the suspicion swirling in Levi’s steel blue eyes. “That all works out nicely.”  
   
Eren looked between the two of them. “So, when are you going, Arm’?”  
   
“Not for a while,” Armin muttered.  
   
Levi kept staring at Armin.  
   
Armin began eating his pancakes.  
   
Eren looked at Armin, then Levi, then Armin, then Levi, then Armin, then Levi. “I feel like I’m missing something.” He pursed his lips.  
   
Levi leaned over and kissed Eren’s cheek. “Eat before your food gets cold, alright?”  
   
Eren smiled at the kiss, but shook his head. “You two are always super secretive… but I don’t mind.”  
   
Armin just smiled.  
   
Levi rolled his eyes.  
 

⁂

  
   
Breakfast ended as usual; and, afterwards, Armin said he would clean up and Eren tried to help because he was a polka dot and Armin said it was okay because polka dots don’t have to help and Eren whined about being a polka dot who wanted to help, but before their intellectual conversation went any further Levi announced he was leaving.  
   
“Good luck at work today, Sir.”  
   
“Thanks. I’ll fucking need it.” Levi sighed and slipped his shoes on. “Once the whole event is over, I’ll finally get to breathe again.”  
   
“That’s good.” Eren smiled. “And I hope you can get out of work early today.  
   
Levi just stared at him and gave him a little pat on the head before he left.  
   
“Bye!” Eren called out.  
   
The door slammed shut.  
   
Eren chuckled and turned around, running back to the kitchen to help. “Aww!” He frowned when the kitchen was spotless. “But I’m a polka dot…”  
   
Armin snickered and shook his head.  
   
“So!” Eren noticed his mug was where he left it and he poured himself another cup of coffee. “Where are you going that’s so super-duper secretive, anyway?”  
   
Armin opened the fridge and grabbed the milk. “It’s not… secretive, per say…”  
   
“Mhmmmm.” Eren grinned. “You’re hiding something.”  
   
“I’m not… hiding it.” Armin opened the top of the milk and poured into Eren’s cup. “I’m just choosing not to reveal it at this time.”  
   
Eren snorted and kissed the top of Armin’s head. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay.”  
   
Armin put the milk back in the fridge, but didn’t reply.  
   
“You know, I’ll find out anyway, right?”  
   
“Huh?” Armin glanced over, eyebrows going up.  
   
“Well, I just mean like…” Eren sipped his coffee and searched for the right words. “I just mean like… one of you two always tell me eventually, so I’m satisfied with that for now. Well, for like, ever, really. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want me to know.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Thanks…”  
   
Eren kissed his cheek.  
 

⁂

  
   
With Levi gone, the house went to its usual weekday silence. Armin stayed home for a couple hours before he left as well. He said he was walking to his friend so Eren figured the person had to be pretty close by. He guessed Krista, but he didn’t really feel like he should interrogate Armin about it. Armin just told him to text him if he was bored and left after a short kiss.  
   
When Armin and Levi were both gone… he realised it was the first time – in all four weeks – that he was really home alone.  
   
A massive three-story house, and not a sound.  
   
Hours passed and Eren had no idea what he was going to do to fill his time. He realised he didn’t really have any hobbies. He thought about what he did in his spare time when he was at Mikasa’s… Watch shows, play games, couple animes, nothing too excited, but he tried them all. He started gaming for a bit, but then ended up realising he felt lonely, since he always either played with Mikasa or Annie, usually Annie, and when he was at Levi’s, he always played with Armin. Even if they were taking turns in a single player game, there was still the company he was used to.  
   
He decided to get caught up on a couple shows, but he didn’t really have anything that really called to him or interested him, so he went to the library and started reading. He actually finished a book – one that Armin had recommended to him – but found it wasn’t really his thing. He put it back where it was and walked around the place. He pondered going for a swim, but he decided that was too much work and he was a lazy piece of shit.  
   
Although he wondered if it was actually because he’d just end up feeling lonely again.  
   
He ended up in the kitchen and opened the fridge. Eren wasn’t hungry, but he kind of felt like eating something anyway. He decided to make himself a little sandwich.  
   
He got two slices of white bread and put one at the centre of the plate. He searched for some cold cuts and found turkey slices, so he added two pieces of that. He didn’t know what else he wanted to put, so he grabbed a cucumber and sliced about half of it before adding it to the sandwich. Mostly to spite Armin, he added some salt and pepper and then a tomato. With the second slice of bread, he had completed his sandwich.  
   
He grabbed it and took a bite.  
   
It was kind of boring.  
   
It wasn’t bad, but it was boring.  
   
He put it down, tossed the bread away, ate the slices of cucumber, then ate the cold cuts, then the tomato.  
   
The front door opened.  
   
Eren slapped his hands together, dusting off the bread crumbs before he hopped to the sink. He turned on the faucet and quickly washed his hands.  
   
“I’m home,” Levi called out.  
   
Eren dried his hands on the hand towel and left the kitchen, turning the hallway and walking over to the front entrance. “Hi!”  
   
Levi was paler than usual; he looked like he was about to pass out. He didn’t even fight when Eren pulled him into a hug. He pushed his forehead against Eren’s neck and sighed. “I hate work…”  
   
“I hate it when you work too.”  
   
Levi snorted and closed his eyes. His arms moved around Eren’s neck and he actually hugged back.  
   
Eren grinned and squeezed his Dom.  
   
Levi opened his eyes just to roll them. “Oh.”  
   
Eren pulled away. “Yeah?”  
   
“I uh… don’t laugh, but I wanted to try something.”  
   
“Hm?” Eren tilted his head. “What kind of thing? Like a bedroom thing, or like one of your games kinda thing?”  
   
“Um.” Levi tensed. “A… k-kitchen, thing.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren nodded. “You mean more like a ‘fuck your Pup over a counter thing’, right? Not like a cooking thing. I mean both of those are dangerous, but the first one is still good.”  
   
Levi looked down.  
   
Eren gasped. “You want to try cooking?”  
   
Levi wiggled a little bit.  
   
“Okay!” Eren grinned. “Let’s do it!”  
   
Levi looked up. “I kind of want to but I’m a shit when it comes to cooking so… I was kind of hoping, you would do most of it, or at least stop me from fucking up? Since, I just… yeah.”  
   
“Sure! You can learn!”  
   
“No. No I can’t. I can’t learn anything with food.”  
   
“Yes you can, Sir. By the end of last night you were really good at rolling those burritos!”  
   
Levi paused. “So?”  
   
“Well, like… you’ve taught me so much, and yesterday I got to teach you something, so um, I just kinda meant like yeah that was pretty cool, you know? And I’m sure if I can teach you rolling a burrito, I can teach you like the basics of cooking and stuff.”  
   
Levi tensed.  
   
“Geez, just, okay.” Eren smiled. “What do you want to make, Sir?”  
   
Levi cringed. “It’s uh… well, something for Armin.”  
   
“For Armin?”  
   
“Well… you know how he always makes you cucumber sandwiches, and he always makes me desserts with strawberries and stuff, so I just was kind of hoping I could return the favour. And of course I can’t, but you could and I could… sort of try to be helpful, even if I’m not. Anyway, my best chance of helping is with you here, so yeah.”  
   
“Hmmm.” Eren grinned. “You look like you’re in pain; is being nice that hard?”  
   
“Brat!” Levi snapped.  
   
Eren winced, but he chuckled nonetheless and smooched Levi’s cheek. “Okay, okay, now stop being so secretive and spill it out. What do you want to make for him?”  
   
“Well.” Levi sighed. “His favourite dessert is pumpkin pie.”  
   
“Pumpkin pie?” Eren thought about it. “I’ve never made pumpkin pie.”  
   
“Me neither.”  
   
“Yeah I figured that much.”  
   
Levi frowned.  
   
Eren snickered and smooched him again. “Geez, take a joke.”  
   
“Sorry.” He sighed. “My mom used to make pumpkin pie, so I know the general sort of how to, maybe?”  
   
“Oh, why don’t we ask her for the recipe or something like tha—”  
   
“No.”  
   
Eren paused.  
   
Levi looked away. “Sorry, that was mom number two, the one that adopted me, only to kick me out later. My relationship with her is complicated. Anyway. Stay on topic. I thought we could find a recipe online, and then try to make it?”  
   
Eren pulled out his phone and spoke aloud as he typed it into Google: “Simple, pumpkin, pie.”  
   
“Simple?” Levi frowned. “Why simple?”  
   
“Sir, with all due respect, I know you want to do something super amazing but we both kind of suck so…”  
   
“That… is a good argument. You’re right.”  
   
“Okay, okay, I think I found one!” Eren skimmed it. “Um, we need pumpkin puree… whatever the fuck that is, and then, sweetened condensed milk? Eggs. We have that. And pumpkin spice, and then the crust.”  
   
“Okay.” Levi nodded. “Let’s make it.”  
   
“But, uh, we have to go out.”  
   
“Why?”  
   
“The ingredients…”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“Where are we going to get the ingredients, Sir?”  
   
“The fridge. That’s where we keep ingredients.”  
   
“But, um… I mean we don’t have these.”  
   
“Why not?” Levi frowned. “We went for groceries.”  
   
“Because Armin didn’t expect anyone to make pumpkin pie, he didn’t buy what we needed. So we have to make sure we have everything first.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi frowned. “Cooking is hard, fuck.”  
   
“Well.” Eren snickered. “We might have some of these, I’ll go check, okay?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
Eren walked down the hallway and entered the kitchen. He opened the fridge. “We have the eggs.” He closed the door and opened the spice rack. “No pumpkin spice, but… My dad used to make his own pumpkin pie spice, and it was really easy too.” Eren searched through the rack. “Yeah, Armin has cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and even allspice, so I can make my dad’s pumpkin spice. It’ll probably taste better too.”  
   
“Okay.” Levi nodded. “What about the rest?”  
   
“I’ll go check, and then we can go to the grocery store, okay?”  
   
“Sure.”  
 

⁂

  
   
“You drive.”  
   
Eren paused. “What?”  
   
Levi walked over to the passenger side of his car and opened the door. “You have your driver’s licence, right?”  
   
“Y-Yeah, I have one.”  
   
“Full licence?”  
   
“Yep. Passed all three exams, and all.”  
   
“On you?”  
   
Eren patted his pockets and felt his wallet. He pulled it out, flipped it open, then tugged out his card. “Yep, right here.”  
   
“Good.” Levi smiled. “Then drive.”  
   
Eren clenched his toes and looked left then right.  
   
“What?” Levi frowned. “What is it?”  
   
“Well… it’s um, just, like…” Eren looked at the car. “This is a pretty sweet ride.”  
   
“Thank you. Get in.”  
   
“No but I just mean like I don’t know anything about cars but this looks really expensive… all I ever drove was a hunk of crap. I had those kinds of parents, the one that said you’d probably crash so go buy something shitty, learn how to fix it up, then you’ll learn how to take care of your car.”  
   
Levi laughed. “Was that your dad?”  
   
“Mom, actually.” Eren chuckled.  
   
“Good mom,” Levi commented with a small smile. He cocked his head to the car and then got in the passenger seat, closing the door.  
   
Eren walked around the car and opened the door. He sat in and tried to put on his seatbelt, but, “Oh.” He was squished in the small seat.  
   
Levi leaned over and hit a button with the number ‘2’ on it. The driver’s chair began moving. “There. That’s Armin’s pre-set. You can change it with the buttons on the side.”  
   
Eren searched the side of his seat and found them. He had never considered himself especially tall or anything, but when he compared himself to Armin and Levi, I guess you could say… he was a titan.  
   
Somewhere far away, Hanji screamed into the night and rain with pure ecstasy and bliss.  
   
Back on this sunny and fine day, Eren searched the side of his seat and adjusted his seat. He ignored the low hum of the chair as it moved, and just focused on getting comfortable. He tugged his seat belt and put his hands on the wheel. “Okay… Here we go.” He glanced to Levi. “So, uh, the uh, key?”  
   
“You don’t need it. Just hold the brake and hit the engine.”  
   
Eren glanced to where the socket would be and saw the button. “Oh, one of those.” Eren pushed down on the brake and pushed the button; the engine came to life and the dashboard lit up. “So like… it’s been a while since I’ve driven, so like, just to let you know, if I do end up crashing I can’t pay you back.”  
   
“Eren, I make enough money a year to buy four cars and crash them for fun and then set them on fire, and still have one left over to go to work the next day.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren was somewhat comforted by that? “Wait, so if you have all this money, how come you only have one car? Don’t most rich people have like four anyway?”  
   
Levi sighed. “Well, Armin’s a shitfuck. I’ve tried to get him his own but he won’t let me buy one. And if I wanted to buy a second car for myself… I don’t really see the point? I can only drive one car at a time.”  
   
“Well that make sense, I guess.” Eren shifted the gear to reverse and blinked as the screen above the stereo showed him what was behind the car. “Ooo.” He looked around, making sure everything was good before backing up. He glanced to the screen and found it insanely helpful. He turned the wheel to turn onto the street. “Smooth.” He shifted the gear to drive and hit the gas. “So, where did Armin go?”  
   
“Heh.” Levi smiled. “I’m not sure. I’m glad he was able to make plans on such a short notice.”  
   
“Huh?”  
   
“Well…” Levi smirked. “He knows we don’t have a lot of time together this week, especially with the event and everything… so when he heard I was coming home early, he left so the two of us could have some ‘quality time’ together, or some horse shit like that.”  
   
“I see.” Eren smiled and flicked the turn signal. He glanced over his shoulder before turning right. “So that’s why you want to make him the pumpkin pie, right? Like a thank you, you want to do something for him?”  
   
“Yeah…” Levi nodded. “That, and… I kind of thought it would give us something to do together. I thought it would be a fun way to ‘spend quality time’ together, or whatever, make the most of it, you know?”  
   
Eren grinned. “Works for me.”  
   
Levi looked out the window. “I’ve also always wanted to know how to make a pie… and, face it, I don’t think I could do it alone, but it’s good knowledge to have, isn’t it?”  
   
“Of course, Sir!”  
   
“Yeah… I trust you’ll keep me from fucking up.”  
   
“I live to serve you, Sir.”  
   
Levi smirked. “Good.”  
 

⁂

  
   
When they got to the parking lot of the grocery store, Eren found it was mostly empty – on a Saturday – so he went nose-first into an empty spot by the entrance. Shifting the gear to park, he turned off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt. He got out of the car, and so did Levi, and Levi locked the doors behind him.  
   
They moved to the entrance, felt that random small burst of air people feel at the front of grocery stores, and walked in. There was no coupon guy today, but Levi was filthy rich and he didn’t need it.  
   
Eren grabbed a shopping cart and the two of them walked around the store.  
   
Eren looked left and right through the aisles for pumpkin puree, pie crust thing, and that milk thing that was like sweet and stuff. But, at one point, he wondered if they were like unicorns (everybody knew what they were, but has anyone actually seen one? Is condensed milk the real life? Is pie crust just fantasy? Is pumpkin puree caught in a landslide—NO ESCAPE FROM REALITY). But, rhapsodies aside, “There!”  
   
Levi looked to the side to see a bunch of orange cans. He irked. “Don’t they have anything… fresh?”  
   
“Well it’s not like it’s pumpkin season or anything… actually I have no idea when pumpkin season is but all I know is two weeks before Thanksgiving until two weeks after Halloween, they managed to shove pumpkin in everything and it’s wonderful.”  
   
“Good point, I guess.” Levi hummed. He pointed at a… larger, can. “A hundred percent pure, organic, pumpkin puree.” He looked at Eren. “This one looks good?”  
   
“Levi…”  
   
“Yes?”  
   
“That’s like a fucking barrel.”  
   
“Oh. How much do we need.”  
   
Eren pulled out his phone, quickly entered his passcode, and then opened the browser app. “Um… Oh, here, sixteen ounces.”  
   
Levi looked at the cans. “These are all in millimetres, fuck.”  
   
“Well, sixteen ounces is like two cups, two American cups, right? So that’s just fewer than five hundred mils.”  
   
Levi looked at the can he was looking at previously, and noticed it was two litres. He looked at the smaller cans of the same brands and picked one up. “Four hundred eighty-five?”  
   
“Perfect.”  
   
Levi put that in the shopping cart and then looked up at Eren. “What’s next?”  
   
“Hmmm.” Eren scratched his head as he tried to remember, then he realised his phone was still in his hand. “Oh, pie crust and milky stuff.” He looked around. “Oh.” He used his free hand to point down the aisle. “That’s convenient.”  
   
Levi turned to see a bunch of individually wrapped pie crusts stacked on top of each other. He irked once again. “Pre-made?”  
   
“Well, that’s not too bad, is it?” Eren walked over and grabbed one and turned it around. “It says the date it was made.”  
   
Levi pushed the cart and frowned. “Choose something recent. Doesn’t pie crust have like… eggs in it?”  
   
“I… don’t think so?” Eren shrugged. “Just the crust? Probably not.”  
   
“Oh.”  
   
Eren checked a couple of them and found one that was relatively new and put it in the cart. “So, what’s next?”  
   
Levi coughed. “Milk.”  
   
“Milk?” Eren looked at his phone. “Oh, the uh, sweetened condensed milk thing.”  
   
“Condensed?” Levi frowned. “Why can’t they just add sugar to normal milk? Why do they condense it?”  
   
“I don’t know.” Eren shrugged. “I have no idea what it is.”  
   
Levi let go of the cart and walked forward as he searched for the mystery agent. Eren pushed the cart behind him and Levi sighed. “Why do they even condense it? _How_ do they even condense milk?”  
   
“Hmm…” Eren looked left and right. “Maybe they like… squish it together? And condense it?”  
   
“But… why?”  
   
“You know what?” Eren got his phone out again. “I’m just gonna google it or something.”  
   
“Yeah, do that.”  
   
After a bit of typing, Eren made a noise. “Oh! They remove the water. And apparently the high sugar level keeps it bacteria free or something? I don’t even know how that works, but… it says here, sweetened condensed milk has a much longer shelf life than not sweetened. That’s kinda cool. Kinda like how sweet people live longer.”  
   
“If that’s true,” Levi muttered, “I’ll die next year.”  
   
“You’re totally sweet, shut up.”  
   
“I am not.”  
   
“You are!”  
   
“Shut the fuck up, Pup.”  
   
Eren smiled. “Yes, Sir.”  
   
“Eren I’ll fucking castrate you, you stupid piece of.” He paused. “Condensed milk.”  
   
“What?” Eren looked up. “Oh hey! You found it!”  
   
Levi glanced at the army of cans in front of them and he grabbed one. “How big of a thing do we want?”  
   
“Twelve inches.”  
   
Levi used his free hand to smack Eren’s head.  
   
“Ow! Sorry!” Eren chuckled, totally worth it, and he looked at his phone again. “Fourteen ounces.”  
   
“Millimetres, again.”  
   
“Well, if I had to guess… Probably around four hundred? I’ll search it up to be safe.” He typed the conversion in Google and waited for shitty supermarket Wi-Fi to load up the next page. “Oh, four hundred and fourteen.”  
   
“Great.” Levi smiled and shook a can. “This one is four hundred and fifteen. How nice.” He put it in the cart. “What else was there?”  
   
“Nothing, that’s it. Well, the eggs and spices, which we have at home.”  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren drove back as well, far more confident this time. He _did_ almost hit a pedestrian, but that wasn’t his fault. The fucker just ran across the bridge. Levi made the comment that Eren should have hit him, since it was practically natural selection if they thought running across a bridge was a good time. But, all in all, nobody important was harmed.  
   
When they got back, Eren put all the ingredients they bought on the counter, and then added the eggs. They both washed their hands and then dried their hands (and Eren felt like a five year old boy who was proud that his mommy didn’t tell him to wash his hands again since he did it good enough the first time). Eren glanced to Levi. “Ready?”  
   
Levi adjusted his collar, then cleared his throat.  “I…” He tensed. “I think so.”  
   
“Don’t worry. I can hold your hand if you want.”  
   
“Fuck off.”  
   
Eren snickered to himself.  
   
The corner of Levi’s mouth tugged into the smallest of smiles. “Anyway, how do we do this?”  
   
Eren checked his phone and smiled. “Well, we start by preheating the oven, and then we mix all the stuff together, then pour it in the pie crust, and then we bake it.”  
   
Levi shifted his weight to one leg. “Pre… heat?”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren nodded and turned around to set the oven to the required temperature. “Preheat.”  
   
“But, why?”  
   
Eren looked over his shoulder. “Because you want the oven to be hot before you put it in.”  
   
Levi’s face scrunched up like a used napkin. “Are you sure?”  
   
“Yes.” Eren tapped another button and the oven beeped, signalling the process would start. “So.” He opened one of the overhead cupboards and pulled out a large glass bowl. He put it down in front of Levi. “How about, I take care of the pumpkin spice, and you work on just mixing everything.  
   
Levi nodded and opened a drawer, pulling out a large knife.  
   
“S-Sir!” Eren backed away.  
   
Levi held the knife in his hand as he looked at Eren. “What?”  
   
“You’re supposed to mix with a _spoon_ , Sir!”  
   
“I know that.” Levi frowned. “What kind of idiot do you take me for?”  
   
“B-But, that’s not a spoon!”  
   
Levi snapped, “I know this isn’t a spoon!”  
   
Eren jumped back and he secretly made note that Levi holding a knife, getting mad, and yelling was horrifying, scary, absolutely dangerous, but mostly kind of hot. He reminded himself that it wasn’t boner o’clock and he sobered up. “B-But, why do you have a knife? What are you going to use it for?”  
   
Levi tapped the can of the pumpkin puree.  
   
“What?”  
   
“I have to open these.”  
   
“Y-You!” Eren cringed. “Levi, Sir, you’re supposed to use a can opener for cans!”  
   
“Do I look like a little bitch?” Levi grabbed the can in one hand and swung his knife; the weapon sliced through the metal, and the top flew off into the sink. He turned the can over and the pumpkin puree fell into the bowl. “Now.” He opened the drawer again and pulled out a spoon. “Apologise for thinking your Dom was a little bitch.”  
   
“S-Sorry, Sir!” Eren turned away and cupped his crotch before using a whisper, “Stop it, you!” He grabbed a smaller bowl and grabbed several spices.  
   
Levi used the spoon to guide the rest of the pumpkin puree into the bowl.  
   
Eren had, in all, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. All of them were ground into a fine powder. Eren knew Armin had cinnamon sticks in the pantry and ginger in the fridge (and he wouldn’t be surprised if Armin had whole nutmeg and allspice somewhere, too, probably), but he figured he couldn’t fuck it up as bad if he used the ground stuff.  
   
Levi grabbed the knife and sliced the top of the sweetened condensed milk.  
   
Eren’s dick asked politely if it was boner o’clock yet.  
   
Eren said no.  
   
Eren’s dick pouted.  
   
Eren grabbed the set of measuring spoon and tried to recall his dad’s recipe. He measured a teaspoon of cinnamon, then slowly brought the spoon to the bowl and turned it over. He then grabbed a smaller spoon and measured about a fourth of a teaspoon of nutmeg, added it, and a fourth of a teaspoon of ginger, added it as well. Grabbing the allspice, he remembered he was supposed to put an eighth of a teaspoon, but the measuring spoons only went to a fourth. So he scooped up a fourth and shook the spoon left and right until it looked like it was about half… It didn’t look quite right, but, “Ah fuck it.” Eren added it. “How are you doing over there, Sir?”  
   
“I… have no idea what the fuck I’m doing,” Levi admitted, mixing the mixture with a spoon as he spoke. “Am I done?”  
   
Eren mixed the smaller bowl of spices, then shook it a bit. He walked over and paused.  
   
Levi’s mixture had obvious spots of white and clumpy bunches of orange scattered through.  
   
Eren forced a smile and added his spices. “Just keep mixing that. Did you add everything?”  
   
“Uh, probably? What else was there? Just the two cans. Right?”  
   
“And the eggs,” Eren reminded with a smile.  
   
“Oh. Shit.” Levi paused. His face turned serious as he looked at Eren. “N-No. I forgot. Can I still add it? Or is it… too late?”  
   
“You can still add it, no worries.” Eren kissed his cheek and watched the tension slip away from his Dom’s face. Eren grabbed the two eggs and cracked one at a time over the edge of the bowl. The first one fell in with ease, but a small piece of the egg shell fell in with the second one. Eren reached it and picked it out.  
   
“Ew…”  
   
“Don’t be a four year old.” Eren tossed the shell piece into the sink and turned on the faucet, washing his hands again. “Just keep mixing, okay?”  
   
“I’m not a four year old,” Levi muttered in the way all four year olds muttered when they were called a four year old (which they were clearly not! Four years and six months!). He used his spoon to pop the yolk and then he began mixing it. After a couple minutes, he turned to Eren. “Good enough?”  
   
“Uh…” Eren looked over. “Not really, no… You have to make it like, super smooth, and uniform.”  
   
“Hmm.” Levi kept mixing. “Armin has a uniform fetish.”  
   
“Well, yeah, I think _everyone_ has a uniform fetish…”  
   
“I don’t.” Levi shrugged. “I guess I’m weird.”  
   
“That’s okay.” Eren kissed Levi’s cheek. “You like plenty of other things.”  
   
Levi smirked. “Oh _yes_ I do…”  
   
Eren snickered.  
   
The oven beeped, signalling it was ready.  
   
Eren fiddled with the crust, taking off the plastic wrap it came in. He read the instructions, that said just plop it in, so he figured that would be ready. He looked over to Levi and smiled. “Almost there. The pie must be one.”  
   
“The pie must be one,” Levi repeated. He mixed a bit faster and then looked at Eren. “Good?”  
   
“Yeah!” Eren nodded. “So just plop it in here, okay?”  
   
Levi grabbed the bowl and turned it over. He used his spoon to guide the blob to the crust and then looked at Eren.  
   
Eren grabbed the sides of the crust and tapped it on the counter twice, to kill air bubbles, and then shook it to make the blob of pumpkin stuff smooth. “Looks good.” He nodded. “Can you open the oven?”  
   
Levi walked over and did as he was told, moving his head away from the hot air.  
   
Eren pushed it in.  
   
Levi closed the oven.  
   
Eren put the timer for thirty five minutes and smiled. “So that’s set here…” He pulled out his phone and put another timer there. “And here. So now we just wait.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi nodded. “That… wasn’t too hard.”  
   
“Yeah! See?”  
   
Levi smiled.  
   
Eren grinned. “You’re cute.”  
   
Levi’s smile faded. “No.”  
   
“You’re cute, Sir!”  
   
“No.”  
   
“Cute!”  
   
Levi smacked the back of Eren’s head.  
 

⁂

  
   
With the timers set, the two of them decided to dilly dally around the house. Eren jumped on Levi’s back… and was fairly surprised by how easily the shorter man carried him in a piggy back. He made the mistake of saying giddy up horsey and Levi threw him on a couch. Eventually, after enough bickering to fill eight or nine novels, they found themselves in the T.V. room.  
   
“So…” Levi shrugged. “You want to play a game?”  
   
Eren looked at the shelf of video game cases and he hummed to himself. He looked left and right and eventually screamed. “Luigi’s Mansion!”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. That’s on the GameCube.”  
   
“Oh?” Eren turned around. “So… can I play it?”  
   
“Yeah. I’ll set it up.”  
   
“I’ll help!”  
   
“No, you’re going to be like Armin. You’ll tangle wires.” He frowned at Eren before grabbing the GameCube off the shelf and getting to work.  
   
Eren practically bounced and hugged the game to his chest.  
   
Levi glanced over. “You’re quite excited, I see.”  
   
“Well! Yeah! I loved this game!”  
   
Levi connected the console and turned it on. He opened his hand. “Disc.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren opened the game case and took out the tiny disc.  
   
Levi took it and put it in. He closed the top and turned on the system. He grabbed a controller, unwrapped it, and offered it to Eren.  
   
Eren dropped to the floor in front of the television and giggled to himself.  
   
Levi sat next to him and raised an eyebrow. “You’re… really excited.”  
   
“Yeah!” Eren looked at the files and looked over. “Can I make a new file?”  
   
“Suit yourself.”  
   
Eren clicked the empty slot and chuckled. “I got this game when the GameCube came out, since it was one of those games available on release or whatever they’re called? I got pretty far, from what I remember, but I was so scared playing this game.”  
   
“Really?” Levi cocked his head. “Luigi’s Mansion scared you?”  
   
“Hell yeah!” Eren nodded about fourteen times as he watched the opening cinematic. “The shadows and shit, man, I had nightmares. I fucking loved this game. It was like a thriller for me.”  
   
“You know, there’s a second Luigi’s Mansion.”  
   
“Yeah I know but this is what I played so it’s like major nostalgia and stuff.” He began playing. “I was actually too scared to beat it. Then I lost the game disc… because I was like ten or whatever, and—” Eren actually did a sitting hop and screamed.  
   
Levi laughed and ruffled Eren’s hair. “Getting scared from GameCube graphics are you?”  
   
Eren pouted. “Don’t make fun of me.”  
   
Levi kissed his cheek. “Just enjoy. Forget my teasing.”  
   
“Yeah, yeah.”  
   
“That ghost came out of nowhere, man. Nowhere.”  
   
Levi moved a bit closer to Eren and pulled him in.  
   
Eren leaned on Levi and grinned. “It’s not even that scary, just like… I just remember being scared so bad by this game… Fuck, those shadows…”  
   
“Well I’ll stay close to keep you safe.”  
   
“Awww!”  
   
“Or else the fucking Y2K pixels might make you shit yourself.”  
   
“Shut up,” Eren whispered lovingly.  
   
Levi kissed his cheek again.  
   
It was a couple bosses later, Eren had gotten the hang of the game and was on fire. He was sucking up ghosts left and right with that vacuum and was able to figure out all of the puzzles. Levi silently admitted to himself that he wouldn’t really have known what to do but Eren seemed to put the pieces together in only a few seconds.  
   
“I’ve always wondered,” Levi muttered, “Why they made the sequel to this game on the 3Ds. I’ve always figured console games would get console sequels, while handheld games would get handheld sequels. Right?”  
   
“Well it’s because the GameCube was supposed to have a 3D thingy,” Eren explained, “Like an add-on thingy, and they made it so Luigi’s Mansion would be able to support it. But the 3D thing never happened, didn’t work out, but they eventually made the 3Ds. So, like, they wanted the 3D element for the sequel of this game.” He nudged Levi. “I’m such a fucking Nintendo nerd, don’t even look at me.”  
   
Levi smirked. “Is that so?”  
   
“You have no fucking clue, man.”  
   
“Mhm.” Levi glanced to the T.V. “So why don’t you get the sequel to this game?”  
   
“Well, I don’t have a 3Ds. I guess Armin would let me borrow his, right?”  
   
“You could always get your own.” Levi’s steel blue eyes shifted over. “Do you want one?”  
   
“Ah…” Eren pursed his lips. “I always loved like Gameboys and Gameboys advance and stuff, but um… nah, they’re like two hundred bucks and I probably shouldn’t burn that much.”  
   
“I could burn it.”  
   
Eren paused and looked over.  
   
Levi looked into his eyes.  
   
“N-Nah, it’s okay, you don’t have to…”  
   
Levi snorted. “How many times do I have to tell you? Just… let me do something for you. I could burn twice as much and feel no shame for it.”  
   
Eren bit his lip.  
   
“I told you, let me buy you something. Please…” Levi’s expression turned soft. “Let me.”  
   
Eren sighed. “Okay…”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “You make it sound painful.”  
   
Eren gave an apologetic ‘Arf’.  
   
“What colour do you want?”  
   
“Oh!” Eren grinned wide and then realised he overreacted and he cleared his throat. “Well, um… okay there’s, sort of this special edition one, but I mean they might not even have it anymore, so it’s totally okay if it’s not possible or something.”  
   
“I’ll get it for you.”  
   
“Uh…” Eren wiggled in his seat. “Don’t laugh.”  
   
“I probably will.”  
   
“Sir…”  
   
“Just fucking say it.”  
   
“Okay! Well, it’s a white 3Ds with a green top… and it has Yoshi on it.”  
   
“Done.” Levi smirked.  
   
Eren blinked. “Just like that?”  
   
“Yes. If you want it, it’ll be yours. There’s nothing else to it.”  
   
Eren gave a shy smile and he wiggled. “Thanks.” He kissed Levi’s cheek. “What can I do for you in return, Sir?”  
   
Levi closed his eyes and sighed. “You don’t get it, do you? You mutt. I’m doing this for you, in return for being a good sub. It’s a reward.”  
   
Eren wiggled closer to Levi. “But I love being a good sub for you, so it’s okay you don’t have to reward me for that…”  
   
“Idiot.” Levi kissed the top of his head. “If I wanted anything more from you, I’d take it with no regrets. I know how willing you are to serve.”  
   
Eren smiled and nuzzled into his neck. He opened his mouth to give a snarky reply, but a string of beeps cut him off. He grabbed his phone. “Pie time!”  
 

⁂

  
   
The pie crust came out a golden colour, and the pumpkin filling was a mix of gold, brown, and orange. It was steaming and it’s sweet smell filled the entire kitchen. Eren turned off the oven and left the oven door open so it would cool down. He put it down on the counter and grinned. “It looks good, doesn’t it?”  
   
Levi nodded. “Yeah… it actually does.” He frowned. “But it’s how it tastes that matters, right?”  
   
“Well, yeah, but we can’t have Armin’s pie without him, now can we? We can’t know without ruining it. Can’t have your pie and eat it too!”  
   
“Yes you can.” Levi frowned. “What the fuck does that even mean? I’ll have my cake by eating all of it.”  
   
Eren laughed and hugged Levi tight, resting his head on his Dom’s shoulder. “No, no, no, Sir. To have a cake is like… to have it on display, you know? To have it is to have it as it is, with all the pretty decorations, making it look super cool and it’s like admiring the hard work and admiring how nice it looks—usually for really expensive cakes, like tier wedding cakes and shit, not Betty Crocker stuff, but probably that too. You have it when it’s whole, when it’s prettiest. So you can’t have your cake on display and cut a slice and eat it too.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi looked at him and frowned even more. “Why the fuck do you even know that?”  
   
Eren snickered. “I have no idea!”  
   
Levi nuzzled his nose.  
   
“Oh!” Eren kissed his Dom. “I remember. It’s because I kept hassling and asking my mom when I didn’t understand the meaning behind… what do you call those kinds of expressions? Idiots?”  
   
“Idioms.”  
   
“Right! So I just kept asking her about them, so that’s how I know what all of them are and stuff, yeah.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi smiled. “She must be quite intelligent.”  
   
“Nah. Well, yeah, she is. But for those, I’m pretty sure she used Google.”  
   
Levi smirked and kissed Eren’s nose. “So what do we do with the pie?”  
   
“Hmmm… put it in the fridge until Armin gets here?”  
   
“Uh… sure?”  
 

⁂

  
   
After putting the fridge back in the pie, Eren and Levi decided to go back to gaming. Eren cleared about twenty more bosses, jumped fairly often while doing so, and leaned on Levi the entire time. Levi took the time to watch Eren while he played. The way he was so focused and had this angry scowl of determination made Levi snicker, although he snickered quietly because he was sure Eren would start to notice what he was doing. Levi’s favourite part, though, was when his angry scowl of anger melted away and he looked at him, eyes bright and happy, dumbest smile on his lips.  
   
Levi swore his breath was taken away.  
   
“This is nice,” Eren said as he played.  
   
“Hm?” Levi looked up. “Yeah that hallway is fun.”  
   
“No!” Eren laughed. “I mean, being with you and hanging out with you and stuff.”  
   
Levi blinked. “Oh.”  
   
Eren nudged Levi once.  
   
“What the fuck was that for?”  
   
“Nothing!” Eren kissed his face about forty times. “I just like this, okay?”  
   
“This?” Levi looked at the way they were sitting on the floor. “I don’t get it. What’s so fucking special about carpet and GameCube?”  
   
“Well this is high quality carpet, for one.”  
   
“I’m glad you noticed.”  
   
“Nah, I just remembered when you made me a coffee table and! Scared! The fuck out of me! By telling me! The coffee mugs! Were filled! With hot drinks!”  
   
Levi burst into laughter. “I forgot about that.”  
   
“Asshole!” Eren pouted. “I’m still mad!”  
   
Levi kissed the corner of his mouth. “Mhm. But your expression made me happy, and pleasing your Dom is your utmost priority, isn’t it?”  
   
“Nah fuck you, asshole.”  
   
Levi chuckled, low, dark, and smooth.  
   
The way that made a little shiver race to Eren’s crotch.  
   
Levi nipped at Eren’s ear. “Seriously, though… what’s so special about this moment that you like? Tell me.”  
   
“I guess like…” Eren shrugged, eyes moving back to Luigi. “Well this is what I do every day with Armin and stuff, and I love doing it with Armin and spending time with Armin, but I want to do it with you too, you know?”  
   
“You do this… every day with Armin, huh?”  
   
“Well we don’t game _every_ day, but we just kinda dick around and have fun and spend time together.”  
   
“Must be nice.”  
   
Eren paused the game, put the controller down, and turned to Levi. He wrapped both his arms around Levi and pushed his head in the older man’s chest.  
   
Levi blinked several times before he returned the hug.  
   
“But I want to do more stupid shit like this with you too.”  
   
“Hm.” Levi closed his eyes. “I think… I understand what she meant.”  
   
“Huh? Who?”  
   
“Mikasa.”  
   
“What?”  
   
“She said…” Levi pondered about telling him… “She said, that I could help you. When I asked her how, she just said I already have.”  
   
“What?”  
   
“I didn’t understand what she meant at first, to be honest…”  
   
“So…” Eren moved back away a little. “You’re implying you understand now?”  
   
“Well, maybe. I’m scratching the surface of what she meant.”  
   
“So… what did she mean, Sir?”  
   
“You’re, a help, to me.” Levi reminded himself his English should be better than that. “You’re helping me… just by being here, by wanting to be close to me… so maybe, I’m helping you in the same way, by…”  
   
Eren waited for him to go on, but he didn’t. “By…? By what?”  
   
“By…” Levi laughed. “Forget it. Nothing. Never mind.”  
   
“Sir!”  
   
“Forget it,” Levi repeated. “Just spend time with me, alright?”  
   
“Alright.”  
 

⁂

  
   
“Just one more lap…” Armin whispered to himself, controller in hand. When it came to Mario Kart, Armin was not a little bitch, so he played Rosalina and always used a bike. He was in first place and nearing the end when…  
   
“Blue shell!” Krista cackled the cackle of evil cackles – the same cackle that eggs made when they did the cackle cackle sizzly do. “Rainbow road is _my_ domain!”  
   
Armin screamed as Rosalina was smashes and Princess Peach (Krista) passed her. “Damnit.”  
   
“Muahahahahaha,” Krista kept cackling the evil cackle of good breakfast and took first place. “Yes!”  
   
“Fuck!” Armin pouted. “So not fair!”  
   
“All is fair in love and war, Armin.”  
   
“This is Mario Kart!”  
   
“Mario Kart is war, Armin.”  
   
Armin opened his mouth to reply, but a vibrate cut him off. He checked his phone and cursed. “Oh crap, it’s pretty late… I should head back.”  
   
Krista pouted. “Already?”  
   
“Well I’ve been here for hours, you greedy whore.”  
   
Krista chuckled and messed up his hair, despite protest. “You can’t trust those two to feed themselves, can you?”  
   
“Not. At. All.” Armin got up and dusted his legs. “Well, one of them can… Levi can’t. Not even.”  
   
Krista walked Armin to the door, going the long way around the house to avoid her parents. “Thanks for coming,” Krista said before they hugged tight.  
   
Armin hugged her extra tight then pulled away. “Of course. Say hi to Ymir for me, okay?”  
   
“Will do!”  
 

⁂

  
   
When Armin arrived back home, he opened the front door and heard a scrambling of footsteps rush towards him. He saw Eren charging down the hall and actually feared that the brunet would slam into him, but Eren hurried to a stop right in front of him, kissed him on the nose, and then took his hand.  
   
“We made a thing!” Eren said with a smile.  
   
Armin barely got out of his shoes as he was dragged to the kitchen. “You made a thing?”  
   
“We made a thing!”  
   
Armin looked over to Levi. “You made a thing?”  
   
Levi nodded. “We cooked a thing?”  
   
Armin paled. “You cooked a thing!?”  
   
“No!” Eren laughed. “No, no.”  
   
“Oh.” Armin breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”  
   
Eren grinned. “We _baked_ a thing!”  
   
Armin paled again. “Baked!?”  
   
Eren opened the fridge and took out the pie. “Look!”  
   
Armin paused. “Is that… pumpkin pie?”  
   
“Yeah!” Eren bounced. “Doesn’t it look good?”  
   
“Actually, yeah, it looks pretty impressive,” Armin agreed. “Um, is it… edible?”  
   
‘Yeah!” Eren nodded. “Totally!”  
   
“Most likely,” Levi corrected.  
   
Armin moved to the kitchen table. “Well let’s get some plates and stuff…”  
   
Eren gave the pie to Levi and then set the table.  
   
Levi put the pie down and then took his seat.  
   
Armin took a knife and cut a small slice. Eren was making the face of an exaggeratedly happy emoticon and Levi seemed quite pensive. Great signs. Great. Fantastic. He put the slice of pie on his plate and then grabbed a fork. He poked at it with his fork and then smiled. “So uh, it looks okay so far.”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi nodded. “Eren did most of it.”  
   
“Don’t worry!” Eren scooted forward. “We looked up simple recipe so it’s not anything we could have really messed up. Totally idiom proof.”  
   
Armin blinked. “Idiom, what?”  
   
“Idiot proof,” Levi corrected.  
   
“Oh.” Armin managed to relaxed. “And you followed the recipe to the dot?”  
   
“Yeah!” Eren nodded.  
   
Armin smiled. “That’s good.”  
   
“Well.” Eren paused. “Mostly!”  
   
Armin paled.  
   
Levi coughed. “Spices.”  
   
“Yeah we didn’t have any pumpkin spice.”  
   
“So Eren used other spices.”  
   
Armin looked between them. “Others…?”  
   
“Well, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, just a bit though.”  
   
“Ah, okay.” Armin smiled. “That’s actually pretty good…” He used his fork to separate a segment of the pie; it glided easily through the pumpkin pie filling, but it took a bit of force to break the crust. He took a deep breath and brought it to his lips.  
   
Levi leaned forward.  
   
Eren swallowed hard.  
   
Armin chewed…  
   
Eren tensed up.  
   
Levi stopped breathing.  
   
Armin swallowed. “Not… bad! I like it!”  
   
Levi relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief.  
   
Eren bounced. “That’s awesome!”  
   
Armin ate a second forkful, and then a third, and fourth… and then he began to shovel it in his mouth. Before anyone could say anything, he already had his second piece on his plate.  
   
Levi looked at Eren. “Perhaps we should serve for the three of us.”  
   
“No,” Armin spoke with his mouth full, “All mine.”  
   
Eren grinned and leaned over to kiss Levi’s cheek. “See, we can do anything together.”  
   
Levi let his lips tug into a small smile.  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren and Levi did end up getting a slice of the pumpkin pie each (two slices, actually; Armin cursed his stomach for not expanding and allowing him to eat more), and they were fairly impressed with their ability. After several hours, Eren went off to do some cleaning, leaving Levi and Armin in the living room. Armin was in Levi’s lap, leaning into him and nuzzling his neck. Levi had an arm around his waist, holding him tight in case he fell asleep and fell over.  
   
Armin kissed Levi’s collarbone. “So…”  
   
“So?” Levi glanced at him.  
   
“Mhm…” Armin smirked. “Whose idea was it? To make me pumpkin pie?”  
   
Levi looked away.  
   
“It was yours, wasn’t it?”  
   
“Hm. Maybe.’  
   
“Master…”  
   
He sighed. “Fine, yes, it was my idea.”  
   
“Hm.” Armin seemed amused with himself.  
   
“Eren was here, and he wants to do more for you, and I want to do more for you, and I couldn’t very well make a pumpkin pie without him, so… yeah. It worked out.”  
   
Armin kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Master.”  
   
Levi caught Armin’s lips with his own and kissed him properly.  
   
“Mmmm.” Armin broke away. “You’re pumpkin flavoured.”  
   
Levi snorted and shook his head.  
   
Eren walked into the living room and smiled. “Finished my chores! Are we making dinner soon, Arm’?”  
   
“Hm,” Levi spoke up, “You two could…” He suddenly paused when he glanced over to Armin, lips parted, eyes closed. “He’s sleeping.”  
   
Eren heard the surprise in Levi’s voice and he blinked. “When did he fall asleep?”  
   
“Just now.” Levi chuckled.  
   
“Awww.” Eren stepped forward and kissed Armin’s cheek. “What should we do for dinner, Sir?”  
   
“Well we ate that pie, so I think we should have a late dinner tonight, right?”  
   
“Yeah, makes sense.” Eren leaned over and kissed the corner of Levi’s mouth before leaving the room.  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren walked over to the kitchen and noticed their plates from earlier in the sink. He turned on the faucet to hot water and ran the dishes under them. He glanced to the exit of the kitchen, then back to the dishes. He didn’t want to think about it, but when Armin was sitting in Levi’s lap, and Levi looked so focus on Armin, and the two of them were so perfect together and so…  
   
It was like a really great moment.  
   
A really great image.  
   
A really great picture.  
   
Without him.  
   
Eren reminded himself that he was supposedly able to give Levi something Armin couldn’t, and he was supposed to give Armin something Levi couldn’t.  
   
For Levi… it was complicated, and he admitted to himself that he never really understood that.  
   
But for Armin, that was more clear cut: It was mostly hugs, but physical contact, affection, things that Levi struggled with.  
   
But when he thought back to how they were, Armin sleeping in Levi’s lap, Levi’s arm so tight around them…  
   
Eren took a small breath and shook his head.  
   
Levi had become more open with both Armin and him over the past month… In some ways, Eren wondered if he caused Levi to be more touchy-feely and more affectionate and more of everything he wasn’t.  
   
And if Levi was more affectionate, then… wasn’t that his job?  
   
Did Armin really need him anymore?  
   
And what about Levi?  
   
Levi needed a sub who could do something Armin couldn’t. But what couldn’t Armin do?  
   
Eren wondered if he had brought them closer. That begged the question, though, if he stayed longer… would they become even more closer?  
   
Or would he just get in the way?  
   
He thought back to the time Levi had pitted him and Armin against each other. He realised, in that moment, that he never wanted to get in between Armin and Levi ever again. Because they mattered more than him. Because, to Eren, their relationship mattered more than either of their relationships to him.  
   
Eren couldn’t help but feel… left out.  
   
“Stupid thoughts,” he corrected his train of thoughts. “Stupid, stupid, stupid thoughts.”  
   
Of course Armin and Levi wanted him!  
   
They said it all the time… But then, why was Eren so insecure? Why couldn’t Eren just accept that their feelings were real, and Eren’s feelings for them was borderline lo—  
   
The phone went off.  
   
Eren put the dishes down, turned off the faucet, and rubbed his hand on the hand towel before picking up. “Hello?”  
   
 _”Hi… does a Sanchez live here?”_  
   
“Uh…” Well he knew about the King of Red Lions but… “No, sorry. I think you have the wrong number.”  
   
 _”Oh, sorry! Have a nice day!”_  
   
“Yeah, you too!” He hung up and put it down. Eren was about to reach for the dishes again when he felt two arms wrap around his waist and a head boop onto his spine. He looked over his shoulder to see a tuft of blond hair, and a smile formed on his lips. “Morning, Sleepyhead.”  
   
Armin nuzzled Eren. “Stay like this.”  
   
“Can I turn around and hug you too?”  
   
Armin loosened his grip and nodded.  
   
Eren turned slowly and scooped Armin into his arms.  
   
“Mmm.” Armin pushed himself as close as possible. “Stay like this.”  
   
“Just like this?”  
   
“Yeah… just like this.”  
   
Armin kissed his chest.  
   
Eren kissed the top of Armin’s head and thought about it.  
   
Stay like this.  
   
Eren smiled. “I have no idea why I’m worried all the time.”  
   
“Huh?”  
   
“Nothing.”  
 

⁂

  
   
About an hour later, Armin had set everything up in the kitchen. Three pieces of chicken breasts were prepared on a plate, the flour was out, several eggs, bread crumbs, fresh soft mozzarella cheese, herbs, cooking oil, a wide pan, a casserole dish, a can of tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. The oven was set to preheat, and they were ready to rumble.  
   
Eren looked at everything and grinned. “We’re going to do the thing? With the salt and the pepper?”  
   
Armin nodded. “And the tomato sauce.”  
   
Eren hugged him tight. “Be strong.”  
   
“Tch.” Armin grinned and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be strong, don’t worry. So, you ready to get to work?”  
   
Eren pulled away and saluted. He quickly washed his hands and dried them and then waited for orders.  
   
“So, we’re making chicken parmesan.”  
   
“Woo!”  
   
Armin laughed. “But the way I do it.”  
   
“The best way!”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes. “We start with the chicken breast.” He grabbed the salt and pepper. “The trick is to season the meat, and season it well.” The salt and pepper came in fresh grinders and Armin ground the white and black chunks over the chicken breast, one at a time. “Some people like to season the flour… or season the breadcrumbs. I mean, it works… but you can’t be sure it’ll be even, and you don’t know how much it is. You can’t really control, and you always want control.”  
   
“Like when you were a Dom, huh?”  
   
Armin bumped his hips onto Eren’s. “Shush.”  
   
Eren kissed his neck and nodded. “What next?”  
   
Armin put down the salt and pepper shakers and walked to the cupboard. “Can you get the flour?”  
   
Eren grabbed the bag and brought it over. “Oh, I know this, you make like a bowl of flour and you dip it in and stuff, right?”  
   
Armin shrugged. “It just feels like a waste of flour to me… I mean, I know Levi doesn’t need to worry about money or anything, but it just feels like a waste?” He had a spoon in one hand and a small hand-held sifter. He scooped the flour into the sifter and then held it over the chicken. “Watch.” He tapped the sifter with his spoon and the flour moved through the small holes, bits at a time, and fell on the chicken.  
   
“Control,” Eren echoed.  
   
“Exactly.” He coated the three pieces of chicken then looked at Eren and nudged to the stove. “Grab that tongs.”  
   
Eren saw a pair of tongs and grabbed them. He didn’t have to be told to flip it, he just did it anyway.  
   
Armin coated the other side and then put the remaining flour back in the bag.  
   
“Nice.”  
   
Armin grabbed a square dish and gave it to Eren. “Crack two eggs in here and whisk them, okay?”  
   
“Sure.” Eren put the dish down and grabbed the eggs. He tapped them gently on the side and then broke them. He made sure no egg shells fell in before he grabbed a pair of chopsticks to whisk them together.  
   
Meanwhile, Armin grabbed a larger bowl and poured in all the breadcrumbs. He opened a small container of grated cheese and added that as well.  
   
“What’s that?”  
   
“Oh. Parmesan.” Armin smiled. “I add parmesan on the chicken after, too, but I like to add some in the breadcrumbs, because cheese is actually really nice when it’s fried.”  
   
“Oooo.” Eren smiled. “Done here.”  
   
“Okay.” Armin put the cheese down and shook the bowl so the parmesan and the breadcrumbs would mix. “So, I don’t know how many cooking shows you watch, but some people make a big deal about like… wet hands, dry hands, when dealing with chicken? I just use the tongs.”  
   
Eren snorted and grabbed the tongs. “Fair enough.”  
   
“So this is what you do. Grab the chicken, dip it in the egg, turn it over to make sure it’s coated, then dip it in the breadcrumbs… actually it’s panko, which is Japanese breadcrumbs because I’m a weeaboo, shut up, don’t judge me.”  
   
“I would never judge you, Armin-chan.”  
   
“Don’t.”  
   
Eren grinned and grabbed one of the chicken breast. He did as he was told, and then returned it to the plate. He did the same with the other two and then nodded. “So, flour, eggs, breadcrumbs?”  
   
“Exactly.” Armin nodded. “Now, let that sort of seal in. Meanwhile, let’s go chop some stuff, okay?”  
   
“Sure thing!”  
   
Armin grabbed two cutting boards and handed one to Eren. “Can you chop and mix the herbs? It’s basil and thyme.”  
   
Eren looked up. “Time for what?” When he saw the look on Armin’s face, he made an ‘Oh’ motion with his lips. “Sorry.”  
   
Armin snorted and grabbed the fresh mozzarella. He cut about a third of the log, then cut a small slice to shove in his mouth. He chopped what was remaining into cubes.  
   
Eren chopped the two herbs until they were fine and he looked at Armin. “Like this?”  
   
“Perfect, yeah.” Armin nodded. He put his knife down and moved to the stove. He twisted the knob below and blue fire burned under the pan. He added about half an inch of cooking oil and waited for it to sizzle. “This’ll take a while.” He grabbed a spare fork and added some of the panko to what was left of the egg. He mixed it up and waited. When he figured it was hot enough, he added the small mixture of panko and egg to the pan. When it sizzled, he knew it was ready. “Do you want to add it to the pan?”  
   
“Uhhh… not really?”  
   
Armin smiled and grabbed the tongs. “The trick here is just to keep it a light golden, not golden nor brown. It’s going in the oven afterwards, so it’s going to cook, we just want a bit of crispy on the outside.” He added the first chicken and it began sizzling. He added the other two and waited two minutes before flipping them. Two minutes after that, he moved them to the casserole dish. “Done with that.”  
   
“Wow, nice.” Eren nodded. “So what’s next?”  
   
“We’re almost done. Can you get the cheese and the herbs?”  
   
“Sure!” Eren got them right away. “Do I just put them on?”  
   
“Not yet, first it’s the tomato sauce. Can you open the can?”  
   
“Where’s the can opener?”  
   
“It has a pull top thing.”  
   
Eren checked and it, indeed, had a pull top thing. He pulled it open.  
   
Armin came back with a teaspoon and mixed the contents of the can. He only added two spoonfuls to each chicken and then spread it out with the flat of his spoon. It wasn’t enough to cover the entire chicken breast, but it was more than enough by his standards. “Done.” He moved to the fridge. “Now you can put them on. Mozza goes first! Then herbs!”  
   
“Okay!” Eren divided the cubed cheese and chopped greens evenly over the three chicken and smiled. “There.”  
   
“Good.” Armin opened another Tupperware tub. “I pretty much grated and mixed a bunch of different types of cheese here… I mean, I should probably be more choosier, but hey. Cheese blends. They’re easy.” He added about a tablespoon on each chicken and then put it away. “And now, of course, the parmesan.” He added about teaspoon of the sharp cheese on the chicken. “And we’re done. Put it in the oven and we just bake it, now.”  
   
“Really?”  
   
“Really.”  
   
Eren kissed his cheek. “That was kinda easy.”  
   
Armin nodded. “I like putting effort into dinner… but not that much effort.”  
   
Eren snorted and brought their lips together.  
   
Armin smiled into the kiss.  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren had set the table with the plates while Armin got the cutlery. Levi had come down just before they were done and he decided to help by getting the glasses but then secretly realised he had no fucking idea where anything was so he kinda just went back to his usual seat. Eren put the hot plates down and Armin brought the casserole dish with the chicken parmesan and placed it on them. They had also prepared a small spinach salad and they brought that as well.  
   
Armin served one chicken breast each then put some salad for himself.  
   
Levi smirked and served himself salad as well. “I like the minimal amount of tomato sauce.”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes, taking the playful jab with a grain of salt and nothing more.  
   
Eren chuckled and took his seat. He tentatively cut the edge of the chicken breast and brought it to his mouth. Still warm and moist, the chicken practically melted in his mouth; the dashes of cheese were sharp, but they balanced with the smooth tomato sauce. The panko breadcrumbs were lighter, airier than their normal counterparts, and everything seemed to work together to tickle his taste buds in ways that are too rated R for kids (and he was pretty sure this chicken wasn’t eighteen years old…).  
   
Levi glanced to Eren watching his face distort in bliss, but said nothing.  
   
Armin smiled, but he knew pointing it out would only cause the show to end.  
   
Eren eventually swallowed. “Wow!”  
   
Levi forked a small amount in his mouth and nodded in approval. He chewed and swallowed before speaking, “Wonderful, Armin.”  
   
“Eren helped, you know.” Armin nudged towards him. “He deserves compliments too.”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “Of course, Eren. Well done.”  
   
Eren grinned, cheeks flaming red. He mumbled something about how Jane was a girl’s name and how Armin did most of the work, except he mumbled both sentences at once so no one really knew what he was saying but that was okay; even if he tried to be clear, they wouldn’t have understood him anyway. After swallowing another bite, Eren grinned. “See! Sauce isn’t always bad.”  
   
“Of course not,” Armin laughed. “Sauce is amazing, Eren.”  
   
Eren blinked and looked at Levi. “Is he being sarcastic?”  
   
“No.”  
   
“I’m serious.” Armin smiled. “Sauce is flavourful. It’s a liquid, and liquid usually holds all the flavour. That’s why soup has so much flavour, since you boil all the veggies and all the flavour goes into the liquid. Sauce is amazing. That’s also why soup is so good for you when you’re sick, since it takes all the nutrients, and it hydrates for when you have a cold. You can even boil something like bones to get the marrow out, and that stuff isn’t only healthy, it tastes really good!”  
   
Eren paused. “So…” He swallowed hard. “Why do you hate sauce so much?”  
   
“Well…” Armin sighed. “The thing is sauce is amazing. You can warm up sauce and eat it with a spoon… I do that sometimes. But you know, like I said… a lot of flavour in sauce… a lot… so when restaurants end up pouring sauce on everything, on every side of the dish, below it, under it, all over the sides… It makes you wonder, are they putting the sauce everywhere because it’s yummy, or are they putting sauce everywhere because what you’re actually eating tastes like garbage and they know if they dump a bunch of sauce, you’ll never know.”  
   
Eren moved his head back. “I think I’m going to turn into a skeptic…”  
   
Armin nodded slowly. “If you burn chicken, if your steak is dry, if your pasta is overcooked… just dump a bunch of sauce, and nobody will know. Ever.”  
   
Eren looked at Levi.  
   
Levi didn’t really seem to care.  
   
But Eren still felt like the world was ending.  
   
“That’s not to say that they always put sauce for that reason… Put it this way.” Armin smiled. “Soy sauce on sushi. If you get nigiri sushi, the one where it’s fish on top of rice, you won’t be able to tell how fresh the fish is. If you rely on sauce, you’ll never know if what you’re eating is good or not. And, you know… for some people who don’t have money, that’s okay. Sometimes they don’t want to know… I grew up poor. Sometimes I didn’t check the expiry date of some stuff because I knew if it went bad then I wasn’t going to get it again for like a month or something. Like chocolate milk.”  
   
Eren blinked. “You drank expired chocolate milk?”  
   
“Well.” Armin laughed. “Not expired, expired, but you know, if it says the fifth, you can probably still drink it on the sixth. Anyway… how did we get on this topic?”  
   
“Sauce.”  
   
“Right. Sauce.” Armin smiled sweetly. “Evil. Very. Evil.”  
   
Eren nodded. “Wow, you take food really seriously.”  
   
Armin laughed.  
   
Levi smirked. “Did you just realise this?”  
   
“Well, no.” Eren stuck his tongue out. “But, what sort of started it.” He saw Armin pause. “If I can ask that is—it’s totally okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”  
   
“A-A…” Armin smiled and sliced a piece of his chicken. “Well, my parents, actually. They taught me to cook. They had to… um… Both of them struggled, working over forty hours a week. Way over. We… barely got by. I had to make dinner for them when they came home, and had to cook for my brother too. They just, they loved me for it, actually. So did Dieter, he used to squeeze me so tight I was actually afraid I would pop!” Armin grinned, but the grin faltered. “So, yeah, they taught me what they know.”  
   
“Wow…” Eren smiled. “They sound like, really nice people.”  
   
“No.” Armin shook his head, eyes watering. “They were… really horrible people.”  
   
Levi paused, looking up.  
   
“Horribly racist, actually.” Armin cringed, squeezing his fork and knife. “Also sexist. I mean, not like sexist but, just very strict on gender roles, what boys could do, what girls could do, and they threatened to beat us more times than I can remember… They were just, kind of, bad people, all around. I still love them… they took care of me; they gave me everything they could give. I was actually so scared when I told them I was gay because I was so sure they would hurt me for it.”  
   
Eren’s face paled.  
   
“Th-They didn’t.” Armin nodded. “I think they were really upset about it, but they accepted me. I think it was because their kids were all they had, their kids were all they had to live for, you know? Dieter… well, he walked out after a big fight with them. So at the end… I was all they had.” He paused. “I’m so… happy, they’re gone.”  
   
Levi’s eyes widened.  
   
Armin choked on a sob and shook his head. “They only accepted me because they were desperate, not because they really accepted me. I have a feeling, you know, they were racist, but if I brought someone who was black or Asian or anything… not white, they would probably accept them to. Because they were desperate. In some ways, it’s like, wow, what great parents! But in another way it’s like… wow, what a ruse. What a fake, a sham. They were just so… desperate. It’s horrible to say but I’m so happy they’re gone.” Armin began shaking in his chair. “I’m sorry… Let’s… talk about something else.”  
   
Levi, too stunned for words, froze, staring at Armin.  
   
Eren swallowed hard. “S-So, what happened with uh, Hewlett Packard?”  
   
Armin half choked, half chuckled, on a sob.  
   
Eren smiled, mission success.  
   
“Fired him,” Levi commented.  
   
Armin smiled.  
   
Levi smiled too.  
   
Eren relaxed and smiled three.  
 

⁂

  
   
“I feel… so bad.” Eren stared out the window. “I can’t believe I did that.”  
   
Levi poured himself another glass of water and walked towards the doorway to the garden. They were on the first floor; Armin had long since gone upstairs to his room, but not without kissing them both. “Are you feeling guilty again?”  
   
“Of course I am!”  
   
Levi flinched.  
   
“S-Sorry…” Eren looked down to his feet and hugged his arm. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.” He rubbed his arm and growled. “Why the fuck did I do that? He already told me his family got him into cooking? Didn’t he? Why did I forget? How could I bring up his family again?”  
   
Levi walked over and leaned over, kissing his cheek. “When Dieter was here…” He paused to sip his water. “Dieter had told me a bit about their family, but it was a closed topic for the most part. When their parents died, he refused to talk about it. When he moved out, Armin was the same. He’s never opened up to me about it.”  
   
Eren blinked. “Why not? I doubt he feels more comfortable around me than you.”  
   
“That’s not it.” Levi looked out to the garden. “I think it’s… Armin is complicated, but if I had to guess his train of thought, I would say it’s because he feels like I’ve had it so much worse.”  
   
“Huh?” Eren blinked. “What do you mean?”  
   
“In his view, he can’t complain about his shitty life to me because my shitty life was shittier than his.”  
   
Eren frowned. “That’s fucked.”  
   
“It is. He’s right, my life was worse… but if anything, I want him to open up to me.”  
   
“Your life was worse…” Eren glanced to Levi’s shirt, then back up. “Y-You mean like, your scars and stuff?”  
   
Levi nodded once. “Even though my issues are long gone, and his are still haunting him, he can’t ask me for help.”  
   
“But that doesn’t make any sense, why is he talking now then? What’s different?”  
   
Levi just looked at Eren.  
   
Eren paused. “What?”  
   
Levi motioned towards him.  
   
“M-Me?”  
   
Levi nodded. “You’re an idiot. He can’t complain to me, but… you, you’re helping.”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren looked at his feet. “I was thinking about that earlier. “I feel like I’ve brought you two closer together.”  
   
“Eren. For someone as bloody brilliant as you, I want to rip off your brain and throw it in the trash can.”  
   
“Wh-What?”  
   
“You need a fucking lobotomy, you shithead.”  
   
Eren pouted. “Stop insulting me and explain!”  
   
Levi sighed. “I thought we showed you how much we appreciate you.”  
   
“I know you guys do! But, like, I get it. I helped you guys become closer and stuff… and I just kind of wonder, if I stay longer, maybe you’ll become closer, but if I stay too long, how do I know I won’t end up getting in the way?”  
   
“I’ll do the fucking lobotomy myself.” Levi stared at him. “Why are you putting yourself down? Where did all that confidence go?”  
   
Eren paled. “I-I don’t know…”  
   
“Eren…”  
   
“Just answer, okay! How do I know I won’t end up getting between you two?”  
   
Levi closed his eyes. “We’re closer because of you.”  
   
“Yeah!”  
   
“And if you leave, you’ll only leave a hole.” Levi frowned. “Stop thinking we’re going to be happier without you, damnit!”  
   
Eren froze. He couldn’t remember the last time Levi had yelled at him. He shrunk and hugged his arm.  
   
“You’re so fucking…” Levi put his drink down and grabbed Eren’s face. “Perfect.”  
   
“Wh-What?”  
   
“You’re so… mindful, and consciousness. And you struck me at first as this moron, this idiot, but you’re so fucking…” Levi closed his eyes. “All you care about is me and Armin. You don’t care about yourself… That’s… honourable, but I’ll be fucked if I have to deal with both you and Armin doing that. Please, care about yourself, and understand that we need you. I need you to be transparent with me.”  
   
“It’s just…” Eren closed his eyes. “I’m really scared, okay?” He pushed his forehead into Levi’s shoulder and hugged him tight. “I’m scared.”  
   
Levi hugged him tight and sighed. “What part scares you? Talk to me.”  
   
“Our contract.”  
   
Levi tensed. “What about it?”  
   
“I… I think I really want another month, but…”  
   
“But?”  
   
“I’m trying to figure out what’s best for me.”  
   
Levi winced at that.  
   
“And what’s best for you, and what’s better than Armin. I know you don’t want a sub to stick around for a month or two; you want one for at least a year. So I know this is sort of a short-term thing, but there’s the bigger picture.”  
   
“I guess.”  
   
Eren pulled away. “You guess?”  
   
Levi smiled.  
   
He actually fucking smiled.  
   
“Eren… Imagine you went on your first date with a guy. Are you going to consider marriage plans?”  
   
“What? No!”  
   
“Exactly.” Levi pulled Eren’s head down and kissed his forehead. “It’s important to think about the bigger picture, but if you’re losing perspective then it’s going to end up being overwhelming and creepy. The first month decides the second month; the second month decides the third month. It’s in steps. If it ends up being a year, then it will end up being a year, but don’t get ahead of yourself.”  
   
“It’s just… I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to think. I’m just confused.”  
   
Levi kissed his forehead again. “Eren, it’s one in the morning. Maybe now isn’t the best time to be thinking about all of this.”  
   
“Fuck.” Eren pulled away. “It’s already that late?”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi smiled.  
   
Eren sighed. “Wow. Okay.”  
   
“You should get some sleep, before you exhaust yourself into oblivion.”  
   
“Yeah… yeah. I guess I just feel sort of, pressed for time, and it makes me feel insecure and stuff.”  
   
“I know I shouldn’t say this… but you being insecure is actually a little cute.”  
   
Eren pouted.  
   
Levi kissed the corner of his pout. “Sorry.”  
   
Eren grinned. “It’s okay.”  
   
“Perspective,” Levi reminded. “One more thing… about Armin. Think about it…”  
   
“About what?”  
   
“He doesn’t feel comfortable telling me about his family.” Levi looked away. “I’ve tried… so hard to change that. In some ways, I’m jealous that he can open up to you.” Levi looked at Eren and the pain was in his eyes. “But… I’m actually, kind of happy, too. I’d rather he be able to talk to you than talk to no one. And as long as you’re there for him, I’ll be okay. I’m…” Levi pursed his lips. “I’m, pretty territorial with Armin. I always want to protect him. Always. I saw him break down in ways I never want to see anyone break down, so the thought of him in pain…”  
   
Eren bit his lip.  
   
“The fact that I… That I think you might be able to take care of Armin, and the fact that I might one day actually trust Armin with you…”  
   
“Wait wait wait.” Eren paused. “You’re not like, dying or anything, right?”  
   
Levi frowned. “No you fuck.”  
   
“Oh… well it sounded kinda dark…”  
   
Levi snorted. “Sorry… I was talking like… business trips.”  
   
“Oh!”  
   
Levi rolled his eyes. “But I don’t know. What if something happens, and I can’t be there for Armin. Or what if I’m not the person that can help Armin… or what happens if… if… I’m the one that hurts him?” Levi paled. “I hurt him once, before… It was two years ago, but I did it. And I know, at any time, maybe I can do it again. If Armin loses me, or feels like he can’t trust me, where will he go? What will he do? Sometimes I wonder… maybe he doesn’t want to be my slave, maybe he just doesn’t have another place to go.”  
   
“Stop.” Eren shook his head. “He adores you, Levi. How can you even think that?”  
   
“I guess… you’re not the only one who’s insecure.”  
   
Eren blinked. “Sir?”  
   
Levi shook his head. “When I say you can help me, Eren… when I say you can help Armin, it’s more than just a one-time quick fix. That’s all. Remember that. Okay?”  
   
“O-Okay…”  
 

⁂

  
   
When Eren stepped into their bedroom, Armin was already in bed and the lights were off. He slipped out of his clothes until he was only in a pair of undies and he slipped in the bed on Armin’s side. He wiggled close to the blond and pulled him close.  
   
Armin nuzzled into him and smiled. “You’re here tonight?”  
   
“Yeah.” He kissed the top of Armin’s head.  
   
“You sure? You could be with Levi. You know he wants you.”  
   
“But I know you want me too.”  
   
“But you get more of me during the day…”  
   
“But I still want to spend the night with you too.” Eren pulled him closer. “You big dork.”  
   
Armin laughed at that and moved the blankets so they were both warm. “I guess… yeah. You sure?”  
   
“Don’t worry so much.” Eren kissed the top of Armin’s head again. “You know… I’m here because I want to be here. So the only reason I’m gonna leave is if you want me to.”  
   
Armin squeezed him. “Stay.”  
   
Eren chuckled. “So you want me?”  
   
“Don’t be dumb.” Armin smiled. “Of course I do.”  
   
Eren moved his hand in the dark to find Armin’s face and cup his cheek. He brought their lips together and kissed him softly. “I…” The words raced in his mind, but he decided not to say them. “I want to spend more time with you too,” he settled for instead. “You’re important to me.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Shut up…”  
   
“No way.” Eren shook his head. “Thank you, by the way, for giving me the daytime with Levi.”  
   
“So Levi told you?”  
   
“Yeah, of course he would. But it’s okay, I would have figured it out either way.”  
   
“Mhm…” Armin frowned. “I’m kinda embarrassed…”  
   
“Why?”  
   
“Because… of how I practically cried during dinner. I’m lame.”  
   
“No, no, no, no…” Eren pulled him closer, practically smooshing the two of them together. “You know… you can always talk about those things with me, always, always, always. If you ever want someone to listen, I’m right here.”  
   
“R-Really?”  
   
“Yeah. Armin, come on, I’ve told you this before.”  
   
“I know… I just, sometimes people say you can talk to me but then when you go to talk to them… they just kind of don’t care. And I’ve had that happen to me too many times…”  
   
Eren sighed. “I’m not like that, okay?”  
   
“Everyone’s like that.”  
   
“Well, I’m not like that to you, never to you.”  
   
Armin closed his eyes, content with that answer. “Thank you, Eren… for being here.”  
   
Eren kissed his cheek and then stroked it with his thumb. “Thank you for letting me be here, and sharing your room with me.”  
   
“Mmm, well you’re warm at night.” Armin chuckled. “I don’t mind, not at all.”  
   
“That’s good.” Eren kissed him again. “Do you want to talk about anything?”  
   
“Not tonight… I just kind of feel exhausted and kinda depressed and stupid.” Armin kissed Eren’s nose. “Make me laugh… please.”  
   
“Hmmm, well… I realised something today, something ground breaking.”  
   
“Oh really?”  
   
“Yeah. I realised I should never do puppy play again!”  
   
Armin gasped. “And why’s that?”  
   
“Because I should do Yoshi play instead!”  
   
Armin giggle-snorted and then burst into a giggling fit.  
   
Eren grinned wide and kissed Armin’s cheek.  
   
Armin kept laughing and had to turn away from Eren and shove a pillow in his face to silence his laughter.  
   
Eren hooked an arm around Armin’s waist and was perfectly comfortable with being the big spoon tonight.  
   
Armin’s laughter eventually died down, but then he imagined Eren taking Yoshi’s stance, with Levi on his back, and the laughter erupted again. It was many, many, many minutes later before he could breathe with ease again. “Thank you,” Armin whispered, “For always making sure I smile.”  
   
“Hmmm, well, maybe I’m selfish,” Eren pointed out, “I do really like your smile. It’s cute.”  
   
“Shut up.” Armin smiled. “Just, thank you, for everything okay?”  
   
“You’re more than welcome.” Eren kissed the back of his head. “Thank you for being my cuddle buddy.”  
   
Armin grinned. “Anytime.”


	30. The Fourth Week (6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who updated? It's me! Okay I know this is long but please read this: It's important.
> 
> First of all, I got a couple people who were actually worried about me -- thank you~ It's actually really touching. I am on [Tumblr](http://remembrance123.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Remembrance123) (both are mainly for Haikyuu!!, my main fandom). I've been quite active on both, so if you ever do get worried about me again just check there! 
> 
> Second of all... Wow, it's been two months! What have I been doing?? Oh, I'm so glad you asked. On AO3 I do separate my fandoms by pseuds (mostly for the icons, I won't lie) and I have been writing a Free! fic, [Of Fire and Mind](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2028255/chapters/4400130), which is a Witch AU. It's 20 chapters, and I challenged myself to post a new chapter every two days, which was actually a lot of fun... although extreme. It did take me 45 days in all to write it, and now it's all done if you want to read it! And, best of all, it's a serious fic for all of you who probably think I can't write anything but dumb humour, LOL. 
> 
> Self-pimping aside... 
> 
> **Hold up!** Hanatsuki drew beautiful fan-art of [Chapter 29](http://hanatsuki89.tumblr.com/post/92370307758/tentative-bliss-gets-more-brilliant-at-every-new) because it _is_ boner o'clock!
> 
>  **Hold up!** Nikooki drew an adorable picture inspired by [Chapter 29](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/post/92963477798/ah-i-feel-like-im-super-late-in-drawing-this), *baby voice* _Yoshi!_
> 
>  **Hold up!** The cutiepatootie Nouveauqueer did an amazing [Cosplay of TB!Eren](http://nouveauqueer.tumblr.com/post/94093673192) based on his monochrome outfit. XD
> 
>  **Hold up!** Silver Ying drew a memorable scene from [Chapter 13](http://silverying.tumblr.com/post/95046309947/dont-remember-the-chapter-but-this-is-one-of-my), dorky kitchen moments abound!
> 
>  **Hold up!** Genelle drew everybody's favourite scene from [Chapter 8](http://remembrance123.tumblr.com/post/96680211755) (hint: garden hose!). 
> 
> Please check them out!!
> 
> Also, if I forgot anything please let me know! I'm only human, I make mistakes too.
> 
> Now, the last thing before you can read this chapter is actually really kind of important to me. I've seen Tentative Bliss be labelled as an Ereri fic, recommended as an Ereri fic, described as an Ereri fic, several times... We're talking more times than I can count on my fingers. Now, yes there is Ereri, I love Ereri, but it's not _just_ Ereri... I'm sick of people mislabeling this story and leaving Armin out because they prefer it that way. This fic can only be described as "Ereri/Eremin" or "Ererimin" -- nothing else. So, I decided to change the order of the tags. Right now, the Armin/Levi/Eren tag isn't properly linked to the Levi/Eren/Armin tag, but when the AO3 tag wranglers get to it, TB will be listed as: Levi/Eren/Armin, Eren/Armin, Levi/Eren. Ereri will be at the end. Does it really matter? No. But it's getting annoying. And I want to make a point. It won't affect anything planned for the story.
> 
> But, please, don't basterdise _my_ story and hard work for _your_ preference. 
> 
> If you have mislabeled it, that's fine. Just correct it and move on. 
> 
> Although it says on the first chapter, I still get questions about this so: Levi/Armin is a _secondary_ pairing in this fic (Eren is the main character), and I only tag primary/major pairings on AO3. 
> 
> Anyway, sorry about that, it just really kills my creativity, inspiration, and will to write this story when it happens.
> 
> That aside, this chapter is probably one of my favourites. 
> 
> Please enjoy, okay? <3
> 
> * * *

“So the shithead’s still asleep?”  
   
“Mhm, he was pretty tired last night.”  
   
“Go wake him up.”  
   
“What? Really?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“But, like, shouldn’t we let him sleep? He’s… been working so hard this week.”  
   
“Yeah, but he’s going to get pissed if he sleeps away his only day off.”  
   
“Oh, right. That makes sense. I’ll go wake him, but… what if he gets mad or something?”  
   
“I don’t know, Eren. Go wake him with a blowjob?”  
   
“Arm’. You’re a genius. One blowie coming right up!”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren peeked through the small opening of Levi’s double doors. He pushed one open and then stuck his head through the crack, popping in. He saw his Dom, curled up in his bed sheets, arm around a pillow, face buried in it. Eren snickered. “Not a cuddler my ass…” He stepped in, taking his time, careful with each movement as he made his way to the bed. He put a knee on the mattress then crawled towards Levi, planting a kiss on his neck.  
   
“Hm?”  
   
“Shh.” Eren pulled the pillow away and pushed Levi onto his back. He tugged the blankets down enough to kiss his collarbone, then his chest. “Sleep.”  
   
Levi hissed.  
   
Eren ran his hands down Levi’s chest, grating his short nails along the smooth muscles.  
   
“Fuck,” Levi muttered. “Eren?”  
   
“Yep, it’s me.” Eren laughed, pulling away the blankets. “Good morning.” He ran his fingers over Levi’s inner thigh. “Sir.”  
   
Levi’s cock twitched at the word and he smirked. “Good morning, Pup…” He reached down and grabbed Eren’s brown hair, fisting it. “What time is it?”  
   
“Time to get a watch,” Eren purred as he kissed the side of Levi’s cock. “Sir.”  
   
Levi’s eyes snapped open and he yanked Eren by the hair.  
   
“Ow!”  
   
“Eren fucking-Jalapeno Jaeger I swear to God—”  
   
Eren snickered and bit Levi’s inner thigh.  
   
“Fuck.” Levi winced, letting go of his hair.  
   
“Shh.” Eren kissed the bite marks. “Just enjoy, okay?” He grabbed Levi’s cock and stroked it slowly, teasingly. He pulled the skin down to expose the head and slipped it in his mouth.  
   
Levi gasped, bucking his hips, thrusting into the wet heat. His hand found its way back to Eren’s hair and he pushed the head down.  
   
Eren took the cock into his throat with ease, nuzzling the trimmed black hairs at the base. He looked up at Levi, watching those steel-blue eyes looking at him, filled with lust.  
   
“F-Fuck…” Levi savoured the moment. “Good boy, fuck.”  
   
“Mm.” Eren bobbed his head, keeping his eyes on Levi, watching goose bumps form along his arms and shoulders. He continued moving up and down, building a rhythm… then speeding up.  
   
Levi’s breathing got louder and he bit his lip, silencing a moan that threatened to leave him. He would not make lewd noises; he _would_ control himself. But so early in the morning, head foggy, and lost in those perfect green eyes looking at him with such… admiration. His heart did a little flip and he thrust his hips forward, pushing into Eren’s mouth.  
  
Eren bobbed on the cock, never looking away from his Dom. The hand tightened in his hair and he felt the sharp pain—it thrilled him. He felt himself get hard, but he ignored it. He was secondary to his owner. He focused on pleasing Levi, and Levi alone.  
  
Levi closed his eyes, letting out a moan. Floodgates broke. Sounds left his lips and he threw his head back. “Fuck.”  
  
Eren moved his head up and focused on the head, bobbing his lips over it, swirling his tongue around it, sucking it.  
  
Levi arched his back, feeling he was close. He grabbed the back of Eren’s head and pushed it down to the base again. “Hng.” He closed his eyes, stifling a noise, and let go. He relaxed on the bed and looked down at Eren.  
   
Eren swallowed the load with ease and slipped the cock out of his mouth. He kissed Levi’s thigh then grinned, quite proud of himself. “Armin’s making breakfast downstairs.”  
   
Levi played with Eren’s hair. “And what about you, Pup?”  
   
Eren grinned. “Only if you want to, Sir.”  
   
Levi watched Eren’s dog tag dangle and he smirked. He grabbed Eren by the shoulders and flipped them over.  
  


⁂

  
  
After a quick shower, together, which included Eren being fucked against a wall, they got dressed and headed down the stairs. Eren had already showered before, with Armin (also involved some fucking against a wall) but the chance to get naked and wet with Levi was not a chance Eren was gonna pass up! There were also some warm dorky hugs in hot water and steam. Eren had the smile of an angel while Levi scowled like an angry four year old.  
   
Armin had already put breakfast on the table—a plate of eggs, pancakes, fruits, turkey bacon, breakfast sausages, and a small bowl of Greek yogurt—as well as an iced pitcher. “Morning you two.” He added the forks and knives to the table. “Have fun?”  
   
“Lots.” Eren cackled as he took his seat. “Ooo! Lemonade?”  
   
“Yep.” Armin grabbed glasses and added them to the table.  
   
“But.” Levi actually pouted. “Coffee…”  
   
“Well, yes, coffee’s nice.” Armin chuckled. “But it’s the hottest day of the year.”  
   
Eren perked up. “Is it?”  
   
“Well, that’s what my weather app says at least.” Armin smiled. “It is pretty hot, though.”  
   
Levi took his seat and glared at the lemonade.  
   
Armin just kept smiling. “Not to your liking, Master?” Armin grabbed a small cup of something and mixed it with a spoon. He smiled before pouring the strawberry nectar into the pitcher, then mixing it until the lemonade was pink. “Is this better?”  
   
Levi’s lips twitched, but he forced himself to be a steel wall. “Acceptable.”  
   
Eren snickered and grabbed his fork and knife. “Wow, you went all out, Arm’! So, what’s the plan for today? Do we have one? It’s cool if we don’t.”  
   
“No idea.” Levi pointed to his cup with a knife. “I have today off, though; we shouldn’t waste it. Anything you want to do?”  
   
Eren shook his head. “Not really. Well, like, nothing in particular. What about you, Arm’?”  
   
“Hmm.” Armin stirred the pitcher of strawberry lemonade for a moment before he poured Levi a glass. “There is a food festival in town, actually. It’s down by the waterside, near the south bay? It’s the one with all the rich people, so it probably won’t be too _too_ busy.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi cocked an eyebrow. “And weather’s going to stay sunny?”  
   
“That’s the forecast.” Armin poured Eren a glass, and then himself one as well. “It’s only going to get hotter, so we could go out… to the ocean.”  
   
“Hm.” Levi nodded then glanced to Eren. “Pup. Do you have swim trunks?”  
   
“Yep! I wasn’t swimming in your pool naked, you know.”  
   
“Right. I would have noticed.” Levi looked back at Armin. “When’s the festival?”  
   
Armin glanced over his shoulder, looking at the digital clock above the stove. “It starts at eleven, and it goes until like.” He faced forward. “Seven at night? So anytime really. It’s ten now, we could leave in an hour and a half, get there by noon, lunch time. We could dick around at the festival for an hour or two, then go to the ocean, come back for dinner, and spend the evening here?”  
   
“Sounds good.” Levi nodded. “I can always trust you to make the most of the day.”  
   
Armin’s cheeks warmed as he put the pitcher down, finally taking his seat. “If the festival sucks, we can ditch, play it by ear. I just want to make sure we’re enjoying the day.”  
   
Eren knew what Armin really meant(—enjoying their time with Eren while he was still in the house). “What kind of festival is it, Army?”  
   
“Food festival.”  
   
“No, I mean, what’s the occasion? Is there a theme or something?”  
   
“Oh! Wine and seafood.”  
   
“Ew.” Eren made a face. “Seafood’s cool, but wine’s lame.”  
   
Levi laughed, shoving a sausage in his mouth before Armin could glare at him.  
   
Armin, however, was too excited—he clasped his hands together. “O-Oh. I could, teach you about wine and food pairings, maybe?”  
   
Eren stared at him. “I’ll pass.”  
   
The excitement slowly died from Armin’s eyes.  
   
Eren cringed—it was like Mufasa coming back from the dead just to say he was a shitty son and he made the wrong choice.  
   
Levi smacked Eren’s arm.  
   
“Okay okay.” Eren pouted. “We can go learn about wining and dining.”  
   
“Good Pup.” Levi nodded.  
   
Eren glared at his Dom. “All _three_ of us.”  
   
Levi froze, eyes wide with fear and betrayal.  
   
“Yes!” Armin bounced out of his chair. “This will be so much fun, oh my God!”  
   
Eren snickered to himself.  
   
Levi’s jaw tightened. “I hate you…”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren patted his pockets to make sure his phone and wallet were there, before he walked to the front entrance. “Where’s Army?”  
   
“Army…” Levi repeated under his breath. “Adorable, Pup.”  
   
Eren grinned like an idiot. “I try.”  
   
Levi looked up the stairs. “He’s changing, since I was _not_ going to tolerate what he was wearing.”  
   
“Aww.” Eren crossed his arms. “How bad was it?”  
   
Levi shuddered with the strength of the stars and clouds when they merged to make Mufasa out of the sky. “Floral.”  
   
“But! Armin looks cute in floral!”  
   
“It’s okay, Eren.” Armin stepped down the stairs.  
   
Wearing  tan-white flats, Armin had a grey draped skirt around his waist, uneven and going past his knee on his right leg, but showing off skin on his left one, halfway up his thigh. He wore a white sleeveless blouse, with black-lined frills at the top. Wearing his leather collar on his left arm, he wore a loose blue band around his right wrist, and a silver ring on his right middle finger. He also had a black belt slung around his hips, on the diagonal of his skirt, although it was obvious it wasn’t doing anything functional—just there to look pretty and complete the outfit. “If Master wants me to wear something else, I will change. I dress for his pleasure.” He batted his eyelashes, which were a tad thicker with the touch of makeup. “Acceptable?”  
   
Levi licked his lips and took a second to reply. “Yes.”  
   
Armin turned to Eren for approval but, “You’re drooling.”  
   
Levi offered a handkerchief, but Eren just kept staring. He had to wave it in his face before Eren finally cleaned himself up.  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren felt a little… underdressed.  
   
He wore a dark green t-shirt that said “I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE” in big white letters and black jeans, but these were his skinny jeans—his ‘make my ass look perfect as fuck’ jeans. Anybody who took it up the ass had a pair of those jeans, regardless of sexuality; if you know someone who takes it up the ass and doesn’t have that kind of pair of jeans—you now have an idea for their birthday/Christmas present. Advice from Eren Jaeger.  Take it to heart. But, point being, those jeans were his only saving grace.  
   
Levi went for a casual pair of brown slacks, white belt, a tight white shirt that hugged his abs far too much, and a thin grey sweater, which he left unbuttoned.  
   
Eren realised he was witnessing Levi making no effort for once, and yet Eren wanted to lean over and take a bite.  
   
Between the two of them, he realised he was quite thoroughly fucked for life.  
  


⁂

  
  
After Armin drove (and Eren was surprised Armin drove, to which Armin flicked his nose and told him not to patronise him, to which Eren pretended his nose was permanently damaged by the nose flick and needed a kiss to get better, to which Armin kissed his nose, to which Levi sitting in the backseat told them to stop being brats and drive) and found parking, the three entered the festival.  
   
It was quieter than Eren expected, but quite busy too. Up a set of stairs was a large flat stage where all the vendors had set up. The view of the ocean went far and wide, many islands covered green in trees in the distance.  
   
“Hm!” Armin bounced up and down, giddy as fuck. “I’m going to look around.”  
   
Levi opened his wallet and handed several green bills over. “Here.”  
   
Armin took the twenties with a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks!” And he ran off.  
   
Levi pulled out a couple more bills and offered it to Eren. “You too.”  
   
“I’m fine.” Eren smiled. “I can pay for myself.”  
   
“Oh.” Levi smiled. “Have fun paying without your wallet.”  
   
Eren patted his pockets and gasped. “Hey!”  
   
Levi pulled it out with his free hand.  
   
Eren snatched it out of his hand and opened it. He scowled at Levi. “Too many twenties!”  
   
“I added three.”  
   
Eren pulled out four and handed it over.  
   
“I said three, dimwit.”  
   
“Uhuh, and four of these are baby’s ass smooth like they just came out of an ATM, while the other ones are wallet level crinkly.”  
   
“Well, well.” Levi snatched the cash. “Aren’t you Sherlock fucking Holmes. Just take a twenty you dickweed.”  
   
“No, it’s cool. I can pay.”  
   
“You have no income, shitfuck. Take a twenty.”  
   
Eren knew it was better to just give in, so he took a twenty. He rubbed it between his fingers and it split into two twenties. “God damnit, Levi!”  
   
Levi ruffled his hair and walked off.

⁂

  
  
Eren looked around the festival. He wasn’t too much of a seafood person, but living with his dad, Mikasa, and Armin had all taught him that fish could be great if it was done right. He found a sushi place… which was pretty much a ‘Gourmet Sushi’ (read: not-authentic whitewashed sushi), but eventually did find an actual sushi place. He ordered a negitoro cone, chopped tuna and green onions, and added a dash of soy sauce (just a dash because if Armin found him, he’d be shot on the spot—guns weren’t even legal in Canada, but Armin would find a way; Armin fucking Arlert would find a way, and nobody was dumb enough to try and disprove that).  
   
He found a couple other things, but nothing too exciting.  
   
Put a weeaboo in a seafood festival and of course they go for sushi.  
   
And then make a point about authentic sushi.  
   
Eren eventually saw Armin out of the corner of his eye, talking to a vendor about something or another. Eren walked over to him and hugged him from behind.  
   
Armin didn’t even flinch, just kept the conversation going. “So what fish do you use?”  
   
“The majority of it is wild salmon, but there is some tuna, lobster, and scallops as well.”  
   
Armin whistled, impressed. He raised a hand, scratching Eren’s cheek. “Try one.”  
   
Eren opened his mouth. “Ahhh.”  
   
The food vendor laughed and handed a round slice of something on a toothpick.  
   
Armin took the toothpick and carefully brought it to Eren’s mouth.  
   
Eren close his mouth around it and munched. “Mm!”  
   
Armin grinned. “Good?”  
   
“Yeah, actually. That was really good. So, what did I eat?”  
   
The vendor tried not to laugh, but a chuckle left his lips. “Seafood sausage. It’s made fresh from local fish.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Will you be here when the festival is over?”  
   
“The festival ends around seven, but we’re going to start packing up around six forty-five.”  
   
Armin nodded. “Will you have stocks left by the end?”  
   
“Maybe not the ones on the grill, but if you’re looking to take some home, for sure. They freeze very well.”  
   
“Great!” Armin pulled out his wallet. “I’ll take twelve of the appies for now, I’ll come back for the frozen ones. What wine pair do you have?”  
   
“Chardonnay!”  
   
Armin nodded in approval. “Oaked or unoaked?”  
   
“Both!”  
   
“Can I have a glass of unoaked Chardonnay, but split into three of the smaller glasses?”  
   
“Ew.” Eren muttered. “Wine.”  
   
“I’ll drink it if you don’t.” Armin laughed. “Anyway, can you do that?”  
   
“Sure thing,” the vendor said. “I’m just putting these guys on the grill, then I’ll get you your wine. Could I see some I.D. please?”  
   
Armin took out his driving license and offered it.  
   
The vendor took it and looked at the birth date. “Thank you!” He offered it back. “And you, Sir?”  
   
Eren whined, not wanting to let go of Armin, but he did. He pulled out his ID, handed it over, then took it back. His arms wrapped around his blond mushroom munchkin and squeezed him tight. He nuzzled his neck. “So, what’ch’ya buying?”  
   
“You’ll see.” Armin smiled. “It’s finger food, sharing food. And also making sure Levi eats something instead of glaring at everything and calling it shit, food.”  
   
Eren snickered and kissed his cheek.  
   
The vendor smiled. “Is this your boyfriend?”  
   
“Yes he is.” Armin didn’t miss a beat.  
   
“You’re a lucky lady.” The vendor winked at him. He grabbed a tray and put the appetizers on it before closing the box. “That comes to nineteen sixty-five.”  
   
Armin handed over a twenty. “Keep the change.”  
   
“Thank you!”  
   
Armin took the box of appetizers and looked at Eren. “Can you get the wine?”  
   
“Sure thing.” Eren let go of Armin and grabbed the three glasses. “Thanks.”  
   
The two of them walked away and managed to find a table for four by the edge, giving a nice view of the ocean as it glistened from the sun. Armin sat down and opened up the box. There were wide slices of sausage, wider than the sample Eren tried, and thick, with some flakes and a drizzle of white sauce. On each sausage was also a thin slice of tomato and a dash of herbs.  
   
Armin removed the tomato from one, and then ate the grilled sausage.  
   
Eren decided not to be picky and he just ate it as it was. He wiggled in his seat and smiled. “Nice!”  
   
“Try it with some wine.” Armin grinned. “Chardonnay is one of the more popular whites, and for fish like salmon that are very ‘meaty’, the smoothness works nice. It’s unoaked, so it’s a bit fruitier. It’s a really nice contrast.”  
   
Eren pouted but he ate another sausage appetiser and then grabbed the small glass of white wine. He looked at the light yellow colour and sipped it. Eren was only a social drinker, really, so even the wine gave him a bit of a burn—but Armin was right. It worked. The chardonnay was a touch on the lemony side, and the flavours of the fish complemented it.  
   
“And?”  
   
Eren shrugged. “Not bad.” He ate another one and drank the wine again.  
   
Armin took the little victory and then ate another as well. When Eren was reaching for his fifth, Armin had to slap his hand away. “Come on, let’s find Levi.” He closed the box. “Don’t want to eat them before Levi tries it, right?”  
   
“Okay okay.” Eren chugged his wine then tossed the plastic cup.  
  


⁂

  
  
“You…” Levi stared at the thing before him. “Are an ugly piece of shit.”  
   
The oyster didn’t reply.  
   
Levi grabbed the provided lime wedge and squeezed it over the ugly piece of shit. He opened his mouth and raised his hand, letting it pour into his mouth before he swallowed. There was sweetness to Pacific oysters; Levi always liked that. He put the shell down and the vendor lady person thing thanked him. He mostly ignored her, but gave a little nod. It actually was pretty good. A little overpriced, but everything at the festival was a dollar or two more than it should have been.  
   
“Levi!”  
   
Levi looked over his shoulder to see Eren waving at him. “Hey.”  
   
Eren and Armin walked up to the stall and Eren made a face. “Ew, oysters.”  
   
“Incorrect.” Levi scoffed. “It’s a delight.”  
   
“No way, man.” Eren shook his head. “They’re gross.”  
   
“Yes, well, shoving my dick up your ass is gross, but you consider it a delight.”  
   
Eren paused. “That… is a good argument.”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes. “Are the oysters good?”  
   
“Yeah. Fresh.” Levi nodded. “What’s that?” He pointed to the box.  
   
Armin opened it up.  
   
Eren offered a glass of wine. “Eat.”  
   
Levi took one, tentatively, and ate it. He took a sip of wine to wash it down and raised an eyebrow. “Not bad, actually. Was that a sausage or something?”  
   
“Seafood sausage.” Armin smiled and then handed the box to Levi. “Hold this, I want an oyster. Wanna try one, Eren?”  
   
Eren icked. “Not really…”  
   
Levi frowned. “Be a good sport.”  
   
“You just want to watch me suffer.”  
   
“Yes. I do. Now eat one.”  
   
Eren pouted. “Fine…”  
   
Armin paid for two oysters and handed one to Eren. “You should add some lemon or lime to it. Oysters have a strong flavour, and citrus bites the harshness away.”  
   
Eren went for a lime wedge and sprayed it on, looking to Armin for approval.  
   
Armin nodded and did the same. “They also have some sauces if you want to try, hot sauce, or champagne mignonette.”  
   
Eren looked at him. “Minionswhat?”  
   
“Mignonette.” Armin smiled. “It’s French, I think.”  
   
“Ooo, it sounds sexy when you say it.”  
   
Armin laughed. “Thanks, didn’t go to French immersion for nothing.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren grinned. “You really sound sexy when you speak French.”  
   
“You think I’m good?” Armin nudged Levi’s side. “Wait until you hear him.”  
   
Eren’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.  
   
Levi scoffed. “I have no idea what anything means in French, anymore. I can just speak it without an accent.”  
   
“Anyway.” Armin shook his oyster. “Ready? Wanna put some sauce or anything on it? You’re allowed for oysters.”  
   
“I’m okay, I think.” Eren stared at the wiggly watery whatever the fuck it was. “Is this a test? Like, you’re telling me I can put sauce on it then I fail if I do?”  
   
Levi snorted.  
   
“No it’s not a test… Well, I mean, you’re allowed putting a _little bit_ of sauce on it… put too much and I’ll haunt your dreams forever.” Armin smiled sweetly before chugging his oyster.  
   
Eren made a face before he raise his oyster, letting it fall into his mouth. He squished his eyes closed as he swallowed, shaking like a wet dog. “Ew…” He looked at them. “Tasty, but… ew, the texture… I mean it was actually really tasty, but the texture.”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi took the two shells and gave them back to the lady. “Takes some getting used to.”  
  


⁂

  
  
They eventually moved to a table where they ate the appetisers.  
   
Eren leaned back on his chair. “I’m still kinda hungry? I might get something, but something small. Either of you want?”  
   
“I’m good.” Armin smiled.  
   
“You can get something,” Levi agreed. “Armin and I have to get some supplies.”  
   
“Mhm.” Armin nodded. “Water, ice cream.”  
   
Eren looked between the two of them. “Huh?”  
   
Levi smiled. “Nothing.”  
   
“Huh?” Eren’s eyes widened. “What are we doing?”  
   
“You’ll find out in twenty minutes.” Levi glanced at Armin. “You get supplies, I’ll make sure it works.”  
   
Armin nodded. “And I’ll get our swim suits from the car, too.”  
   
Eren poked Armin’s knee.  
   
Armin grinned. “We could tell you now, but there’s no fun in that.”  
   
Eren pointed at Levi. “You’re a dick.” Then he pointed at Armin. “And you’re an asshole.”  
   
Armin blinked. “Well aren’t we lucky you like both?”  
   
Levi snorted.  
   
Eren whined a thousand miles per hour into the sun.  
  


⁂

  
  
“Boat!” Eren jumped up and down as he ran down the dock. “You have a boat!”  
   
Levi scoffed. “I’m rich as fuck on the west coast. Why the fuck wouldn’t I have a boat?”  
   
Eren jumped on and twirled around. It was a two floor boat with an indoor section. He ran to the front and looked out to sea. “But this is like… a yacht!”  
   
“Yes.” Levi walked aboard. “That’s indeed why I… ‘boaught’ it.”  
   
“Oh dear God,” Armin whispered.  
   
Eren burst into a snicker fit, which evolved into a giggle fit, and eventually went full blown laughing fit.  
   
Levi sighed. “I’m sorry.”  
   
Armin shook his head.  
   
Eren was still laughing.  
   
Armin turned to Levi. “Everything good?”  
   
“Working in top shape.” Levi looked over his shoulder. “Drinks in the fridge?”  
   
“Yeah, we’re all good.”  
   
“Great.” Levi moved to the wheel and turned the engine on. He didn’t give any warnings as he blasted the boat into full throttle.  
   
Eren screamed and latched onto Armin as they were suddenly charging through the wind like Mufasa charging through the stars on his way to tell son I am disappoint.  
   
Eventually Eren let go of Armin, and Armin kicked off his flats. He peeled off his shirt, but left the skirt on. “Let’s get comfy.”  
   
Levi frowned. “Sun’s bright.”  
   
Armin got the pair of sunglasses and handed it over.  
   
Levi wore it and nodded. “Thanks.”  
   
Eren tackled Levi from behind. “Faster! Go faster!”  
   
“No.”  
   
“Faaaster!”  
   
“Fine.” Levi made the boat go even faster and the wind slapped them in the face.  
   
Armin rolled his eyes. “I’m going upstairs.”  
   
“Okay,” Levi called out over the wind.  
   
Eren let go of Levi and opened his arms, feeling the wind against his skin. “Oh man! I’ve never been on a boat before, this is cool as fuck!”  
   
Levi snickered. “You haven’t even seen the inside or upstairs yet.”  
   
Eren turned around and chased after Armin. After going up, he quickly came back down. “Sir! There’s a pool!”  
   
“Yes, Eren.”  
   
“A pool, on a boat!”  
   
“Yes, Pup.”  
   
Eren turned around and went back upstairs, whistling at the lounge. The boat began to slow down and he looked at Armin. “There’s a pool!”  
   
Armin pulled off his skirt and his underwear with it. “Yes, Eren.” He grabbed his bathing suit and whipped it to straighten it out.  
   
Eren grabbed Armin’s ass and gave it a squeeze.  
   
“Hey!”  
   
“What do you mean ‘Hey!’? Where’s my ‘Thank you, Eren!’?”  
   
Armin snickered and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Eren.” He put his bathing suit on and pointed to the counter. “Yours is there.”  
   
Eren stripped as well and grabbed his bathing suit.  
   
Armin grabbed a towel, twirled it, and whipped Eren’s ass.  
   
“Ouch!” He shot straight up and turned around. “Army!”  
   
“What do you mean ‘Ouch!’?” Armin snickered. “Where’s my ‘Thank you, Armin!’?”  
   
Eren burst into another giggle fit as he put on his swim suit. “You’re a loser!”  
   
Armin walked over and cupped both sides of his face before kissing him softly. “Total loser.”  
   
“Favourite loser.” Eren rubbed his nose against Armin’s.  
   
Armin’s cheek burned red and he nudged Eren’s chest with his arm. “Shush.”  
   
The boat came to a stop.  
   
Levi walked up the stairs and smiled at how cute his subs were together. He contemplated taking a picture, but they moved away from each other too soon. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. “Sunscreen?”  
   
“Hm.” Armin shrugged. “We have some, but do we need it?”  
   
Eren glanced over to Levi, looking at those two scars… It was at the end of the first week when he had first seen it, which meant it had been three weeks of him wondering just what happened. But, that thought only reminded him it was the end of the fourth week, his last two days. The sour note rolled on his tongue and he shook his head. “Isn’t it the hottest day of the year or something?”  
   
“Eh.” Armin shrugged. “Hottest day of the year for west coast up here isn’t saying much.”  
   
Eren snickered. “That’s true.”  
   
“Then fuck it.” Levi shrugged. He walked over to a lounge chair and took a seat, keeping his sunglasses on. “Armin, make me a drink.”  
   
“Yes, Master.” Armin turned to the counter. “Alcoholic or not?”  
   
“Not yet.”  
   
Armin opened a drawer and pulled out a blender.  
   
Eren blinked. “Really? A blender? On a boat?”  
   
“I’m top tier on my slave game.” Armin plugged it in and opened the fridge. “At all times.”  
   
Eren kissed his cheek. “Can I help?”  
   
“Sure.” He grabbed a box of strawberries and offered it to Eren. “Here.”  
   
Eren took it and looked at it. “What do I do?”  
   
“Cut off the tops with a knife, and wash it.”  
   
“Wash it?” Eren looked at the strawberries and then looked around. “In… the ocean?”  
   
“Eren!” Levi shouted, “Get the fuck away from my drink!”  
   
Armin burst out laughing and took the strawberries from him. “Never mind, I’ll do it.”  
   
 Eren pouted. “I wasn’t actually going to–”  
   
“—Don’t care.” Levi pointed at his side. “Sit.”  
   
Eren whined but walked over. “Sir!” He dropped on the floor and sat criss-cross apple-sauce on the floor.  
   
“You.” Levi messed up his hair. “Are so dumb.”  
   
“No!” Eren stood up. “I was just… really confused, like… how do you wash something on a boat?”  
   
“Eren, we have running water.”  
   
“Wait. On a boat? Running water, on a yacht?”  
   
“Yes. Think of it as a small cruise ship. We have showers, and baths, and filtered water. We could easily live here.”  
   
Armin turned on the blender and a quiet buzzing noise came to life.  
   
“Well, excuse me.” Eren wiggled and pouted. “I’ve never been on a big ol’ fancy boat before.”  
   
Levi smiled. “My perfect little savage.”  
   
Eren gasped. “I thought you were done with that nickname!”  
   
“I’m sorry.” Levi motioned Eren closer.  
   
Eren dropped in his lap.  
   
Levi kissed Eren’s cheek. “Welcome to the upper class.”  
   
Eren grinned and kissed his cheek.  
   
“And since this is your first time on a boat, Pup, I want you in my sight at all times.”  
   
“I’m not going to fall over! I’m not that dumb.”  
   
“Oh!” Armin cried out, “Let’s wash the strawberries in the ocean!”  
   
Eren gasped. “Armin!”  
   
Armin turned off the blender and walked over. “I’m just teasing.” He kissed his forehead. He handed a cup to Levi and one to Eren. “Strawberry, bananas, vanilla ice cream, a bit of ice, and some milk.”  
   
Levi sipped the milkshake and moaned. “Thank you.”  
   
Eren took one taste and he straddled a canoe and drifted off to the sunset.  
   
Armin got himself a cup and quickly rinsed the blender. “If you want more, just ask and I’ll make.”  
   
Levi nodded.  
   
Eren just stared at his drink. “That was a big blender, though.”  
   
Armin sat on Levi’s lap, next to Eren. “Well these are big cups.”  
   
Eren kissed his cheek then kissed Levi’s cheek. “This is nice.”  
   
Levi nodded. “Yeah. Oh.” He pointed to the side. “Life jackets are there in case things go to shit. They won’t, but.”  
   
“Safety first,” Eren chimed.  
   
Levi smiled. “Of course.”  
   
Eren leaned in for a kiss.  
   
Levi kissed back and smiled. “Just don’t do anything dumb on the boat.”  
   
“I’m not dumb!” Eren whined.  
   
“I know, I know.” Levi pulled him closer. “You know, when I first brought Armin on this boat…”  
   
Armin’s eyes widened. “No!”  
   
“He was so much worse than you,” Levi said with a laugh. “He was running around, clicking everything, opening every drawer, touching anything he could. He was so… so much worse than you.”  
   
Eren snickered and glanced at the blond. “Oh yeah?”  
   
Armin sighed, shaking his head. “So much worse…”  
   
Levi’s smile widened. “He wasn’t even mine yet, but I knew he was a cat.” He ruffled Armin’s hair. “He bounced around just like you did, but he did almost kill everyone. Luckily he has nine lives, or some shit like that. Since he wanted to know what every button did, the fucker hit the turbo on the speed gauge.”  
   
Armin scratched the back of his head. “The force of it actually threw me to the side and I… fell off the boat.”  
   
Eren’s jaw dropped. “Oh no…”  
   
“Gunther jumped in after me,” Armin went on. “And Petra steered the boat back around. Levi,” he smacked his Master’s leg before continuing, “Did absolutely nothing!”  
   
“Of course I didn’t.” Levi smiled sweetly. “I was too busy laughing my _ass off._ ”  
   
Eren pouted. “What about safety first!?”  
   
“Well…” Levi glanced to him. “He wasn’t my sub yet, so not my responsibility…”  
   
“You jerk.” Eren shook his head, doing his best to hide his smile.  
   
Levi finished his drink. “Make me something else you tools. Alcoholic.”  
   
Armin got up and took his glass. “Yes Master.”  
   
Eren nuzzled Levi’s neck. “Do you trust me this time?”  
   
“You dumbass.” Levi smacked his ass, watching him jolt up. “I always trust you… moron.”  
   
Eren stood up as well, feeling the warm flutter in his chest as he followed Armin to the sink. “So we making something super fancy?”  
   
“Sort of.” Armin pulled out a cocktail shaker and put it on the counter. He opened the mini fridge and pulled out a half-empty case of strawberries and a couple leaves. “Wash the strawberries. In the sink. About… six of them? And then wash the basil. All of them. Okay?”  
   
“Sure thing.” Eren twisted the knob and had a moment of fascination as the faucet did indeed turn on. He put his hand through the water to see if it was real. It was. The water was real. He grabbed a couple strawberries but then realised he needed a knife. He put them down and then grabbed the knife Armin had used before. He gave it a quick rinse then began cutting the tops of the strawberries. “Where do I put them?”  
   
“In the thing.” Armin motioned towards the cocktail shaker with a movement of his head. He grabbed several drinks and a few measuring cups. “Leaves too.”  
   
Eren grabbed the basil and gave them a quick rinse before dropping them in. “Okay. Done here.”  
   
“Can you add like… two spoons of sugar?”  
   
Eren looked at the counter and noticed a bag of white sugar and a spoon was already laid out. “Okay!” He got to work, scooping up the snow-like whiteness and putting it in, one at a time. “Now what?”  
   
Armin grabbed a cocktail muddler, a long plastic rod used to crush things, and he got to work, squishing the berries and breaking up the leaves, mixing the sugar into their juices. “Now can you add the gin? The clear one.”  
   
“Right.” Eren grabbed the measuring cup of gin, noting it was just under a cup, and he added it.  
   
Armin removed the muddler and grabbed three halved limes. He squeezed their juices in, then put down the used fruit and grabbed two more. He squeezed them in then tossed them in the garbage bin. He opened the freezer and pulled out a drawer to find the ice cube tray. He handed it to Eren. “Add them all in.”  
   
Eren grabbed the tray and smacked it on the counter to shake the ice cubes free.  
   
Levi sighed. “Eren that counter is worth more than your kidneys.”  
   
Eren’s eyes widened.  
   
Armin took the tray from Eren and rolled his eyes. “He’s kidding.” Armin added the ice cubes. “It’s only worth one and a half of your kidneys, really.” Armin paused. “Well, more like one and three-fourths…?”  
   
“What?” Eren stared at him.  
   
“Well, a kidney is… roughly worth like… two hundred and eighty thousand? Canadian. And these counters were like five hundred thousand? So yeah, something like one-point-seven-five kidneys.”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi nodded. “I rounded up. Because I’m not a basic bitch.”  
   
“Yes,” Armin agreed. “Levi rounded up because he’s not a basic bitch.”  
   
Eren watched Armin put the cover on the cocktail shaker, and then proceed to shake it, but Eren’s eyes drifted to the counter. It was white. It was smooth. He rubbed his hand on it. But how the fuck was it worth five hundred thousand? He knew next to nothing about counters though… was it expensive because of installation on boats or…?  
   
“Eren.” Armin kept shaking it. “Can you get three glasses?”  
   
Eren opened about eight cupboards before he found some glasses. They were like scotch glasses. He put them down and looked at Armin. “These?”  
   
“Sure!” Armin twisted the head of the shaker and poured the pink drink through the strainer. “Can you get the club soda?”  
   
Eren looked around until he saw it. He popped the top. “Add it?”  
   
“Just a bit to each. Give it a little fizz, but not a lot.”  
   
“Okidoke!” Eren poured a little in each and then put the can down. “Done?”  
   
“Yep.”  
   
Eren grabbed two cups and walked over to Levi. “Here, Sir.”  
   
Levi took it and smiled. He brought it to his lips and nodded. “Thank you.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Ah, whatever, no problem.”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes.  
  


⁂

  
  
Levi drove the boat back to the dock, and Eren leaned over the side, feeling the wind hit him in the face. Armin commented on how he looked like a dog, in which Eren arf’d at him. Levi secretly found it adorable but he wouldn’t tell anyone. He did have a drink, but he considered himself good enough to drive a boat. He docked with ease and they got their things, heading back towards the festival. Back at the bay, Armin took lead, going from vendor to vendor as most of them were selling with five-to-ten percent off, trying to sell as much stock as they could as the festival was coming to an end.  
   
Armin kept giving Eren things to hold, box after box.  
   
Levi smiled. “Bitch boy.”  
   
“Am I supposed to be insulted?” Eren chuckled. “That’s what I signed up for.”  
   
“You signed up to be my bitch boy,” Levi corrected, “Not my bitch’s bitch boy.”  
   
Eren shrugged. “All the same to me.”  
   
Levi smiled at that, glancing away.  
   
As Armin put another thing down, Eren looked over his shoulder and his eyes lit up. “Commander!”  
   
Armin blinked. “Who?”  
   
Levi paled. “Ugh.”  
   
Eren grinned. “Commander Handsome!”  
   
Several feet away, two people turned towards them. Erwin laughed and walked over, Nifa following. “Hello Eren, Armin.” He looked at Levi and smiled, noticing the permanent scowl on his face had lessened. He turned back to Armin. “I like your skirt.”  
   
“Thank you, Sir.” Armin dipped his head in respect, cheeks warming. “Nice to bump into you.”  
   
Nifa smiled. “Nice to see you guys again.”  
   
Levi looked between them. “A date?”  
   
Erwin’s smile didn’t change. He would give away nothing.  
   
Nifa turned to Armin. “I like the skirt. Do you always wear girl clothes, or just when you bump into me?”  
   
Armin laughed. “Oh I just wear whatever.”  
   
“Spoilers,” Eren said with a smile, “Armin looks cute in everything he wears.”  
   
Armin nudged his arm, chuckling lightly.  
   
Levi crossed his arms, eyeing them both. “Fancy bumping into you here, tall shit.”  
   
Erwin turned to Nifa. “See why I named the drink, ‘Levi’?”  
   
Nifa put a hand over his mouth. “I’ll refrain from commenting…”  
   
Levi ran his tongue over his lower teeth. “Smart. Move. So, Erwin, on a date with your own employee. How scandalous.”  
   
“Funny.” Erwin put an arm around Nifa. “We’ve taken steps to assure our personal and professional lives do not mix.”  
   
Eren grinned. “That’s my Commander.”  
   
Levi visibly paled at the nickname again and he rolled his eyes. “So, how are you liking the festival? It’s mostly dying down, but I take it you guys have been here for a while.”  
   
Nifa nodded. “A couple hours, yeah. I’m from West Crescent, so I never get to see these kind of things. The ocean is gorgeous and the food is great.”  
   
“West?” Armin’s eyes lit up. “I’m from West Crescent too!”  
   
“Really?” Nifa blinked. “Which part?”  
   
“Downbury.”  
   
Eren looked between the two of them. Although he was from a small town down south, he knew about West Crescent. The… poorer, not-as-nice, part of Crescent, while North Crescent was the rich people snobville, where Levi lived. The rest of the conversation he missed as he zoned out, until he felt a nudge on his shoulder. “Huh? What?”  
   
Armin, Nifa, and Erwin all chuckled, but Levi stared at him for a moment.  
   
“Sorry?” Eren blinked. “What’s up?”  
   
“Nothing, you dumb mutt.” Levi messed up his hair and hooked an arm around his waist. “Anyway, you two play nice. As much as I love watching my pets gloat over you, Erwin, it seems you’ve gotten your own. Finally.”  
   
Nifa’s face burned.  
   
Erwin just smiled.  
   
“Jealous, Master?” Armin teased before glancing at Erwin. “Nice seeing you two again!”  
   
“Yes.” Erwin nodded. “Hopefully we’ll see each other again.”  
   
Levi frowned. “There’s still a seat available for the Rivaille event if you want.”  
   
“As your date?” Erwin laughed. “Sadly that seat is taken, isn’t it?”  
   
“Sadly, it is.” Levi sighed. “But I’d take you as replacement if I could.”  
   
Eren looked between them all. “Who’s your date, Sir? I mean, I’m Armin’s, right?”  
   
“You are, Pup.” Levi offered a small wave before he turned and left.  
   
Armin grinned. “You’ll see. Bye!”  
   
“Hey, wait!” Eren watched them leave and turned to Erwin and Nifa. “Nice seeing you two again, Commander Sir!”  
   
“Commander?” Nifa blinked.  
   
“Commander Handsome—but—Watch out! He turns into Commander Deception when you’re not expecting it… Anyway, Levi’ll probably drive off without me so bye!”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren didn’t know why he was in a weird mood, but he was and there wasn’t much he could do about that. He went on his laptop for a bit, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to do anything in particular? He knew Armin was downstairs, Levi was upstairs, so he sat on his bed and checked his emails and inboxes over several websites. Nothing exciting. He stared at the ceiling for a while and then sighed.  
   
Tomorrow was the big day.  
   
Tomorrow was his… last, day.  
   
Eren shook those thoughts away and stared back at his laptop. He was staring at Google—there was some stupid picture, so he clicked on it. Apparently some person died and it was their anniversary. Or something. Cool. He tried to bring himself to care, but… The bed dipped to the side. “Huh?” He glanced over.  
   
Armin was only in a pair of tight boxers. He was on all fours, moving slowly towards him.  
   
Eren grinned. “Hey buddy.”  
   
Instead of replying, Armin just meowed.  
   
Eren blinked. “What?”  
   
Armin meowed again then pushed Eren’s laptop.  
   
“Hey.” Eren moved it aside and closed it.  
   
Armin dropped in Eren’s lap, claiming the spot. He arched his back and exposed his stomach.  
   
“Aww, someone’s being a kitty huh?” Eren scratched his tummy and leaned down to smooch him.  
   
Armin purred happily.  
   
Eren kissed Armin’s forehead.  
   
Armin responded with another meow. He sat up, straddling Eren’s lap. He nuzzled Eren, rubbing his face against his shirt.  
   
“Awww.” Eren hugged him tight. “Just give me a moment to put away my laptop, ‘kay?”  
   
Armin frowned. He broke out of the hug, put his hands on Eren’s shoulder, and pounced—pounding him against the mattress.  
   
Eren blinked. He was pretty sure he was Simba and Armin was Nala and Mufasa was going to tell him to remember who he was after they sang Can You Feel The Love Tonight… which would be sad, because they had no one to play Pumbaa and Timon… unless Levi wanted to play both, but Levi would not appreciate playing Pumbaa. Or maybe he would. Shit jokes. But, all in all, Mufasa was right. He had to remember who he was. He pushed Armin aside, got up, then sat on Armin’s legs. He held both of Armin’s wrists in one hand and pointed at him with his other. “Bad kitty.”  
   
Armin whined and tried to wiggle free.  
   
“Be good!”  
   
Armin hissed.  
   
“Be a good boy, and I’ll give you all the smooches you want.”  
   
Armin pouted…  
   
Eren took that as a victory and got up. He grabbed his laptop and put it on the desk, where it wasn’t in danger.  
   
While the desk was safe, Armin turned around to the bedside table and just pushed Eren’s phone on the floor, slapping the home phone away, shoving the base of the home phone away, knocking over the lamp.  
   
“Hey!” Eren ran over and tried to pick things back up.  
   
Only for Armin to knock them over again.  
   
“Armin!”  
   
Armin pointed a paw at his mouth.  
   
“Fine.” Eren cupped his face and brought their lips together, smiling into the kiss. “Dumb cat.”  
   
Armin just grinned.  
   
Two knocks hit the open door as Levi stepped in. “I thought I heard some…” He stared at Armin and just muttered, “Oh.” He looked at Eren. “Watch out. Cats break everything.”  
   
As if to say he was innocent, Armin rolled over onto his back and exposed his tummy, pawing at it for scratches.  
   
Levi sighed and walked over, giving the pet some scratches. “You still have to make dinner.”  
   
“Nya,” Armin whined.  
   
“He’s so cute!” Eren yelled before smooching Armin’s face eighty-four thousand, three hundred and twenty-six times.  
   
Armin snuggled and nuzzled Eren, soaking up all the attention.  
   
“Hehe,” Eren chuckled as he placed another kiss. “Arf!”  
   
“Meow,” Armin retorted.  
   
“Arf!”  
   
“Meow!”  
   
Levi felt his face twitch. He kept himself a wall of steel, begging himself to have enough willpower not to smile. He turned and walked away, hand over his mouth until he went out of earshot. “Too fucking cute…”  
  


⁂

  
  
Downstairs, Levi was in the kitchen as Eren and Armin moved onto the couch. They were both doing pet play impromptu, and Levi couldn’t deny he enjoyed watching. Puppy and kitty together. It was… unique, actually. Levi thought back to all the times he did pet play with Armin… it was with Levi, and Levi alone. As Levi poured the hot water into his mug, it reminded him of things. He put the kettle down and grabbed the makeshift tea bag, lifting it and watching the colour of his drink change, becoming a red-brown.  
   
The way Eren and Armin played together…  
   
It reminded him of the way, the way Gunther would give Petra piggyback rides… the way Dieter would snuggle up with Eld… the way Oluo would unwind from a long day with at least two pets on each side… the way Petra would help everyone with their chores… the way Eld would…  
   
Levi’s eyes softened before they closed.  
   
It filled him with a warmth that hadn’t fluttered in his stomach for years. It was almost like meeting an old friend… A sense of belonging, and a sense of family, and a sense that everything would be okay. Levi put a hand over his stomach, almost _disturbed_ by what was swimming inside him. He swore he gave it up, never expected to feel that way again, but…  
   
He took a shaky breath.  
   
Tomorrow was the last day.  
   
He let his tea steep for several more minutes before he took the teabag out. His mental construct of Ymir asked him if he wanted to make it a latte, and Levi made it a latte.  
   
A thought occurred to him.  
   
Did Levi trust Eren with Armin’s safety?  
   
In some ways it felt like he could, but… No, Levi realised. He didn’t. He trusted Eren with Armin to a point, but he could trust no one but himself with Armin’s safety. He wondered if there could come a day, he could—  
   
“Sir!” Eren entered the kitchen, carrying Armin piggyback. “We’re gonna make dinner.”  
   
Levi glanced over and nodded. He grabbed his mug and turned to them. “I’ll let you get to it.”  
   
“But,” Eren gasped, “Not before you kiss me?”  
   
Levi smiled. He leaned over, kissing Eren’s cheek gently, softer than he had ever before. He went on his toes and did the same to Armin before he walked away.  
   
Maybe…  
   
Maybe he could trust Eren?  
  


⁂

  
  
“Okay!” Armin clapped his hands together. He motioned his arms to the counter, where the ingredients were all lined up.  
   
There was pink butcher wrapper, potatoes, a plastic box of coconut flakes, chicken stock, a can of coconut milk, yellow onions, ginger, a bulb of garlic, a small measuring cup of crushed tomatoes, several spices, leaves, a small bowl of either salt or sugar, vegetable oil, and fresh herbs.  
   
Eren looked at it all and grinned. “You know, I feel a lot less lost than I did the first time we cooked together.”  
   
Armin scratched his nose. “It’s going to be the last time we cook together, though… Tomorrow is the Rivaille event, so uh yeah. Last time.”  
   
“For now…” Eren’s eyes softened and he nodded. “Maybe we can make desert later tonight, if you’re not too tired? Or breakfast tomorrow?”  
   
Armin nodded, a shy smile forming on his lips, cheeks tinting a dusty pink. “Sure.”  
   
“So! What are we making?”  
   
“A pretty hard recipe.” Armin bounced. “I actually kinda screw it up sometimes when I cook it alone, because there’s a lot to do.”  
   
“Ooo.” Eren nodded. “It’s like the final boss of all cooking.”  
   
Armin laughed and shook his head. “Not _that_ bad. It’s curry.”  
   
“Curry? That’s not too hard… just add curry powder.”  
   
“Nope.”  
   
“Nope?”  
   
“Nope.”  
   
“Nope?”  
   
“Nope!”  
   
“Nope!?”  
   
Armin snickered and did a little dance in his place. “No curry powder; we’re going to be using all the stuff that goes into curry powder, though!”  
   
“I see—curry powder in vegetable format.” Eren nodded sagely. “How do we start?”  
   
“Pretty simple.” Armin grabbed a sharp knife and a cutting board, handing it to Eren. “We pretty much need to cut everything. Can you chop the chicken? Into like… curry sized pieces?”  
   
Eren laughed and took the items. “Sure thing.” He put the cutting board down then reached for the pink butcher wrapper. The label said ‘Free-Run Chicken Breasts’ so he opened it up. There were six inside, so he got to work and took his time, being careful with the knife.  
   
Armin also grabbed a cutting board, making quick work of the sweet potatoes. He moved on to the ginger, cutting a piece around the size of his thumbnail and then dicing it. “I don’t want to make this depressing, but… I’m going to miss you, you know?”  
   
“You’ll see me again, after like three-four days or something. Right?”  
   
“Yeah, I know.” Armin sighed, but smiled. “I guess it’s just hard to believe you’ve been here a whole month… well four weeks, but you know what I mean?”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren moved on to his third chicken breast and glanced to Armin. “Are these good sizes?”  
   
“Perfect.” Armin grabbed the bulb of garlic and broke off quite a few cloves. The recipe asked for four cloves… but he liked using six or seven. Garlic, while offensive and strong on its own, was really the ‘make or break’ of a dish in his opinion. He moved to the sink and wet his knife and his fingers before cracking the shells around the cloves with the flat of his knife. “Still. I’ll miss you.”  
   
“Well, I hope so.” Eren glanced at Armin, watching those lips tug into a smile. “I don’t want to be someone you can forget about.”  
   
“Well… it’s not that.” Armin paused, wondering if he should go on. “I…” He took a breath. “The truth is, whenever we’ve had a sub, I’ve always looked forward to the time when they were gone, so I could have time alone with Levi again. And, of course I’m still looking forward to that time, but… Yeah. I know, right now, I can’t have both. If things go well with the contract, then I will, we all will, but until then… Sorry, I’m blabbing.”  
   
“It’s okay; speak your mind.” Eren moved his knife away. “Done with the chicken.”  
   
“Great.” Armin smiled. “Can you hand me the shallots?”  
   
Eren looked along the counter. “The what?”  
   
“Shallots.”  
   
“What?”  
   
Armin pointed to the thing next to him. “Those.”  
   
“Um.” Eren took the three of them. “These are onions…”  
   
Armin laughed and just walked over and took them. “They’re shallots. They’re like onion’s cousins or whatever.” He put them down and pulled away the outer shell.  
   
“Oh.” Eren examined them, wondering if they were the onion’s cousin from the mom’s side or the dad’s side. “What’s so special about them?”  
   
“Well they’re common in eastern cuisine, which I’m guessing it’s because they probably grow there.” He began chopping them, dicing them into fine pieces. “They’re like onions, but they have a milder flavour.”  
   
“Huh.” Eren’s eyes narrowed. “Then why use them?”  
   
“They’re smoother. Some people don’t like chunks of onions in their soup, so people use shallots instead. I do the same when I’m making quiche—as much as I love onions, biting into one is really noticeable. Shallots? Not so much. They blend well, I guess.” He looked at Eren. “Can you chop the cilantro?”  
   
“Cilantro…” Eren grabbed the herb. “This?”  
   
“Yep. Same one you used before.”  
   
“But…” Eren frowned at it. “Isn’t this… coriander?”  
   
Armin laughed. “Coriander is cilantro, just different words for it. Coriander comes from Latin, while cilantro comes from Spanish… I think, unless I mixed them up.” He shrugged. “But same herb.”  
   
“Okidokey.” Eren grabbed another cutting board and then paused. “It’s being cooked right?”  
   
“No!” Armin paused. “That’s going on top as decoration.”  
   
“Okay.” Eren grabbed a different cutting board and then washed the knife under hot water.  
   
Armin, finished in his little work area, grabbed the wok—the one that was two thousand dollars and made Eren scream—and plugged it in. He put it on the stove, which wasn’t on, just for convenience as it began to heat up. He added the coconut flakes. He grabbed the chuan, which was a stainless steel spatula of sorts, made to be used with woks. He stirred the coconut flakes, letting them ‘dry fry’.  
   
When the edges browned, they became fragrant and the kitchen warmed with the smell of coconut.  
   
“Can you get me a bowl?”  
   
“Sure!” Eren walked across the kitchen, opened a cupboard and pulled one out. “Here?”  
   
“Can you put it on the counter?” He glanced to the side. “Thanks.” He used his spatula to scoop the coconut flakes to the bowl and then put it down. “Okay.” He grabbed a clear vegetable oil. “Do you like coconut?”  
   
“Yeah.” Eren put his arms around Armin, resting his chin on Armin’s shoulder. He read the label. “Coconut oil?”  
   
“Mhm.” Armin poured it in the wok, giving a moment to heat up. “I’m not too much of a coconut fan… it’s kinda like garlic and onions for me, as weird as that sounds. I like coconut mixed in with other things, but I’m not a fan of it on its own?”  
   
“Weirdo.” Eren kissed his cheek. “Coconut is great. My mom used to buy coconuts and just let me eat everything.”  
   
Armin blinked. “Really?”  
   
“I learned how to crack them in a way that the water wouldn’t splash anyway, then I ate that and spooned out the fruit.” Eren chuckled. “Mm, that smells good.”  
   
“Coconut chicken curry!” Armin reached for his cutting board and used his knife to push the shallots, ginger, and garlic in. “Can you get me a couple spices?”  
   
Eren whined as he pulled away. “Okay, which ones?”  
   
“Turmeric, thyme, and then both cumins.”  
   
“Cumins?” Eren found the four spices, noting one of them was ground cumin while the other was cumin seeds. He shrugged and offered them.  
   
Armin opened them one at a time. “Thanks.” He closed their caps and mixed. “Oh! Shit, forgot we need rice.”  
   
“I can do that.” Eren ran to the pantry, pulling out the rice cooker. “Just wash the rice, put it in, and click the button, right?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin stirred the wok. “It’s nice to have someone reliable in the kitchen.”  
   
Eren scratched his cheek and chuckled. “Thanks! Which rice… uh, Jasmine?”  
   
“Yep!”  
   
Eren knew he couldn’t fail—not now. There was a scoopy thingy in the rice cooker, which Armin explained was portioned for people. The rich life was an easy life. Eren used the scoopy thingy to scoop three scoops and then brought the bowl over to the sink. He rinsed the rice, threading his fingers through it and watching the water turn milky white. He thought back to when his dad tried to teach him how to cook… He pushed those thoughts away and drained the rice, then rinsed it three more times. He put the bowl back. “How much water?”  
   
“About one-point-five times the water?”  
   
“Four and a half scoops,” Eren reasoned. He measured and poured, then clicked the button. “All done!”  
   
“Thanks.” Armin grabbed the large can of coconut milk and added roughly three-fourths of it. He added perfectly emerald leaves then paused when he picked up another one, darker and closer to yellow. “Eren. This is a bay leaf.”  
   
“Like the Pokémon?”  
   
“Yes. Don’t eat it, okay? I mean you can if you want, but most people just put it in for the rich flavour and then take it out. Don’t eat it, though.”  
   
“Don’t eat the Pokémon.” Eren nodded. “Got it.”  
   
Armin snorted as he grabbed the tomato puree next. Tossing that in, he then grabbed a bottle of a dark liquid.  
   
Eren stepped forward and tried to read the label. “What’s that?”  
   
“Fish sauce.” Armin poured it in. “In Thailand, it’s kind of like their salt and pepper. Not really, but kinda.”  
   
“Ohh.” Eren watched Armin grab the small measuring cup of white dust. “Then why are you adding salt?”  
   
“Sugar,” he corrected with a smile. He stirred it all together then looked at Eren. “Can you get the chicken?”  
   
Eren walked over to his area and grabbed the cutting board and his knife. “Push it in?”  
   
“Try not to let it splash, please.”  
   
“I’ll try.” Eren pushed it in; a couple potatoes fell in as well. “Shit.”  
   
“It’s okay.” Armin shrugged. “They’ll just be softer than the others.” He stirred it one more time and turned up the heat. When the surface of the curry began to bubble but not quite boil, Armin turned it down to a simmer. He stirred once and smiled. “Now we wait, should be something like ten minutes, and then another ten until we’re done.”  
   
Eren grabbed the skins from the shallots and garlic, starting to clean up.  
   
“You don’t have to.”  
   
“It’s okay.” Eren kissed his cheek. “I want to help.”  
   
Armin shook his head. “You’re too nice, you know that?”  
   
“Pretty sure there’s no such thing, Arm’.”  
   
Armin stirred the curry one more time.  
   
He began cleaning things up, rinsing the bowls the sugar and tomato purée were in. “You got quiet.”  
   
“Sorry.” Armin turned around, hands fumbling together. “I just kind of… I guess, I’m going to miss you. You’re like my teddy bear… I get to hug you every night.”  
   
“Aww.” Eren washed his hands before pulling Armin into a squeezy hug.  
   
Armin hugged him back, closing his eyes. “See?”  
   
“Well… It’s only a few days.” Eren kissed the top of his head four times. “Don’t you have a stuffed animal or something?”  
   
“Nope.”  
   
“Well… cuddle a pillow until I come back!”  
   
“I will.” Armin pulled away and went on his tippy-toes, pressing their lips together for a short kiss. “Thanks, by the way… for paying attention to me, too. I know your contract’s with Levi, so you don’t have to but…”  
   
“Are you thanking me for being a decent person?”  
   
“No, I mean… Other subs didn’t ignore me, but they didn’t jump for joy to spend time with me either.”  
   
“Well, Armin, they’re dumb. I honestly have no idea how someone cannot just utterly fall in love with you, or whatever.”  
   
Armin froze, eyes wide.  
   
Eren’s jaw twitched and he snapped his jaw shut. His cheeks _burned._ “A-Anyway, the f-food!”  
   
“Food!” Armin yelled and turned around. “Almost… done.”  
   
“Uh yeah?”  
   
“Yeah just let the chicken cook then throw in the coconut flakes and some herbs and then yeah other things yeah.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren leaned against the wall of the hallway as he swiped his hand across his phone. He remembered, halfway through that Mikasa was in his favourites, but he kept scrolling since he was already doing it. Of course, it was only then he remembered her last named was Ackerman, ‘A’, at the top; he didn’t want to scroll back up, so he hit the favourite button as he should have and found her. He clicked her contact name, ‘Mikasaaa Ackermaaan’, and then hit call. He brought his phone to his ear.  
   
It rang once.  
   
Eren waited.  
   
It rang twice.  
   
Eren waited.  
   
It rang three ti— _“Hello?”_  
   
“Mikasa-chan!” Eren snerked.  
   
 _“Moshi moshi?”_  
   
Eren burst into laughter; over the other end, Mikasa did as well. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. “Hey.”  
   
 _“Hey.”_  
   
“Mikasa, I was uh.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Could you do me a favour?”  
   
 _“Sure.”_  
  


⁂

  
  
   
After his quick phone call, Eren joined Levi and Armin at the table.  
   
The curry was smooth and rich—flavours intertwined. Mixed with the fragrant rice, Eren moaned danced with the ballet dancers, becoming a red swan that beat its arms like wings, moving in dim light to the sound of a violin.  
   
A female actress who was a perfect cross between a sci-fi secret agent and a pornstar dominatrix walked on stage and grabbed his hips, lifting him up.  
   
Eren rose one foot to the sky and the audience applauded.  
   
The crowd went… _bananas._  
   
As they ate, Levi seemed quite pleased. A smile formed on his face, which was nothing special, but it actually stayed on his face for more than a minute, so both Eren and Armin felt like they dun’ good. After a few compliments, and Armin saying Eren did half the work so he deserves half the compliments and Eren saying nope nope nope and Armin saying yes and Eren saying nope nope (that went on for a while), Levi spoke softly:  
   
“I’m glad you two are getting along.” He looked at his bowl of curry before glancing back up. “I’ll give you the basic run-down of tomorrow, Eren. It’s a formal event. I went through your clothes: You don’t have anything suitable to wear. Close your mouth. Annie says you have a pair of formal wear at their apartment and it’s horrible to the point where your ancestors will shit on your grave, do you understand me?”  
   
Eren’s lips zipped closed and he nodded once.  
   
“Wonderful.” Levi’s smile stayed. “Tomorrow, I’ll be busy in the morning, prepping for the event. I get off around noon, so I’ll come home and we’ll head to Rivaille.”  
   
Eren nodded again. “Okay.”  
   
Armin smiled. “It has formal wear, but it’s in the back so you probably haven’t seen it.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren thought about the store, trying to imagine the back… but then he tried to imagine the store as a whole… “I don’t think I’ve ever been there?”  
   
“Really?” Armin said, worry lacing his tone as he looked at Levi. He blinked. “You don’t look surprised, Master.”  
   
Levi snorted. “Have you _seen_ his wardrobe?”  
   
Armin bit his lip to hide his smile.  
   
Eren pouted. “Hey… I like my vests.”  
   
Levi leaned over, kissing his cheek.  
   
Eren grabbed a napkin. “Thanks for the curry on my face, Sir.”  
   
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Should I not kiss you, then, Pup?”  
   
“No! Kiss me lots!”  
   
“Brat.”  
   
Armin snickered.  
  


⁂

  
  
Levi excused himself to do work and his subs whined. It took every ounce of strength he had and every molecule of discipline to leave, but Levi left.  
   
That left the two of them alone.  
   
Eren sighed. “Wanna watch a movie?”  
   
“Sure.”  
   
Armin walked over to the collection of DVDs and Blu-rays. “We’ve pretty much got any movie you want, and I’ll torrent if we don’t.”  
   
“Hmm.” Eren crossed his legs. Levi had gone upstairs to get more work done, leaving the two of them alone. “I’ve been kind of in a… Lion King mood, actually?”  
   
“Lion King?” Armin hopped over to the Disney section. “Okay.”  
   
“You know, I don’t know, I’ve just had this image of Mufasa in my head all day.”  
   
“Huh?”  
   
Eren laughed. “Never mind.”  
   
The two of them cuddled up and watched the first movie, singing along to the songs, and of course sobbing when Muf… Mufas… Mufasa… Eren wiped his eyes with his sleeve and squeezed Armin close. The two of them were still teary eyed, from the laughs and the cries, and Eren nuzzled Armin’s hair, nuzzling all the blond hair and the fairies hiding in between. “Let’s do something fun.”  
   
Armin nodded. “Yeah.”  
   
“What do you wanna do?”  
   
“Let’s… bake something.”  
   
“Bake!” Eren grinned. “Sure thing.”  
   
“Get Levi.” Armin pulled away and got up. “I’ll prep the kitchen.”  
   
“Okay!”  
   
Twenty minutes later, Levi stood in the kitchen, arms crossed. “No.”  
   
Armin pouted. “But, strawberries.”  
   
“I said no.”  
   
“But.” Eren pouted. “Strawberries.”  
   
Levi’s lips twitched.  
   
“Strawberries,” they said at the same time.  
   
“Okay, fine.” Levi sighed. “But don’t let me fuck up.”  
   
“I’ll do the hard stuff,” Armin assured. The oven beeped and he walked over to it, opening the door to reveal a golden brown pie crust. “I’ve already measured everything, okay?”  
   
Levi glanced to the counters, where he saw dark chocolate, cream cheese, a small carton of milk?, a small saucer of something dark, and some dusty white powder thing. “I don’t see any strawberries.”  
   
Armin put on oven mitts and pulled the rack out to help the crust cool. “They’re in the fridge.”  
   
Levi opened the fridge and grabbed the carton of them, holding them gently, almost cradling them. “Shut up, Eren.”  
   
“I didn’t say anything!”  
   
“That dumb smile of yours says all that needs to be said.”  
   
Eren chuckled and kissed his cheek.  
   
Armin smiled. “Master, could you slice the strawberries? We’ll probably need… maybe fifteen strawberries?”  
   
Levi looked at him.  
   
“Yes Master, you can eat the rest.”  
   
Eren covered his smile with his hand this time.  
   
“Eren.” Armin grabbed a small sauce pan. “Can you melt the chocolate? It’s dark chocolate. Just like last time, okay?”  
   
“Sure thing!”  
   
Armin nodded and grabbed a large bowl. “I’ll make the custard.”  
   
Levi grabbed a knife. “What are we making?”  
   
“A tart!” He added the heavy cream and vanilla extract, then used a spoon to scoop the cream cheese in as well.  
   
Eren grabbed the dark chocolate chips and looked at Armin. “How much do I throw in?”  
   
“I don’t know,” Armin admitted. “A handful? We can eat the rest too.”  
   
“Okay.” Eren scooped up a handful, shaking some away, and then added it to the saucepan. He remembered not to air it too much but just to kinda mix it every once in a while.  
   
Levi sliced the tops of the strawberries and then paused. “How do you want these cut?”  
   
“In fourths.”  
   
Levi frowned. “Weak. Can we do halves? Then we’ll have twice as many strawberries on it…”  
   
Armin chuckled. “Yes we can, Master.”  
   
Levi blinked. “Really?”  
   
“Yep.”  
   
“Nice.”  
   
Eren grinned and stirred the chocolate.  
   
Armin grabbed a hand mixer and made sure to use the slowest speed, as the cream cheese was still pretty much a block. Once it began smoothing out, he turned up the speed. He looked along the counter and noticed what he needed was next to Levi. “Master, could you pass me the sugar?”  
   
Levi looked and saw the white stuff. “This is sugar? It looks… different.”  
   
“Icing sugar,” Armin explained. “Or powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar. All the same thing.”  
   
“Damnit!” Eren yelled, “Why does everything have like eight names?”  
   
Levi snorted and handed the bowl over. “Good question.”  
   
Armin laughed as all he could offer was a shrug. He took the bowl.  
   
“Hey.” Eren bumped Armin’s hip with his own. “I’m done here?”  
   
Armin nodded. “Add just a tiny bit of milk, okay?”  
   
Eren opened the fridge and grabbed the first carton he found. He poured a dab in it.  
   
“A bit more.”  
   
Eren added another dab then put the milk back.  
   
Levi looked over, raising an eyebrow. “Trying to make it thinner?”  
   
“Just a bit.” Armin moved his bowl out of the way and grabbed the oven mitts. He brought the pie crust next to the saucepan. “Pour the chocolate in. We just want a thin layer at the bottom. Something chocolaty and bitter under the sweet custard.”  
   
“Oooo.” Eren poured carefully.  
   
Levi watched it spread out and he smiled. “So that’s how you did it.”  
   
“Yep.” Armin grinned. “See, sometimes you can learn just by watching.”  
   
“Well, that’s how you learned how to suck dick, isn’t it?”  
   
Armin’s face burned and he frowned. “Master!”  
   
Levi cackled.  
   
Eren snickered as well. “Good?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin put the pie crust in the fridge.  
   
Eren put the saucepan down, noticing there wasn’t much chocolate left. “So what do I do with this?”  
   
“Steal a couple strawberries and dip?”  
   
Levi’s eyes lit up, anime style.  
   
Armin knew that would keep them distracted for long enough. He slowly added the icing sugar in as he beat the mixture in the bowl. The custard was starting to thicken up, getting to the perfect texture. The distraction lasted long enough, luckily. “Eren—” he began, but then realised his mouth was locked with Levi’s. He snickered and decided he didn’t mind doing the rest alone. He brought the pie out of the fridge and put it down.  
   
The dark chocolate had mostly settled.  
   
Armin poured the custard in next and then danced around the kissing duo to get Levi’s slices of strawberry. He started at the edges and arranged so the open side faced up, so it ended up looking like from the centre they blasted outwards, red and vibrant.  
   
Levi eventually broke away from Eren, although his arm was still possessively hooked around his sub’s waist, and stared at Armin. “All done?”  
   
“Yep. Now we refrigerate it for like… two hours?”  
   
“But…” Levi glanced at the time. “We’ll be asleep.”  
   
“That’s okay.” Eren kissed his cheek. “It’ll be breakfast!”  
   
Levi smiled. “Good. Tomorrow will start off less shitty.”  
  


⁂

  
  
“Master.” Armin stepped closer to him and offered him a steaming mug. “Here.”  
   
Levi rubbed his face before glancing at him. He carefully reached for it and nodded. “Thank you.” He sipped it slowly. It was either placebo or a conditioned response, because he already felt more relaxed before the warm liquid hit his stomach. Maybe it was the process of just drinking a mug of tea, or maybe it was the smell. Or maybe it was all of the above. He closed his eyes, drinking the tea latte. Chamomile, lavender, relaxants. Creamy and soothing, perfect for bed.  
   
“That should help you sleep…” Armin sat on the side of his bed, next to Levi. He looked over to his master. Levi was… Armin knew Levi.  
   
Levi hid everything he felt, positive or negative. Everything was hidden. He would hold back moans and tears and laughter and his thoughts… with the exception of snide comments. Levi’s face was the very same way. It was a steel wall—impenetrable, in theory.  
   
There was one weak spot.  
   
Armin looked at Levi’s eyes, noting the way the corners crinkled slightly, eyelids narrowed just a tiny bit more than usual. He knew _that_ look. That look was the look Levi gave when he was afraid someone was going to see past him. The look he used when he had more to hide than usual. Armin slipped his hand on Levi’s knee. “Master?” He tilted his head, ever so slightly, blond hair shifting with the movement.  
   
Levi sipped his drink and squeezed it, until his knuckles were as white as the porcelain mug. “Enjoy him tonight.”  
   
Armin bit his lower lip.  
   
Levi stared forward, not daring to look Armin in the eyes, not now. “What?”  
   
“Do you want Eren tonight?”  
   
Levi paused. His mind tangled in a swirl of wires, knotting and interrupting the flow. “No.”  
   
“Liar.”  
   
Levi sighed.  
   
“Master.”  
   
“Okay, fine. I want him… but I shouldn’t. It’s not fair. To you.”  
   
Armin shifted his seat, turning towards him. “Why?”  
   
“I have him tomorrow night—you know that; I always have my subs on their last night. So… it’s only fair, that you have him tonight. I shouldn’t have him two nights in a row on his last two days.”  
   
Armin closed his eyes. “Idiot…”  
   
Levi frowned, turning to him. “What?”  
   
“If you want him, take him.”  
   
“I don’t.”  
   
Armin shook his head. “But you do.”  
   
“But.” Levi’s frown turned into a scowl. “I shouldn’t.”  
   
Armin huffed. “Why not!? Don’t you know he wants you?”  
   
“But—”  
   
“–Levi!”  
   
Levi paused, throat becoming too tight to speak. There were few times Armin ever addressed him as an equal… and every time he did, Levi couldn’t help but feel inferior, just from the difference.  
   
“You work; I don’t. I have all day every day with him… and I’ve spent most of today with him. Which, by the way, is your fault. You’re avoiding him. You promised me you wouldn’t, but you are. You’re avoiding him again!”  
   
Levi winced, looking away.  
   
“Damnit. You know Eren and I will have time together tomorrow morning, too, when you’re at work. So if you want him, take him!”  
   
“Shut up!” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “What the fuck do you know!?”  
   
Armin flinched, shrinking in his seat.  
   
The tension in Levi’s fingers faded and he forced himself to breathe. He put the mug on the bedside table and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.”  
   
Armin leaned over, kissing his shoulder. “What is it? What is it, Master?”  
   
Levi looked at his hands, noticing the light tremors that danced through his flesh. “I… I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t… I’ve only known him for a month, so why does it feel like this? Why does it feel like I can’t wait to see him… like I can’t wait to see that excited puppy look he gives me when he sees me? Why does it feel like I need him? I don’t… I won’t, I will _not_ be dependent on him. I won’t be dependent on some… untrained, pathetic mutt, who is a total moron, who is completely thoughtless, and who is so smart, and cute, and so caring, and warm… and…”  
   
Armin’s eyes softened, a small smile forming on his lips.  
   
Levi squeezed his eyes closed and grabbed his hair.  
   
“Master…” Armin scooted closer, leaning on Levi. “By our contract, you have to confide in me. I know… I know you want to talk to me, I can tell you want to talk to me, and I know you’re holding it off since we’ll talk later. But, Master, if you need to talk to me now, then talk to me now. Don’t wait. You know, no matter what comes out of your mouth, I will never judge you—I will always be yours.”  
   
Levi took a deep breath, moving his hands into his lap. He straightened his back and turned to Armin. “I’m… scared, Armin.”  
   
“Scared…?”  
   
“Hanji… and Erwin, talked to me. They said, that just because I’m better, it doesn’t mean that’s a good thing. Getting better isn’t necessarily a good thing… and they’re right.”  
   
Armin frowned, looking down at his lap. His eyes wiggled left then right. “I don’t understand.”  
   
“I wouldn’t expect you to, Kitten. It’s… so complicated.”  
   
“I see.” Armin nodded, eyes slowly moving to examine the side of his face. “From your past. From your… scars?”  
   
“Sort of.” Levi cringed.  
   
“Talk to me… please.”  
   
“I… I want to.” Levi wiped his eyes with his sleeves.  
   
Armin’s eyes widened. Levi? Crying? Oh. _Oh._  
   
“Shit.” Levi laughed, wishing his eyes would fucking stop. “You’re already putting it together?”  
   
“Probably not the specifics, but in a general sense maybe.” Armin leaned over, kissing his cheek. “There’s nothing wrong with being afraid.” He reached out both hands, taking Levi’s hands in his own. Levi was staring at him, Armin knew. If that’s what Hanji and Erwin told Levi, then… But Erwin, Erwin told Armin something too.  
   
 _“You’re an intellectual, and your understanding of people is fascinating.” Erwin smiled. “Something might happen, things might break apart, and you’re right… you might not be able to stop them from breaking, but I think you’re going to be smart enough to know how to put it all back together.”_  
   
Armin realised Erwin was wrong.  
   
Things were already broken.  
   
Levi was broken.  
   
Armin closed his eyes.  
   
Erwin was wrong.  
   
Or maybe he wasn’t?  
   
Armin opened his eyes.  
   
What if he had it reversed? What if Levi wasn’t broken, but… Levi getting better was broken?  
   
It didn’t matter which way it was.  
   
Armin knew his job. “Master?”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
“Getting better, in some ways, it kind of means like… being the ‘old’ you, again, right?”  
   
Levi took a deep breath and nodded. “I think so… those two talk in such cryptic bullshit.”  
   
“So, then… if I understand how the two of them think, getting better would also in some way, shape, or form… would mean facing your fears?” Armin shook his head. “No, more like… coming to terms with it?”  
   
“Sort of, not really… Close enough, though.” Levi shuddered. “I just… how can I? How the _fuck_ can I? Every time… every time I just, I look in the mirror, or I see my reflection, or I feel those lines on my body, those scars, I want to throw up, I want to kick and scream like a kid, I just want them gone! They’re disgusting. I want them _off_ of me.”  
   
“But… you don’t.”  
   
Levi’s jaw tightened.  
   
“You could get plastic surgery. You have the cash to burn. They would all go away, right? But they mean something to you… You’ve never told me, so I’m sorry I’m making assumptions on a sensitive topic. But they mean something. Some part of you wants to keep them.”  
   
“Even if they’re disgusting, yeah.”  
   
“They’re not disgusting.”  
   
He wiped tears out of his face and sighed. “They are.”  
   
“Levi…”  
   
“Fuck. I’m too old for this.”  
   
Armin shook his head. “No one is too old to cry.”  
   
“Fine. I’m too rich for this.”  
   
Armin snorted, Levi chuckled, and somehow the two of them ended up laughing.  
   
Armin kissed his cheek. “Even if it’s not a good thing… I think you should, ‘get better’, Master. Just take one step at a time, okay?”  
   
Levi squeezed his hands and swallowed hard, giving a curt nod.  
   
Armin cleared his throat and kept his voice low: “It’s all perspective, pet.”  
   
Levi frowned. “Is that supposed to be me?”  
   
“How did I do?”  
   
“Spot on, you shitfuck.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Want Eren?”  
   
“Yeah, more than anything… yeah.” Levi sighed. “Just wait something like ten-fifteen minutes okay? Let me wash my face and shit.”  
   
Armin kissed the corner of his mouth and stood up. “Have a good bowel movement.”  
   
“Stop impersonating me or I’ll throw you down the stairs.”  
  


⁂

  
  
   
Eren noticed the door to Levi’s room was slightly ajar, so he pushed it a tad and stuck his head in. The lights were off, but from the window he saw Levi sitting in bed. His Dom’s face was lit up from the bright screen of his phone. Eren smiled, watching him for a moment before he figured it was kinda creepy. “Sir?”  
   
Levi looked up. He clicked the button atop his phone and the light disappeared. “My bed tonight.”  
   
Eren stepped in, closing the door behind him. He dipped his fingers under the waistband of his boxers. “Are you looking to do anything tonight, Sir?”  
   
Levi almost looked a little… guilty? “No, not really.”  
   
Eren left his clothes on and walked to the bed, moving to the side opposite of Levi. He climbed in and sat criss-cross apple sauce. “Okay.” He tilted his head, trying to figure out just what Levi wanted.  
   
Levi scratched the side of his head. “Sorry… if that’s what you were expecting.”  
   
“No need to be sorry!” Eren laughed. “BDSM isn’t about sex, anyway.”  
  
“Mhm…” Levi smiled. “Are you trying to educate _me_ of all people, mutt?”  
  
“N-No!” Eren paled. “I just mean like… I honestly really… enjoy being yours, Sir. I enjoy just kinda being around you... ”  
   
Levi put his phone on the bedside table and slipped under the covers. “Good.”  
   
Eren went under the covers as well, feeling something unsure bubbling in his stomach.  
   
“Eren?”  
   
“Y-Yeah, Sir?”  
   
“Um…” Levi closed his eyes, cursing at himself mentally. “Come here.”  
   
Eren smiled and wiggled over. He wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist and nuzzled into his chest. “Dork… if you just wanted to cuddle, just say so.”  
   
“Yeah, whatever.” Levi hugged him tight, taking in his scent. He closed his eyes, and squeezed Eren against him.  
   
Eren slept with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I bet some of you were rushing to read the new chapter, but I did have a pretty important Author's Note up there so make sure you didn't skip that, okay?
> 
> I hope it was worth the wait. The next update will come soon.
> 
> Thank you for all the support! It means so much to me, <3


	31. The Fourth Week (7)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if anyone wants a little update on me and what I'm doing: I'm hoping to have TB finished by the end of this month... *audience laugh track*
> 
> Well, we'll see what happens. I do have plans to write a Free! fic for NaNoWriMo, and after TB32 is posted I plan on rereading TB before writing the few remaining chapters. I think I know how many chapters TB will be, but I won't finalise it until I post the next chapter. But, wish me luck! Whether you've been here from the start, or just joined me, you've read this much so... thank you. And sorry for the late reply on comments! I'm working something like 45-50 hours this week, so I am slow to reply... but I will reply! Getting comments on AO3 make my day, to be honest, so if you ever want to support me and keep me going, drop me after you read the chapter, okay? I might be slow to reply, but I _will_ reply!
> 
> Anyway, enough about that: Enjoy!
> 
> * * *

It was kind of like that scene in Indiana Jones, the Lost Ark, where Jones quickly replaced the treasure with his sack of rocks… or whatever the hell it was. Levi wasn’t too much of an Indiana Jones fan. But, like the Nazi-fighting or whatever the hell he was archeologist did, Levi quickly replaced himself with a pillow. He moved away from the bed.  
  
Eren hugged the pillow tight and pushed his face into it.  
  
A lazy smile formed on Levi’s lips as he went back, pressing a gentle kiss over Eren’s temple. He got out of bed, silently, and headed into the bathroom. He stepped into the shower, his rain shower, and played with the knob. The water and steam ran over his body and Levi closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and then looked up, keeping his eyes closed as the heat held him. He had cranked the temperature up a few notches… not quite Armin level, but still hotter than usual.  
  
He commenced the cleaning process.  
  
“Scrub, scrub, scrub.” Levi smirked. “Bitch.”  
  
When that was over, he twisted the knob the other way to shut off the water. He stepped out, grabbed a white towel, and began drying himself. He made sure to get every ounce of him before looking at the mirror. He ran a finger over his neck, up to the chin. Levi never grew much facial hair, but he did have to shave every once in a while. He remembered Jean calling him lucky, and Erwin saying it suited his lazy ass of a personality. He smirked. It had been three days since he shaved, not that anyone really noticed. His pathetic excuse of a beard grew out to just the right length, so it looked clean, cut, and formal.  
  
He grabbed his comb and began fixing his hair.  
  
It was going to be a long day.  
  
He headed back to his room, careful with the weight of his steps. He didn’t want to wake Eren, after all. The pet in question was still nuzzling the pillow, and it made Levi smile. He got dressed, choosing every article carefully, from boxers to cufflinks, until he was all suited up. In the evening he would be wearing something else. But, he still had meetings… which meant he had to look his best. He decided to go without a tie today though. Instead, he popped the first button of his collar and gave a small view of his collarbones.  
  
He checked himself.  
  
All good.  
  
He grabbed his phone, his wallet, his keys, then leaned over to kiss Eren’s cheek once more before heading on his way.  
  
He walked down the stairs to the first floor and entered the kitchen. He noticed there was some fun in his movements, a bit of a dance in his hips. If anyone else was watching, he would have killed it right there and then. But, instead, he grabbed the coffee beans and put them in the grinder. He wasn’t the most confident about doing it himself, but he had seen Armin teach Eren… so he hoped he wouldn’t fuck it up too bad.  
  
After grinding the beans, they were added to the French Press. Levi boiled the kettle and then poured the hot water in. He remembered he was supposed to stir it, right? He grabbed a spoon and swirled it a little. He didn’t know how long he was supposed to wait, so he plunged the French Press down after a minute. He grabbed a mug and poured it three-fourths. He brought it up, eyes widening at the pleasant state of coffee. Maybe he didn’t fuck it up. He took a sip.  
  
He spat it out.  
  
He fucked up.  
  
Well, no… he fucked up, but it wasn’t too bad.  
  
It was strong. Very strong. The bitter taste plunged into his tongue, lacing his mouth. He opened the pantry and grabbed the agave, adding the liquid sugar substitute into his drink. He then opened the fridge and grabbed the milk, whole milk, homo milk, and added it to his mug as well. With a stir of the spoon, he tasted it again.  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Not bad.”  
  
It was still bitter, but the milk had watered it down and gave it a creamy texture while the agave’s sweetness fought off the harshness.  
  
Levi drank about half the mug before he moved to the fridge again. “I do need actual breakfast,” he muttered and opened the door. “What do we…? Oh my God.”  
  
  
After devouring what there was to devour, he put on his shoes and stepped out. He locked the door behind him and turned, stopping there. His eyes moved to the cherry blossoms, noticing the pink lining the branches. They hadn’t fully blossomed, but it was gorgeous all the same. “Just a few more days.” Levi smiled and walked towards his car.  
  
It was when he stepped on something that he realised his other foot was hooked. “Fuck!”  
  
He tripped.  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren had woken up alone. While his arms were around a pillow, it didn’t compare to being around Levi. He patted the place where Levi slept and felt the warmth had faded. It had been a while since Levi had left. Eren put the pillow away and got out of bed. With the rush of cold air, he scurried down the hall and went down the stairs. He slipped under the sheets that smelled like Armin and wrapped his arms around the blond lying there.  
  
Armin grinned and nuzzled him. “Hey.”  
  
“Heya.” Eren kissed the top of his head.  
  
“Today’s the big day.”  
  
“For all the gay.”  
  
Armin snorted and pulled away just enough to look into Eren’s green eyes. Eren held the eye contact with him for longer than was necessary.  
  
The two of them moved to the shower.  
  
“Wow.” Eren yawned. “I think I got used to Satan’s Ass now.”  
  
“Good.” Armin nodded sagely. “That’s character growth.”  
  
“Mhm…” Eren nuzzled Armin’s cheek and smooched him. He felt the blond strands of hair tickle his nose and it made him laugh. While he preferred Armin’s fairy hair fully poofed, seeing it flattened by the water was kind of cute too. “Well, I got some ‘character growth’ down there, if you know what I mean.”  
  
“Uhuh?” Armin smirked. “I can take care of that…”  
  


⁂

  
  
“Coffee or tea?”  
  
Armin’s hair had already poofed back up when they got to the kitchen. “Coffee.”  
  
“Oh.” Eren paused in front of the French press. “Levi made coffee?”  
  
“Really?” Armin blinked and walked over. He put his hand against the side, then moved it away. “Still hot. I’m impressed.”  
  
Eren grabbed two mugs and poured half cups of each. “Here.”  
  
Armin took his and took a sip. His face soured and he shook his head. “Open the top… I’m going to add more water.”  
  
Eren tasted it then nodded. “Yeah. I can take care of that, though.”  
  
“Yeah?” Armin smiled and put his mug down. He opened the fridge. “Well I guess we could…” His face dropped and he sighed. “I should have foreseen this…”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Remember the strawberry tart we made yesterday?” Armin pulled said tart out to reveal less than a quarter left. “Levi got to it before we did.”  
  
Eren closed his eyes and threw his head back, bursting into laughter.  
  
Armin shook his head and put it down on the table. “We’ll that’s still enough for both of us.”  
  
Eren closed the fridge door. The kettle beeped, so Eren grabbed it and poured it in the French Press. He gave it a stir then re-plunged it back in. He poured himself a fresh cup. “Still a bit… strong, though.”  
  
Armin walked over and then noticed the agave on the corner. “Oh. Well, we can use this.”  
  
“What’s that?” Eren looked over. “A-gave?”  
  
“Ah-gah-vey. It’s like honey? I guess? It’s sweeter than sugar, so you can use less. Every gay man has agave in their cupboard.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Really?”  
  
“No, that’s just Marco’s view on it.” Armin laughed. “He’s got to squeeze his ass in the tightest pants… God, he has such a nice ass… A-Anyway, agave has more calories than sugar gram-for-gram, but you use less since it’s one and a half times sweeter… I sound like an infomercial. But that’s just Marco going on and on about it; I’ve internalised all of it. Maybe I could be a salesperson for agave.”  
  
Eren snorted. “He loves it that much?”  
  
“Mhm… Of course, agave is sort of popular because of celebrities and media and marketing… I think, with all the fructose, it could maybe be worse than sugar? But, eh. I don’t care.” Armin added some to his empty mug and then to Eren’s. “With the amount of sugar our society consumes, all sweeteners are bad, really. So kill yourself with something you’ll enjoy.”  
  
Eren clanked their mugs together. “Cheers!”  
  
“Cheers.” Armin poured the coffee in his mug. “Can you get the milk?”  
  
“Sure thing!”  
  
Eventually they moved to the table and Armin cut the tart. Even if three-fourths were missing, their eighth of the pie still filled the smaller plates they used.  
  
“So,” Eren spoke up. “Are we going to see Marco tonight?”  
  
“Yep.” Armin nodded and broke a bit of the tart. He brought it to his mouth and inhaled sharply. Perfect. Bliss. He glanced to the clock. It was nine-thirty. After swallowing, “Levi said he’ll be back around lunch time. Anything you want to do before then?”  
  
“Well… maybe…”  
  
“Maybe?”  
  
“Maybe…” Eren blushed. “You could teach me how to cook something. Um… cu…”  
  
Armin blinked. “Queue?”  
  
“Cum…”  
  
“Cum?” Armin frowned. “What?”  
  
“-Ber!” Eren stood up and smacked his hands over his chest repeatedly like the inner savage he was embracing. “Cu-cum-ber—sandwiches!”  
  
Armin stared. “Oh my God…”  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin prepped the kitchen while Eren bounced around, summoning Bouncenorth, Canadian God of Bouncing, and then continued to bounce bounce bounce. Armin shook his head and snatched Eren, both arms around his waist. “Okay Tigger, do you want make these sandwiches or what?”  
  
“Yes I do!” Eren turned around and smooched his face somewhere between six and infinity times.  
  
“Okay.” Armin kissed his face back, only once, because he was modest. He let go of Eren and grabbed the cucumbers. “Some people peel the skin, but I kind of like it?” He grabbed his far-too-expensive peeler. “I kinda like making pretty stripes though.” He peeled a single line, then turned the cucumber ninety degrees and peeled again, doing that four times total. “Now when we slice them they’re going to be cool looking.”  
  
“Secrets of the universe.”  
  
“Yes, Eren. Striated cucumber skin is the secret of the universe.”  
  
“Of course it is.” Eren grabbed a knife. “Can we cut them thick? So there’s more cucumber per sandwich?”  
  
“Sure, but that means they’ll take longer to drain the liquid. We could just make them thin slices and stack them?”  
  
“Oh, well, works for me I guess.”  
  
Armin smiled. “Okay, just cut them thin.”  
  
“Okidokey.” Eren began slicing it up. “So like… what’s the difference between cucumbers?”  
  
“Uhhh.” Armin shrugged. “I really don’t know. You’re the cucumber expert. I think the English ones are the short ones?”  
  
“Umm.” Eren shook his head. “Pretty sure the English ones are what people use to masturbate.”  
  
“Hm.” Armin grabbed the strainer. “I can’t say I’ve ever done that.”  
  
“Mhm.”  
  
Armin looked at Eren. “And you?”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Have you ever shoved a cucumber up your ass, Eren?”  
  
“Well…” Eren scoffed. “Good Sir, a lady should never kiss and tell…”  
  
Armin choked on his spit.  
  
“I’m kidding!” Eren snickered as he continued cutting the cucumber. “No, I’ve never had any interest in cucumbers up my ass. Not before now, anyway.”  
  
“Eren…”  
  
“Take a joke, geez. Okay I’m done here.” Eren looked at him. “What now?”  
  
“Okay, so.” Armin placed paper towel over the strainer. “Put the cucumbers here.” After Eren did as he was told, Armin folded the paper towel over it. He placed it over the sink. “We let the water drain so the cucumbers don’t make the bread all soggy and mushy. Now, we make the cream cheese mix.”  
  
“Cream cheese.” Eren walked across the kitchen and grabbed the container. “This?”  
  
“Mhm.” Armin nodded. “But, you have to make sure it’s softened. If it’s not soft enough, the mixture will be all creamy and the sandwiches will be no good.”  
  
Eren gasped. He held the cream cheese up to the light. “Please be soft, oh creamy one.”  
  
Armin grabbed the bread knife and put it on the wooden cutting board. He grabbed the square slices of bread, cut off the crust, and then divided them diagonally into triangles.  
  
Eren was still holding the cream cheese to the light.  
  
“It’s probably soft by now.”  
  
“Sweet.” He put the cream cheese on the counter. “You still haven’t told me what we’re going to do.”  
  
“Oh.” Armin grabbed a bowl. “Put the cream cheese in here. We’re going to add mayonnaise, a couple spices and then Worcestershire sauce.”  
  
“Sauce? Spices? You? Cucumbers?”  
  
Armin chuckled and opened the mayonnaise. “Well only a couple spices. Garlic powder, onion powder… better to use the spices than have a chunk of garlic and onions in the cucumber sandwiches.”  
  
Eren grabbed a spoon and scooped up the entire package of cream cheese in it. “It looks soft.”  
  
“Yeah.” Armin added the mayonnaise.  
  
Eren opened the spice rack and grabbed the two in question. “How much?”  
  
Armin shrugged. “Couple shakes? And a pinch salt.”  
  
“Okidoke.” Eren added the two spices then a pinch of salt, as told. “What else? Your weird sauce? Whoresest-Shire Hobbit Sauce.”  
  
Armin fought back his grin as he added a dash of the dark liquid. “Start mixing.”  
  
“Okay!”  
  
Armin moved to the spice rack and grabbed something else. “Here.” he opened the top. “Lemon pepper?”  
  
“Lemon pepper?” Eren paused. “That sounds like some strange fruit lovechild…”  
  
“It’s lemon zest and peppercorn.” Armin shook his head as he added some. “Adding lemon to dairy makes it curdle, but this is a nice way to get it to work.”  
  
“Oooo.” Eren smooched his nose. “You think of everything.”  
  
“I try.” Armin put the spices away. “And we’re pretty much done. Just put some of the cream cheese on the bread, then some cucumbers, and we eat in moderation because we’re going out for lunch soon.”  
  
“Okay, okay, okay.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Levi opened the door and stepped in. He removed his shoes and ran a hand through his hair. He hadn’t even called out when the steps scurried towards him.  
  
“Sir!” Eren half-hugged half-tackled him.  
  
Levi moved a foot back to keep himself from falling over, but he smiled as he hugged back. “Hey.”  
  
Eren squeezed him tight. “Missed you…”  
  
“Yeah, I know, Pup.” Levi pulled away. “Are you two all good to go?”  
  
“I missed you!” Eren yelled and kissed him.  
  
Levi smiled into the kiss before breaking it. “Eren…”  
  
“I missed you so much!”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Yep, you caught me.” Eren broke away and scratched the back of his head. “I’m a distraction.”  
  
“Sorry!” Armin called out, moving hair out of his face. “I’m ready now!”  
  
Levi sighed, shaking his head, smile free on his face. “You two are cute together.”  
  
“Mhm, but.” Eren moved to put his shoes on. “I’m pretty sure the _three_ of us are cute together.”  
  
Levi scowled. “I am not cute.”  
  
Armin walked over and kissed his cheek.  
  
Eren walked over and kissed his other cheek.  
  
Levi frowned. “Stop that.”  
  
Eren kissed his cheek again.  
  
Armin kissed his cheek again.  
  
Levi crossed his arms. “Get the fuck in the car. Now.”  
  
Eren meeped and walked outside.  
  
Armin turned away, but paused. “What happened there?” His blue eyes glanced to the band-aid over Levi’s eyebrow.  
  
“That was an order, Armin.”  
  
“Yes, Master.” Armin turned and put on his shoes before walking out.  
  
Levi closed the door behind him and locked it.  
  
“Um, Sir.” Eren looked at the asphalt. “Why is there blood on the tiles?”  
  
Levi scoffed. “Don’t worry about it.” He walked past them. “Get in, bitch; we’re going shopping.”  
  


⁂

  
  
“Wow.” Eren attempted to whistle, but he didn’t know how so he just kind of blew air out of his mouth. “Nice.”  
  
The store had white letters above it, slightly spaced out, clean-cut font but italicised, giving it a prim and proper but stylish look. _Rivaille._ The inside had engineered wood floors, black walnut in colour, smooth and perfect. The tables and furniture were all white, giving a monochrome touch to the store. The walls, however, were a dark shade of blue. There was everything. From shirts to pants to dresses to formal clothes, to accessories, to coats, to cravats, cufflinks and gloves, hats, purses, scarves, shawls, shoes, shoulder bags, even swimwear.  
  
“Tah,” Levi’s voice was monotone, “Dah.”  
  
Armin grinned. “Come on, let’s go inside.” He grabbed Eren’s arms and pulled him in. “This is Levi’s life’s work, you know?”  
  
“Oooo.” Eren looked around. “No vests?”  
  
Levi scoffed and walked as well. He passed them and crossed his arms, eyeing the woman at the main desk, which was at the middle of the store. He knocked on the counter and waited.  
  
“Hm?” She glanced at him and offered a small wave. “Oh, hey Fucknutt.”  
  
“Afternoon, darling.” He smiled and leaned over. “I need a favour.”  
  
She leaned over as well, face souring. “Ouch.” She poked his eyebrow. “What happened there?”  
  
Levi winced. “Don’t fucking poke a band-aid, you savage piece of shit!”  
  
She moved her wavy blonde hair out of her amber eyes. “Want me to take care of it?”  
  
“If possible, yes.”  
  
She cocked her head to the side to look past Levi. “Oh, the new boy toy people are talking about?”  
  
Levi sighed. “People talk?”  
  
“Well, Levi Sir,” she teased, “You generally don’t keep anyone past two weeks, not only that for most. You just figure they’re not what you’re looking for and go on with your life; meanwhile, this little fucker somehows got your attention. It’s kinda nice.”  
  
Levi shrugged and backed away. “Hitch, Eren; Eren, Bitch.”  
  
Eren smiled. “Hi Bitch!”  
  
Armin snorted.  
  
Hitch rolled her eyes. “Funny guy, huh?”  
  
Levi snickered. “He’s entertaining to say the least.”  
  
“Uhuh.”  
  
“Can you get him a card?”  
  
“Mmm.” Hitch turned to the computer. “Depends. What level?”  
  
“Plat’.”  
  
Hitch paused. Her right eyebrow which had a double vertical piercing under her bangs shot up. “Well, only Annie and you can get that high.”  
  
Levi frowned. “You can’t?”  
  
“Nope. I’m working part-time now, remember?”  
  
“Oh, that’s right.” Levi nodded. “Where’s Annie?”  
  
“On her lunch break, I think.”  
  
“Useless.”  
  
“You could just do it yourself…”  
  
Levi scoffed and pulled out his phone.  
  
Hitch’s smile was on the feral side, but when she caught sight of a customer it turned sugar sweet. She turned around to help them.  
  
Levi, meanwhile, listened to the phone ring. “Annie, you’re fired.” He smirked. “Is that so?” He tilted his head. “Only if we won’t be intruding… I see, that would be nice… Sure, okay. I’ll see you soon.” He shoved his pocket back in his phone. “We’re leaving.”  
  
Armin blinked. “Huh?”  
  
Eren tilted his head. “Where?”  
  
“We’re heading to the south side.” Levi walked past them, motioning for them to follow. He didn’t look behind him; he knew they would come. When he heard their footsteps, though, he smiled. “Mikasa and Annie were going to meet for lunch. We’ll be joining them.”  
  


⁂

  
  
It was still in the big shopping center, but a lounge-style restaurant secluded on the south side. When they got there, Mikasa was just taking her seat. Upon seeing Eren, she smiled and stood. He met her in an embrace and they squeezed each other tight for a moment. Eren pressed his nose against her neck and took in the scent. Lavender. He always found it fitting; it was floral, and sweet, but the crisp undertones kept it from being too-too feminine. He always found it relaxing, calming.  
  
Eventually, Eren broke away and they took their seats. Mikasa sat across from Annie, and Eren sat across from Levi. Armin was at the ‘head’ of the table, sitting between Levi and Eren.  
  
Mikasa smiled. “You look good.”  
  
“Thanks!” Eren patted his clothes. “I liked what I picked out, but Levi got mad in the car.”  
  
Annie paled. “That vest is probably from the sixties.”  
  
Mikasa shook her head. “I wasn’t talking about what you were wearing…”  
  
“Hey,” Eren whined as he deflated in his chair.  
  
Armin laughed, shaking his head.  
  
Levi flipped the menu open. “Well, hopefully we can do something about that.”  
  
Mikasa took in a shaky breath. “Please, I’ve been… trying for years…”  
  
Eren took a look at the menu and pouted. “You guys are mean… but I’ll be snazzy for tonight!”  
  
Mikasa’s lips quivered a little. “So, you _are_ bringing Eren?”  
  
Levi nodded. “Yes.”  
  
Annie glanced at Mikasa; they made eye contact for a split second before they looked at the menus.  
  
Armin tilted his head. “I feel like I missed something.”  
  
Mikasa shook her head. “No, it will just be nice to have someone I know there.”  
  
“Not that she talks to anyone much, anyway.” Annie smiled, then glanced to Levi. “But neither do you, and you seem quite chatty with Eren.”  
  
“Duh.” Eren grinned. “I bring out the best in everyone.”  
  
Armin gigglesnorted, then promptly covered his nose.  
  
Levi licked the underside of his top teeth and flipped the page. “Well, I look forward to having Eren with me tonight.”  
  
Annie noticed the light dust of rose on Eren’s cheek, but chose not to say anything about it. “No offense to Eren, but, Levi, I thought you didn’t bring… subs that haven’t been with you very long to public events?”  
  
Levi shrugged. “What can I say? I am a rebel.”  
  
Annie cocked her head. “Oh really? You’re as straight-edge as Armin.”  
  
Armin frowned. “I’m a rebel.”  
  
Mikasa chose not to comment.  
  
Annie chose not to comment.  
  
Eren chose not to comment.  
  
Levi chose not to comment.  
  
“I am,” Armin affirmed. “I used to put a towel at the bottom of my door so my parents thought the light was off, then I would stay up until like four in the morning on school nights reading books.”  
  
Levi glanced at him. “Rebel.”  
  
Armin wiggled in his seat. “Yeah…”  
  
“Kitten, I broke the law and injected heroin in my veins.”  
  
Armin pursed his lips and flipped the page of his menu. “It was pretty rebellious for me.”  
  
Eren frowned at Levi.  
  
Levi sighed and ruffled Armin’s hair.  
  
A small smile appeared on Armin’s lips.  
  
Eren’s eyes softened as he realised how much more, in one short month, Levi and Armin… He ruffled Armin’s hair as well.  
  
“Hey!” Armin’s cheeks flushed and he tried to straighten his hair.  
  
Annie thought it was adorable, but grabbed her glass of water and sipped it. “I was a rebel… kind of. Not really.” Her eyes moved to Mikasa and Eren. “What about you two?”  
  
Mikasa shrugged. “Not in particular.”  
  
Eren shook his head. “Yeah we were! We went to protests and all kinds of stuff, remember?”  
  
“Oh.” Mikasa blinked. “Right… we even snuck out once…”  
  
“Yeah!” Eren bumped his shoulder against hers. “What was that even for? Like fish or something, oh wasn’t it–”  
  
Mikasa glared. “You don’t want to finish that sentence.”  
  
Eren pouted. “Dolphins?”  
  
Annie’s eyes lit up. “Dolphins?”  
  
Mikasa sighed, knowing she would never hear the end of it. Before the story would diverge into a 25-episode anime series about Annie’s backstory and how it included France and dolphins, Mikasa cleared her throat. “We didn’t care what the protest was about… we just wanted to be in a protest.”  
  
Eren laughed. “Yeah… probably why we don’t remember any of them.”  
  
Mikasa nodded.  
  
Annie’s eyes were still glistening with the light of a thousand shimmering oceans, or something.  
  
Armin was pretty sure he was supposed to be the ocean-obsessed blond, but he swapped that for two boyfriends so it was kind of a fair trade. Gotta do what you gotta do to get the D.  
  
Their waiter came to the table. “I apologise for the wait. Have we all decided what we want?”  


⁂

  
  
“Nothing like squeezing yourself in clothes after you ate,” Levi muttered. “We should have thought that through.”  
  
“It was only a light snack,” Armin countered.  
  
Eren grinned and turned to Mikasa. “You’re still here?”  
  
Mikasa nodded. “Still have fifteen minutes.”  
  
“Until you have to work?”  
  
“Until I have to start heading back.”  
  
“Oh, okay.” Eren nodded and turned to Levi. “So what are we getting for me?”  
  
Annie crossed her arms and looked at Levi as well. “Good question. What are we looking for?”  
  
“Just the usual for men.” Levi examined Eren. “I want him looking sharp, but I don’t want him attracting too much attention either.”  
  
Annie hummed. “Simple suit then?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Eren.” Annie glared. “Don’t complain and come with me. You’re trying on clothes.”  
  
Eren whined.  
  
Armin nudged him. “You don’t want to embarrass me tonight, right?”  
  
Eren gasped, “Of course not!”  
  
Levi moved behind the counter and wiggled the mouse to turn the monitor of the computer on. “Before you go. Is Jalapeno ‘A’-’E’ or ‘E’-’A’?”  
  
“‘A’ then ‘E’, Sir.”  
  
Annie blinked. “What?”  
  
“Jaeger,” Eren explained.  
  
Annie blinked again. “Just follow.” She turned and walked away, Eren followed, and Mikasa after that.  
  
That left Armin and Levi. Armin leaned on the counter and he cocked his head to the side. He saw Levi’s questioning gaze on him and he wondered if he should or shouldn’t. Deciding fuck it, Armin spoke: “Platinum?”  
  
“You disagree?”  
  
“No.” Armin shrugged. “You’re just, that’s kinda wow.”  
  
Levi shrugged as well. “I trust him… I think. And, honestly, if he buys the whole store with his card then I’ll be happy because I really do want to burn his vests. His fashion sense is God awful… but it’s also kind of cute. Like a really ugly cat. Cute and ugly.”  
  
“I agree, completely… but…”  
  
“Stop it.”  
  
“Oh come on, how can I _not_ be surprised, Master? He’s the third person to ever get Plat’ status in Rivaille.”  
  
Levi frowned as he typed along the keyboard, making clacking noise as he went. “I’m almost done here. Go bother Eren. I have to bother Hitch.”  
  
Armin nodded and walked away. He wanted more info, but Levi wasn’t likely to give. He headed to the back of the store, where the changing rooms were. As he walked, Mikasa was heading towards him. “Heading back?”  
  
She nodded.  
  
“Okay. I’ll see you tonight!”  
  
She smiled and nodded again. “Make sure your phone’s charged.”  
  
“One time!” Armin frowned. “That was _one_ time!”  
  
Mikasa silently snickered and walked off.  
  
He smiled at her and turned to keep going. His friendship (if they were friends?) with Mikasa was a little strange, but Armin figured most people were in that boat with Mikasa. He kept walking. All the way on the left, there was a section where four change rooms for men were, and on the right there were four change rooms for women; in between, however, there were eight gender-neutral rooms. He saw Annie standing outside one, arms crossed, looking pissed. “Is he being difficult?”  
  
Annie moved some of her fringe out of her eyes. “A little. Eren, hurry up.”  
  
The door opened.  
  
Eren had a white shirt tucked into dress pants, a belt around his hips, and pink socks with black polka dots. “Yes? No?”  
  
Annie grabbed another shirt. She offered it. When Eren didn’t take it, she practically threw it at him.  
  
Eren caught it and pouted before going back in.  
  
Armin walked over. “Need help?”  
  
“Not really?”  
  
“Can I just watch you change?”  
  
“Of course!”  
  
Armin slipped in the change room and locked the door behind him. He saw the mess of clothes on the floor and quickly began picking them up and putting them back on the racks.  
  
Eren untucked his shirt and began unbuttoning it.  
  
“Armin,” Annie called out. “Make sure he doesn’t do anything wrong. He doesn’t know how to handle delicate clothes.”  
  
“Hey!” Eren whined.  
  
“It’s okay,” Armin said with a smile. “I only know what to do because I’ve been around Levi long enough.”  
  
“I know, I know.” Eren smiled as well. “I just wish Mikasa was still here. She and I could have been lost together.”  


⁂

  
  
“There we go.” Hitch closed the makeup container and put her brushes aside. “So, how did you get that cut anyway?”  
  
Levi closed his eyes. “Newspaper.”  
  
“Newspaper?”  
  
“I… tripped on it, this morning.”  
  
Hitch snorted.  
  
Levi glared.  
  
“Okay, okay, geez.” She grabbed a hand mirror and offered it. “All good, see?”  
  
Levi took it and examined his face. “Thank you, darling.”  
  
“Mhm.” Hitch grabbed the band-aid and tossed it out. “You’re all good to go.”  
  
Levi got up. “See you tonight. Keep your date in line, fucking troublemaker.”  
  
“She’s not that bad!”  
  
“Oh, _she’s_ not… it’s her girlfriend I’m worried about. I’m still surprised she let you take her girl.”  
  
Hitch leaned back in her chair and shrugged. “Everyone knows I’m straight as an arrow—I mean sure, if my Dom wanted me to, I’d do anything really, but dicks are where it’s at.”  
  
Levi nodded, completely understanding. He waved her off and walked towards the change rooms. His eyes fell on Annie. “Armin? Mikasa?”  
  
“I’m here!” Armin called from the change room.  
  
“Mikasa went back to work,” Annie muttered. “I don’t know what’s taking them so long… he just has to change his fucking tie.”  
  
“Sorry!” Armin unlocked the door and bounced out. Both arms shot out to the side as he put Eren on display.  
  
Leather shoes, shining like they just fucked a shimmering star, questionable socks (easy to ignore), then dress pants that hugged his thighs just right; a dark green belt looped around his waist and he wore a white shirt. Over that, the suit jacket was black with handmade buttonholes and functional cuff buttons. It was a tight fit; not uncomfortable looking, it was _just tight enough._ He had a dark green pocket square, same colour as his belt, and a green tie just as dark but a touch closer to teal. His eyes came alive with the monochrome-green get up, and the fact that his body wash made him smell like he rolled around in a forest for three years…  
  
Levi may or may not have been slightly breathless.  
  
Eren’s eyes darted around the room.  
  
Levi realised his Pup was waiting for some kind of confirmation. He walked over, adjusting the tie only slightly, before smoothing it.  
  
“Um, Sir? Am I… to your liking?”  
  
Levi swallowed hard. “Yeah.”  
  
Eren grinned wide.  
  
And Eren’s grin did something to Levi’s heart. He turned away, glancing to Armin. “Do you like it? He’s your date.”  
  
Armin just stared at Eren.  
  
Annie nudged him.  
  
Armin blinked. “Huh? What? Sorry… I was… daydreaming…”  
  
“Alright.” Annie figured she didn’t have their attention for very long. “Let’s get him out of that so we can take it to the register, and you guys can get on with your day.”  
  
“Yes.” Levi forced himself to turn away. “Armin, help him out of it.”  
  
“Yes, Master,” he purred and grabbed Eren’s hand, pulling him into the change room. After the door locked, there were some sounds of sloppy kisses, the occasional half-hiss half-chuckle _“Armin!”_ , but Eren got dressed in his vest and the four of them were at the main desk. Annie scanned all the tags and then tested the new card. When it all worked out, she offered it to Eren.  
  
Eren took it and looked at Levi. “What’s this?”  
  
“Our store has membership points,” he explained. “Anybody can be bronze, which means five percent off everything… which means we mark everything up by five-point-something percent to counter it. Then there’s silver, which is ten percent off, and gold which is twenty percent off. The more you buy, the more you save. Yours is special, though. It’s platinum.”  
  
“Plate-num.” Eren realised what he said when everyone stared at him. “I, uh, sorry. I used to call it plate-num as a kid, because I thought that’s what plates were made out of. So what’s plate-num? Why am I a plate?”  
  
“Platinum means everything is free.” Levi opened his wallet and showed his own. “Only Armin and I have one. Everything gets billed to my account.”  
  
“Awesome.” Eren grinned. “But…” He frowned. “Isn’t that dangerous to just give these to your subs?”  
  
“I give it to the ones I trust,” Levi muttered.  
  
If Annie knew he was lying, she didn’t say.  


⁂

  
  
Eren suddenly decided he wanted to get a fashion sense. Not because he cared, but after being all suited up… he could see the disappointment, he could see life die in Levi’s eyes, and Armin’s will to go on fade, when the two of them looked at him and saw his grandpa vest. Eren ran his hands over his vest, and decided fuck it; he was beautiful, no matter what they said.  
  
WORDS WON’T BRING ME DOWN, Ohhh-ohhh-ohhhh~!  
  
“This way.” Levi turned as they left the store.  
  
Armin grabbed Eren’s arm and pulled him along.  
  
Eren blinked and followed. He didn’t have time to see the sign above them when they walked into the store right next to Rivaille. When he took a breath, the gentle smell of tea made him perk up. Old lady drink. But, fancy old lady drinks. Old ladies who bitch-slapped the status quo and dismantled nuclear bombs drinks. And Eren knew, without a doubt, if he was one of those old ladies—Levi would kiss him.  
  
#Truth.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Huh?”  
  
Armin smiled. “You looked like you were thinking of things again.”  
  
“Me?” Eren shook his head. “Never.”  
  
“Mhm.” Levi put several tins down on the counter and looked around for someone who worked there. He figured they were in the back, so he waited.  
  
Armin let go and did a small twirl. “Krista’s girlfriend-slash-Dom works here.” Armin saw someone open the door and he bounced up. When it wasn’t Ymir, he deflated a little, but smiled anyway. “Hey Mina! Is Ymir here today?”  
  
Mina blinked. “Hi Armin!” She turned around to move something. “Sadly, no, she’s got strep throat… or something. Krista says she’s in a pretty bad condition. Sorry about that.” She turned to them. “What can I get…” Her eyes fell on Eren. “You.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard as they made eye contact. “H-Hi.”  
  
“H-Hey.” Mina forced a smile. “It’s uh, been a while…”  
  
“Y-Yeah.” Eren coughed.  
  
Levi glanced at him. “Do I want to know?”  
  
“Uhh…” Eren looked around the store to make sure they were alone. “Do you remember, the first day we met, you asked me how I got into the whole… D.s. thing? I mentioned that the first guy I was with… uh, I ended up finding out he had a wife and kids.”  
  
“Mhm.” Mina pursed her lips, forced smile trembling. “Haven’t talked to dad since…”  
  
“Oh…” Armin paled. “Wow.”  
  
“Yeah… it’s a bit awkward.” Eren scratched the back of his head. “Anyway…”  
  
Mina giggled, more out of relief of a topic change than amusement, and shook her head. “Yeah, anyway… What can I get you guys?” She noticed Levi’s tins and picked them up, reading the labels. “Refills?”  
  
“Please.” Levi hid his amused smile.  
  
“Do you want a specific amount? Fifty grams? A hundred grams? Or just to the top?”  
  
“To the top.”  
  
“Okay.” Mina turned around and grabbed several containers of tea off the shelves. “Do you guys want any hot or cold teas to go?”  
  
“Yes please!” Armin grinned. “That one!” he practically yelled as he pointed to one. “As a latte, please!”  
  
Levi paused for a moment. Armin, only a month ago, was so quiet and reserved… only showing his excited side to a rare few, and never in public, but with Eren around… “I’d like a matte, please. Just straight matte.”  
  
Mina grabbed the two tins and brought them down. “As a latte, Sir?”  
  
“Levi’s fine.” He pursed his lips. “My purist inside me wants to say no, but Ymir would scream into the night and rain if she found out I denied a latte. No foam. Skim milk.”  
  
“Same here,” Armin added.  
  
Mina nodded and turned to Eren. “And you?”  
  
Eren looked at all the containers. “It’s my first time here, so… What would I like?”  
  
“Oh.” Armin pointed to one of the black teas. “The strawberry seduction?”  
  
Mina smiled and turned around, grabbing it; she placed it on the counter and popped the top. “You can smell it. It’s black tea with dark chocolate, coconut flakes, rose petals, and strawberry leaves.”  
  
Eren walked over and took in the scent. It wasn’t as strawberry as he thought it would be, but it was a nice sweet dessert tea. “Sure!”  
  
“And it’s great as a creamy latte,” Armin added.  
  
“I’ll take it!”  
  
Mina nodded and got to work, pausing for a moment when she heard the curt noises of heels. She looked up and smiled.  
  
Levi looked over his shoulder. “Hello.”  
  
Krista beamed, giving them all a little wave. “Heya. I’m surprised you didn’t go for that strawberry smash, Sir.”  
  
Levi scoffed.  
  
Krista chuckled. “Ymir told me how disappointed when you were when it wasn’t,” she mimicked his annoyed tone of voice, “‘Strawberry enough’.”  
  
“Taste gets muddled in other things…” Levi tried to frown, but it ended up being a pout. “But…” He eyed her ponytail and ripped jeans. “Tell me you’re not coming tonight like that…”  
  
Krista gasped. “Rude!” She crossed her arms, huffing. “And no… I have an outfit picked out, _and_ Marco’s doing my hair tonight!”  
  
Eren tilted his head. “Marco does hair?”  
  
“Sorta…” Armin snickered. “Marco does everything.”  
  
Levi actually laughed, carefree. “That, he does. Ymir’s got strep?”  
  
“Mhm.” Krista pouted. “Don’t worry. I’m making sure she’s taking care of herself.” She noticed the way his eyes softened, but didn’t comment on it. “She says she’s happy she’s sick, though! The nerve… I’m worrying about her constantly and she’s happy that I won’t try to drag her along for tonight.”  
  
“You would, though,” Levi pointed out.  
  
“B-But.” Krista frowned. “That’s not the point!”  
  
Eren snorted.  
  
Armin turned away to hide his smile.  
  
Mina just shook her head. “So, tonight is the big night for Rivaille, right?”  
  
Eren turned to her. “Yep.”  
  
“You know… Ymir told me once…” Mina seemed to consider going on or not, but evidently she decided to do so. “That ‘Rivaille’ is supposed to be pronounced as in ‘Levi’… is that right?”  
  
Judging from the way Levi’s face distorted…  
  
“Levi-Levi!” Eren cackled. “Your name is Levi-Levi!”  
  
Levi cringed, shuddering in disgust.  
  
“Oh my God!” Krista laughed. “Levi-Levi!”  
  
“Krista… Eren…” Armin sighed. “But, Mast-ah, uh, Levi.” He cleared his throat. “If your last name is ‘Levi’, why would your parents name you… Levi?”  
  
“I took my adoptive father’s last name, and he was an immigrant. During the paperwork, they somehow horribly basterdised his last name when they tried to translate it, so that’s how it ended up being ‘Rivaille’. But… he liked our family name, how it was supposed to be pronounced, so he gave that to me.”  
  
“That’s so…” Armin paled. “Unfortunate.”  
  
Levi sighed.  
  
“Well…” Eren wiggled. “I really like your name, Levi.”  
  
Levi made some kind of noise before looking away.  
  
Krista grinned. “You really find a bright side to everything, Eren, don’t you?”  
  
“Aha.” Eren scratched his cheek. “Do I?”  
  
“You do.” Armin nodded.  
  
Mina smiled as she pushed the cups forward. “Three lattes. Can I get you something, Krista?”  
  
“White chai!”  
  
“Latte?”  
  
“She’ll break up with me if I don’t.”  
  
Armin snorted and grabbed two cups, offering one to Levi.  
  
Levi took it and muttered something, probably thanks.  
  
Eren took his and his eyes lit up. “Oh wow!” The creamy chocolaty tea could probably get him in bed—seduction, indeed.  
  
“Try mine,” Armin offered. “It’s a cafe latte tea.”  
  
“Cafe latte, tea?” Eren switched cups, not minding that Armin took a sip of his. He smelled it. “It does smell like a latte… uh, coffee latte.”  
  
“Yeah, it’s got coffee beans and sliced almonds, so it’s like a mix of coffee and tea!”  
  
Eren tasted it and he smiled. “That’s great! What about yours, Sir?”  
  
“First name in public,” Levi muttered.  
  
“Ooops, shit.”  
  
“It’s okay.” Levi shrugged. “Mine’s mine and you’re not having any. Fuck you.”  
  
Eren snickered. “Okay Levi-Levi.”  
  
Levi’s glare had Eren’s ancestors trembling in their coffins.  


⁂

  
  
When they got home, Levi went to the washroom on the first floor. He twisted the knob for the tap and let the cold water flow. He put his hands under it, pooling an amount before splashing his face. He grabbed a towel and dried himself off, then stared at the mirror. He sighed and shook his head. Despite the great tea, his mouth tasted like ash and his stomach burned in acidic twists and knots. His hands had light tremors and his knees locked.  
  
Through the door, he heard muffled voices.  
  
“Eren,” Armin’s voice was barely audible, “Leave Levi alone for a while.”  
  
Eren burst out laughing.  
  
Levi glanced to the door.  
  
“Sorry! Sorry! I just, let’s… Leave Lev-i alone for a while!”  
  
Levi snorted.  
  
“Eren…” Armin must have done something because Eren arf’d.  
  
Eren’s cackles could be heard easily. “Okay, okay, but um… why, why leave him alone for a while?”  
  
“He just, needs to get in the right headspace for work, okay? You’ll get your chance to smooch him later, just have some self-control and don’t follow him around; it’ll be easier for him if he we keep his professional and personal lives separate, okay?”  
  
Levi closed his eyes, thankful Armin understood.  
  
“But…” Eren went quiet for a moment, before his voice went up again, “What if he wears something super sexy?”  
  
“Mmmm, I know right?” Armin breathed breathlessly. “But, just think of it as training. He needs to trust you, and he needs to know you can hold yourself back if he needs you to.”  
  
“Oh…” Eren said thoughtfully, “I don’t think this is what he meant when he wanted to train me like that, but it’s the same. So this is like, one final task to be a good sub, huh?”  
  
“That’s one way to think of it, yeah.” Armin’s voice disappeared for a while, before he spoke again: “Plus, am I not enough for you tonight?”  
  
Eren’s laughter was carefree and warm. “Of course you are! I’m just… super greedy—and I want both!”  
  
Levi smiled, feeling the warmth fill his chest.  
  
“Uhuh,” Armin’s voice was playful, “Why don’t we just get you some of the cucumber sandwiches we made this morning, okay?”  


⁂

  
  
An hour had passed. Armin had brought him a glass of water and a cucumber sandwich to keep him going until dinner, but the two of them left him undisturbed.  
  
Today was the big day. His mind raced to what he wanted to do with Eren _after_ the event, since it was Pup’s last night, but… No. He had to focus. He had to focus on tonight. The event. Rivaille. He growled and ruffled through the sheets of paper. He had four speeches he was trying to memorise. There was no way he was going to know them by heart (no one would expect him to), but he wanted to deliver them flawlessly. He practiced each one three more times in front of a mirror before putting them down.  
  
He walked to his desk and picked up another piece of paper.  
  
It was the plan for the event, the itinerary.  
  
Levi sighed.  
  
He didn’t want to do this.  
  
There was a lot he didn’t want to do, but he did them because he was an adult.  
  
But, still, he would so much rather stay home… He imagined what they would be doing instead: He would be sitting on the couch, Eren sitting next to him, warm against his side, leaning on him. Armin would serve them tea, and then Eren would compliment Armin, causing Armin’s cheeks to dust pink while he mumbled something about it just being hot water and tea, and Eren would insist, and then Armin would say no, and Eren would say yes, and Armin would say no, and Eren would say yes, and Armin would say no, and Eren would say yes, and Armin would say no, and Eren would say yes, and Armin would say no, and Eren would say yes, and Armin would say no, and Eren would say yes, and Armin would say no, and Eren would say yes, and Armin would say no—until Levi had enough and told them to shut the _fuck_ up.  
  
Armin would sit on his other side, and Eren would kiss them both.  
  
It would be… fucking perfect.  
  
Levi glanced to the itinerary again.  
  
There was no point whining.  
  
Levi glanced at himself in the mirror and nodded once.  
  
He left his room and went down the stairs. He walked into the kitchen, where the two of them were dressed. “Armin, Eren.” They both looked at him. Levi moved some hair out of his eyes. “We’re leaving.”


	32. The Fourth Week (8)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Hold up!** If you guys remember, Silver Ying sketched some dorky kitchen moments of Chapter 13; it's now [coloured and extra-gorgeous](http://silverying.tumblr.com/post/98388487342/i-feel-so-embarrased-i-did-this-mimi-comic-of-my)! 
> 
> On another note, with this chapter the Tentative Bliss Series (including Girl's Night and Two-Sided) has now broken 400,000 words. Dear sweet soy sauce buckets. And if that's not shocking enough, Tentative Bliss broke 50,000 hits!! Holy gosh diddly darn on a Ferris wheel holding ten fiery babies from Mount Doom. I... don't even know what to say. The support you guys have given me is beyond what words could describe. Thank you. Honestly, I'm half shocked and half at a loss for words, but honestly... thank you.
> 
> That being said, I am posting this past midnight my time so just... to all my readers, make sure you're getting enough sleep okay? The chapter will still be here in the morning. Have you drank a glass of water lately? It's important to stay hydrated. Taken your meds? It's okay if you forgot, don't beat yourself up, but just take care of yourselves too, okay? <3
> 
> * * *

Eren in a suit was still something that had Armin’s thighs rubbing together as his knees writhed. Armin straightened the tie and added the cufflinks—they were gold in colour, but with green to add to the get-up. “You know… I’m pretty sure I’m the luckiest boy in the world.”  
   
“Yeah, I know; I’m pretty great.”  
   
Armin rolled his eyes.  
   
Eren grinned and kissed his cheek.  
   
Armin kissed his jaw line, twice, then his neck once.  
   
“H-Hey.” Eren laughed. “Didn’t you ask _me_ to have self-control?”  
   
“With Levi, not me.” Armin hadn’t dressed up yet, since he was helping Eren first, leaving him in a loose shirt and jeans. “I have an idea…”  
   
Eren smirked. “Do we have time, though?”  
   
Armin glanced at the clock. “Yeah.”  
   
“But, we can’t make a mess—white stains on this suit won’t look nice.”  
   
Armin just smiled. “You know I swallow.”  
   
Eren captured that little whore mouth with his own.  
   
Armin traced the seam between their lips with his tongue once before breaking away, diving under Eren’s jaw to attack his neck.  
   
“No hickeys!” Eren reminded.  
   
Armin just whined.  
   
Eren smirked and grabbed Armin’s face with both hands, bringing their lips together again. He closed his eyes as they kissed. He felt Armin’s hands run over his chest and he grinned.  
   
“Mmm, Eren, you smell good…”  
   
Eren grinned as he felt Armin hard against him. His own length was hard as well, grinding on Armin. “Mm, oh yeah?”  
   
“Hnn.” Armin’s cheeks flushed. “Oh _yeah_.”  
   
Their lips met again and Armin’s hands traced his chest once more. Eren’s hands dove down, grabbing Armin’s ass. Eren hissed and Armin made a desperate noise. Eren pushed him against the fridge, and he gasped. Being trapped between the cool metal of the fridge and the heat of Eren’s body had him writhing. He slipped a hand between them and groped Eren’s dick, cupping his crotch.  
   
Eren bit down on Armin’s neck.  
   
“Eren!”  
   
“Shit, sorry.” Eren laughed, smooching the bite marks.  
   
Armin kissed Eren’s neck as his hands worked the button and fly of the suit pants. After unbuttoning and unzipping, he pushed his hand in through Eren’s boxers and grabbed his cock. He stroked it quickly, having no time for a slow build.  
   
Eren gasped and closed his eyes.  
   
Armin grinned. “Like that?”  
   
“Mm, yeah.” He unbuttoned and unzipped Armin’s jeans and pushed them down.  
   
Armin wiggled out of them.  
   
“You have to get undressed anyway.”  
   
“Well I have to keep my undies…”  
   
“Details.” Eren opened his eyes. “Get naked for me?”  
   
Armin grinned and let go of Eren’s cock. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and threw it off, tugging off his boxers as well. “Only because you’re cute.” He grabbed Eren’s length again and resumed jerking it. “Mmm, naked against a man in a suit…”  
   
Eren smirked and grabbed Armin’s cock, returning the favour with hard strokes.  
   
Armin gasped and kissed Eren’s neck. He dropped to his knees and grabbed the cock with both hands. He made eye contact before he pushed it in his mouth.  
   
Eren gasped and his breath hitched in his throat.  
   
Armin smirked as he bobbed his head on the manhood, using one hand to steady it.  
   
“Mm, fuck, Armin…” Eren closed his eyes for half a second, letting out a soft moan, before opening them again. “Touch yourself?”  
   
Armin was on his knees, but he spread his legs as much as he could. He started stroking himself, giving Eren a full view. He put himself on display.  
   
Eren’s mouth hung open as he watched, mesmerised. He grabbed Armin’s hair and fisted it.  
   
With Eren’s cock in his mouth, Armin whined. He slipped the length out of his mouth with a wet pop. “I just combed it all nice!”  
   
“Oh shit!” Eren smoothed Armin’s hair with his hands.  
   
Armin smiled, knowing it was probably a useless effort but enjoyed said effort all the same. He pushed the cock back in his mouth, all the way, until he nuzzled the base.  
   
“Oh fuck…”  
   
Armin moved his head back until his lips were on the head, and then moved forward again, taking it in his throat. He slipped it out of his mouth and grabbed it. He licked along the side, then went down the underside. His free hand was focusing on himself, going up and down.  
   
Eren watched those blue eyes and he dropped to his knees.  
   
“Eren?”  
   
Eren pushed Armin back against the floor and went on top of him. He kissed Armin’s neck, then shoulder, the chest, and then… he blew raspberries on Armin’s stomach.  
   
Armin burst into a giggle fit and messed up his hair. “Really!?”  
   
“Sorry!” Eren grinned and grabbed Armin’s cock, giving it a squeeze.  
   
Armin gasped sharply, closing his eyes as he let out a moan.  
   
Eren kissed Armin’s stomach, and then right above his cock, before he took it in his mouth.  
   
Armin bucked his hips, knees wiggling as he let out a sweet sound.  
   
Eren took Armin into his mouth, all of him, and then bobbed his mouth back up on the head. He sucked hard and watched Armin writhe. It was an addictive sight. The noises spilling from Armin’s mouth were heavenly and he wanted to keep making them happen. He moved his head back up and flipped Armin over, onto all fours.  
   
Armin grinned, looking over his shoulder. “We’re doing a lot more than just a blowie, aren’t we?”  
   
“If you’re up for it…” Eren smirked and kissed Armin’s right cheek.  
   
Armin wiggled his ass, still grinning. “I’ve got lube in my jeans.”  
   
Eren looked to his side and grabbed the pool of clothing. “You’re always prepared, huh?”  
   
“Well, never know when Levi wants to bend me over—or you.”  
   
Eren grinned and found the lube. “I could learn from you, you know?”  
   
“Mm, or pay me back with a good fuck.” Armin went on his back again and snatched the lube. He smeared some on his fingers and pushed them inside. “Ah…”  
   
Eren’s mouth watered; he was hypnotised by the site of Armin fingering himself right in front of him. He felt a heat flash and he crawled on top of Armin, ready when he was.  
   
Armin understood and coated Eren’s cock with lube, and grabbing it, guiding it to his hole. He nodded once.  
   
Eren pushed in and closed his eyes. The tight heat all around him made him shiver. He was careful not to go too fast, but also knew Armin liked it rough. He pushed in until he was completely buried in the feeling and gasped.  
   
Armin’s hand moved over his cock, quickly, stroking over and over. “Move.”  
   
Eren pulled back and grunted. He pushed back in and his knees tingled.  
   
Armin gasped and moved one arm around Eren’s neck, pulling him down. “Make it a quickie.”  
   
Eren mashed their lips together as he began thrusting in and out, building a rhythm. He wasted no time in speeding up, and the muffled noise of pleasure from Armin in their kiss told him he was doing the right thing.  
  
Armin eventually broke the kiss just to breathe. “F-Faster.” He kept stroking himself, eyes bright blue, pleading. He felt his bare skin against Eren’s suit and he bit his lip, cheeks flushing.  
   
Eren complied, speeding up. He grabbed Armin’s waist, moving his hips quicker. He stared into those eyes and couldn’t look away. He swallowed hard and began panting. “Fuck…”  
   
“Eren,” Armin moaned. “Please, faster…”  
   
Eren rocked into the heat and his breathing became louder.  
   
Armin wrapped his legs around Eren’s waist, pulling him in with every thrust.  
   
Eren’s eyes moved, finally, and began examining every part of Armin’s naked body, taking in the sight that was his. He pushed into the heat over and over, mind losing itself in pleasure. Armin’s pants and moans were a chorus as his hips moved faster and faster. Their rhythm rising to the climax. He looked back in Armin’s eyes and could tell he was close, and somehow he just knew Armin knew he, too, was close.  
   
“Mmm.” Armin muffled a sweet noise as he closed his eyes. At the last second, he remembered Eren’s suit, so he tilted his cock back, and shot the hot white all over his own chest.  
   
Eren’s eyes widened when Armin came all over himself and it became too much—he hit bliss. “Ngh.” His eyes screwed shut and he released. He let out a whine and took a single, deep, breath.  
   
Armin grinned, closing his eyes lazily. “You’re perfect.”  
   
“Not as perfect as you.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
  
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
  
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
  
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
  
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
  
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
  
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
  
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
“Yes you are.”  
   
“No I’m not.”  
   
Armin’s eyes opened. “You never give up, do you?”  
   
“Nope.” Eren smiled. “Fuck… you’re so hot right now.”  
   
Armin tilted his head to the side. “Wanna snap a pic?”  
   
Eren blinked. “C-Can I?”  
   
“Mhm, if you don’t share it.”  
   
“I won’t; I promise.”  
   
“I know.” Armin smiled. “I trust you.”  
   
Eren pulled out his phone and went to the camera app. With his cock still in Armin’s ass, he snapped a bird’s eye view of the scene in front of him and shuddered. “That’s going to be number one in my spank-bank.”  
   
Armin laughed. “What time is it?”  
   
“Uhh.” He looked at the top of his phone. “Six fifteen.”  
   
“Hm, we have fifteen minutes… five to rest, ten to get dressed.”  
   
“Okay…” Eren began pulling out.  
   
“Careful.”  
   
“I know, I know.”  
 

⁂

  
   
After getting up and cleaning up, Eren was forced to stand in the corner while Armin got dressed. “Can I look now?”  
   
“Not yet,” he teased.  
   
“Awww, come on please?”  
   
“Nope. It’s a surprise; you don’t want to spoil your own surprise… do you, Eren?”  
   
“Surprise!” Eren wiggled in his spot. “I like surprises…”  
   
“Okay, you can turn around now.”  
   
Eren spun around and gasped.  
   
Like Eren, Armin wore black leather shoes, black suit pants, a white belt, and a white dress shirt. However, unlike Eren, instead of wearing a suit jacket—Armin wore a vest. It wasn’t an ugly grandpa vest like Eren’s vests, though; it was a formal men’s vested suit. He wore no tie, top button popped, and a silver chain around his neck. His left sleeve was rolled up, revealing his collar. Armin grinned. “Like it?”  
   
“Y-Yes!” Eren grabbed his face and smooched him for about eight years before taking a step back. He took the sight in, again, and practically bounced. “Pretty sure _I’m_ the luckiest boy in the world!”  
   
Armin opened his mouth to reply, but footsteps could be heard from the stairs.  
   
They both turned.  
   
Levi stepped in and paused. “Armin, Eren. We’re leaving.”  
 

⁂

  
   
Levi wore standard men’s formal wear, similar to Eren and Armin. White dress shirt, black suit pants, leather belt, leather shoes. His suit jacket, however, was longer; it was closer to a formal black trench coat. He finished his outfit with a black tie.  
   
He was in the driver’s seat, both Armin and Eren in the back. “I’m picking up my date for the evening,” he explained. “We’re almost there.”  
   
“Oh.” Eren leaned forward. “Who?”  
   
“You’ll see.”  
   
Eren pouted and turned to Armin. “Who?”  
   
Armin batted his eyelashes. “You’ll see.”  
   
“But, who!?”  
   
Levi snorted and then signalled right. Slowing down, he pulled over in front of a row of townhouses and honked the horn once. When he saw the door open, he didn’t bother offering a smile. He lowered the window and yelled instead, “Hurry up!”  
   
Eren leaned over to see who it was but Armin pulled him back.  
   
The passenger side car door opened and she took her seat. “I’m not late, am I?”  
   
“No.” Levi shifted the gears and began driving. “You’re early, and…” He glanced at her for half a second before his eyes went back to the road. “You look good.”  
   
Hanji smiled. Her hair was down, and her usual glasses were replaced by ones with a thin frame. Her dress was a deep purple and she had a red-violet see-through shawl around her shoulders; they seemed to bring out that red tint in her brown hair. She glanced to the rear view mirror and whistled. “Someone has hotties in the back!”  
   
Armin smiled wide.  
   
Eren just scoffed, “Duh!”  
   
Levi’s lips curved into a sensual smile. “They look nice, don’t they?”  
   
“Mhm!” Hanji realised she forgot her seat belt and quickly clipped it. “I’m so excited! It’s going to be so much fun, Leevee!”  
   
“Hm.” Levi shook his head. “I’m glad you enjoy it…”  
   
“I look forward to it every year!”  
   
“You’re the only one who does.” Levi glanced up to the rear view mirror to meet Eren’s confused gaze. “It’s why I bring her: She’s the only person in this God awful world that can make these nights fun.”  
   
Eren tilted his head. “Are they that bad?”  
   
“No, not really, I just like complaining. It’ll be fun for you, but I have to talk to people all night and give speeches.”  
   
“That’s right,” Hanji affirmed. “I am the moral support, and also the ‘pull Levi away from shit faces when he gives me the signal’ of the night.”  
   
Levi scoffed and smiled. “Hm, yeah. I can always rely on you for that.”  
   
“Of course you can! I am very reliable, after all.”  
   
“Nnn… not usually. Don’t give yourself too much credit.”  
   
“Levi!” Hanji gasped. “I am! Armin!”  
   
Armin coughed. “Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses…”  
   
Levi smirked.  
   
Eren laughed. “So, what’s going to happen tonight? What’s the plan?”  
   
“Well…” Levi groaned. “First we find our seats, then we mingle at our tables; then we get up, and mingle; then we get food, and we mingle; speeches, mingle; dessert and coffee, mingle. Then, we get the fuck out of there.”  
   
Eren saw Levi’s scowl through the mirror and leaned forward. “Hey, Sir? Smile.”  
   
“No.”  
   
“Please?”  
   
Levi forced one. “Happy?”  
   
Eren laughed. “That’s pathetic…”  
   
Levi snorted and his fake smile somehow turned real.  
 

⁂

  
   
When they arrived, Levi took the lead with Hanji by his side. Armin followed after and Eren was only half a step behind his date. It was in a large dining hall, and Eren didn’t need to be told it was expensive as balls. They walked towards the table at the front where a young man and an older woman were sitting with a sign that said ‘Check In’. The man looked up. “Mister Rivaille!”  
   
“Levi’s fine.” Levi put a hand on his hip. “Myself, my date; Armin Arlert, his date. We’re table four.”  
   
The man got to work, grabbing little squares that looked like cue cards, while the woman checked them off the list. She looked up. “Take a left,” she said as she pointed to her right, “And turn the corner. The door on that side is the closest to your table.”  
   
“Thank you.” He smiled at them and began walking. Hanji, Armin, and Eren followed after him. When they turned the corner, Levi smiled. “Marco.”  
   
Marco was checking his phone and leaning on the wall when he looked up. He smiled wide. He was also wearing black suit pants, but he went with a black dress shirt. His suit jacket was cut at the elbows and hung loose on his shoulders. He had a forever scarf, a circular scarf, looped twice around his neck. He also wore his heart-shaped pendant and a dark brown belt. “Hey!”  
   
Eren wished he could whistle.  
   
Armin ran up to him and pulled him into a hug. “Hey!”  
   
Marco laughed and squeezed him tight. “You look good!” He glanced to Levi and Hanji, but when his eyes fell on Eren… he bit his lip.  
   
Armin backed away and pushed Eren forward.  
   
Eren pulled Marco into a hug and melted into the perfectness that was Marco hugs.  
   
Armin, meanwhile, turned around. He saw a man step out of the bathroom and he grinned. “Jean!”  
   
Jean wore a standard suit get up, white dress shirt, black suit pants, black blazer, black leather shoes, and a dark brown belt. No accessories, only clean-cut and proper. He pulled Armin into a hug and smirked. “Hey Mushroom, haven’t seen you in a while.” He pulled away just enough to kiss Armin’s cheek.  
   
Armin laughed and grabbed Jean’s hand. “I want you to meet my date!”  
   
“Huh? Where?”  
   
Armin tugged Jean’s hand. “This is—”  
   
“Jae… Jaeger?”  
   
Eren pulled away from his deep long hug with Marco. “Kirstein…”  
   
Marco grinned. “Oh, this is great; we all know each other! Doesn’t he look good, Jean?”  
   
Jean’s face distorted into a scowl. “How about you get the fuck away from my boyfriend you shit-trash!”  
   
Eren’s face snapped into a frown. “Fuck you, Horseface!”  
   
“Oh, nice insult—going right back to the old ones! Can’t expect much creativity from a spit brain like you!”  
   
“At least I’m not an uncultured lava lamp dildo fuck!”  
   
“What the _fuck_ did you call me, Jaeger-Danger?”  
   
“Hey!” Eren yelled louder than a thousand storms. “That was kindergarden, and it was fucking cool!”  
   
“Just like when you puked on the field trip bus?”  
   
“At least I didn’t stuff dandelions down my pants to look like I had a big package!”  
   
“Thirteen!” Jean shrieked. “I was thirteen! You made plenty of mistakes when you were thirteen!”  
   
“Oh yeah!?”  
   
“Oh yeah! You and your fucking Naruto-ninja-run weeboo-trash-ass-shit!”  
   
“Hey! At least I could make friends!”  
   
“I had plenty of friends!”  
   
“Connie doesn’t count!”  
   
“Yeah he totally counts! Better than your like forty year old boyfriend!”  
   
“At least I could get dick, Kirstein!”  
   
“I get plenty!”  
   
“Oh yeah!?”  
   
“Oh yeah!”  
   
Eren turned, grabbing Marco’s face. He pressed their lips together.  
   
Jean’s mind cracked in half. “You little!” He yanked his arm back and threw it forward.  
   
His punch stopped mid-way.  
   
Jean’s eyes widened.  
   
Eren froze.  
   
Mikasa wore a simple black dress that hugged her curves, with an open back. Silver studs in her ears, and her red pendant around her neck, her outfit was completed with a red scarf tied around her waist as a sash. Her hand was around Jean’s wrist. She grabbed Eren’s hand as well and then squeezed.  
   
Both Jean and Eren squealed in pain.  
   
Mikasa pulled them closer. “The three of us weren’t invited directly… Let’s not embarrass our dates.”  
   
Levi cocked his head to the side. “Is… everything, alright there?”  
   
Hanji blinked. “The hell was that?”  
   
Mikasa let go of the two and turned to them, smiling sweetly. “A little high school reunion. Where’s our table?”  
   
Levi pointed to the double doors about twenty steps away. “Through there.”  
   
“We should go,” Mikasa offered before leaving.  
   
Eren glanced to the side, noticing Annie had also silently joined them.  
   
Annie wore a black sleeveless shirt and a tight, black, formal skirt, a thin white sweater overtop. She had golden hoops in her ears she wore black heels. Glancing once at Jean, then to Eren, she mouthed ‘Behave’ before leaving to join Mikasa.  
   
Marco sighed the sighs of a million sighs. “Well, there goes my dream threeway…”  
   
Jean shrieked, “Marco!?”  
   
“Hey!” Marco pouted. “Don’t shame me…”  
   
“Ha.” Eren smirked. “Well, everyone wants me.”  
   
Armin sighed the sighs of a million sighs. “And there goes my dream threeway too.”  
   
“Armin!”  
   
Jean scowled. “I knew him first!”  
   
Armin glanced at Marco. “And there goes our dream fourway and fiveway.”  
   
Marco sighed the saddest of sighs.  
   
Levi cleared his throat. “Are we all ready to move on?”  
   
“Y-Yes, Sir.” Eren swallowed hard. “Sorry…”  
   
“Behave,” Levi hissed. “Or I’ll send you home. I’ll do it, Eren.”  
   
Eren nodded.  
   
Jean laughed in victory, but…  
   
Levi’s scowl cut him off. “Jean, you too.”  
   
“H-Hey! You’re not my Dom.”  
   
“This is my event. I’ll blacklist you if you two fight again. Be civil or get the fuck out. I have better things to do.” He shook his head and walked past them, offering his arm.  
   
Hanji caught up to him and took it, leaving with him.  
   
Marco took Jean’s hand. “Tonight’s important for me, okay?”  
   
Jean huffed. “Okay, okay… I’m sorry.”  
   
Marco nodded and pulled him along.  
   
Armin noticed it was only them when he turned. “Eren.”  
   
“I know,” Eren spat out. “S-Sorry… I know. Shit.”  
   
Armin straightened his tie. “If you need to get away or need a breather, just ask me okay?”  
   
Eren kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”  
   
Armin smiled, but his smile trembled before falling. “What… was that?”  
   
“He’s an old friend, and I use the word friend kinda… diplomatically.”  
   
“I can tell.”  
   
“Fuck.” Eren closed his eyes. “I lost it, already.”  
   
“It’s okay,” Armin assured. “We’re just in one of the side hallways. Nobody overheard you or saw us. It’s better you got it out of your system here, as opposed to in there. But… when we do go in that room…”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“Levi’s… mad.”  
   
“I know, I know!”  
   
“He’s…”  
   
Eren looked up. “Yeah?”  
   
“Well.” Armin held his breath as he tried to figure out his words, but ended up releasing all the air in a strained noise. “He was really looking forward to tonight with you. And I don’t mean this event, but after. The last night with his sub.”  
   
“Yeah… is this one of his games?”  
   
“Mhm, his last one… it’s actually his favourite, despite what he says.”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
“Just… don’t put him in a bad mood, okay? If he’s too pissed at you to do that…”  
   
“Armin, just say it. Please.”  
   
“Okay.” Armin looked down. “What he does on the last night is the most important. If he doesn’t do this game with you, it means there’s no next contract. He doesn’t do another one without doing this game. It’s a test, of sorts.”  
   
“But you said he wants to…”  
   
“No, I mean, if you end up pissing him off tonight and he makes the brash decision to skip it tonight, he won’t sign a second contract with you—even if he wants you. It’s like a trust test, and if you fail it’s all over.”  
   
“And not taking the test means… ?”  
   
“If you don’t take a test, you get a zero.”  
   
“But…” Eren paused, seriousness firming up his facial features. “What if I get a note from my mom?”  
   
Armin laughed and kissed him briefly. “Don’t ever change.”  
   
“Hm.” Eren looked down. “Okay, I’ll keep this suit on forever if you like it that much…”  
   
Armin laughed again and kissed his cheek. “Ready?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
 

⁂

  
   
“No.” Levi crossed his arms. “How about we _not?”_  
   
“B-But these seats here—”  
   
“—are taken.” Levi’s eyes narrowed.  
   
Hanji made a little noise.  
   
Levi glanced to the side. “Speaking of them, I have people to greet.” He walked away from the larger man and offered his hand. “You must be Eren.”  
   
Eren’s eyes lit up as he played along, taking the hand. “Hello Sir.”  
   
Levi gave it a firm shake and then turned back to the man. “As you can see my table is full.”  
   
“Ah,” he said, “Yes… but I was told—”  
   
“Misunderstandings happen.” Levi smiled. “This is what I had planned.”  
   
“Are you sure, Levi, because as an executive member—”  
   
“Well!” Levi cut him off. “Even if there was a mixup, Packard, this is the way things are. Tables are of ten, and we would be confusing any waiters and servers if we changed that up. Tonight will be a charming night, so let’s not stress anyone.” He patted Packard’s shoulder then quickly took his seat.  
   
“But, Levi, I’m sure you could—”  
   
“Levi, dear!” Hanji cried out, “You’re missing a spoon!”  
   
“Oh?” Levi was utterly fascinated with spoons. “I’m sure it’s somewhere at this table. Everyone look!”  
   
Armin took his seat, Eren followed.  
   
Packard got the cue and left.  
   
Hanji offered him the spoon back.  
   
Levi smirked and leaned over, kissing her on the cheek. “You’re a charm, my friend.”  
   
“My friend,” Hanji repeated. “That’s a first.”  
   
“Take it or leave it, you walking cum dumpster.”  
   
Hanji snorted. “Much more like it!”  
   
The dining hall was massive, with large crystal chandeliers, glimmering lights, clean white tables that counted to several dozens, fine cutlery and plates. Servers and waiters, male and female, dressed up to the nines.  
   
Eren looked across the table at Levi. “Was that Hewlett-Packard?”  
   
Hitch snorted.  
   
Annie coughed.  
   
Levi’s smirk wobbled. “That’s the one…”  
   
Armin nudged him. “Not out loud.”  
   
Eren meeped. “Sorry!” He looked around the table. It was him, then Mikasa and Annie, then Hitch and Krista—who gave him a small wave, and he waved back—followed by Hanji and Levi sitting across from him, then Marco and Jean, and then his date Armin, and back to himself.  
   
Jean scoffed when Krista waved. “Does everyone know Eren?”  
   
Mikasa glanced at him.  
   
Jean shrugged. “I’m just surprised!”  
   
Armin slipped his hand into Eren’s lap.  
   
Eren took the hand in his own and smiled.  
   
Krista wore a simple dark blue dress with only one sleeve on the right side. It was light on her body, but tight where the black sash wrapped around her waist. Her hair had a few black highlights and lowlights and was styled to only go down her left shoulder, giving a good view of her diamond earrings. Her eyes, which seemed to shift between blue and green depending on the light, matched her dress with the touch of blue around her eyes. Her makeup was simple, but it did the job effectively.  
   
Hitch on the other hand seemed to match the guys. She wore a dark blue suit with a dark yellow belt matching her hair and amber eyes. Her hair moved out of the way to show her eyebrow piercing, and it was cut short so they could see the collar-like necklace around her neck.  
   
Eren grinned. “It’s a nice party, Sir.”  
   
Levi shrugged. “Thanks.”  
   
Krista grinned. “Yeah, it’s my first time here too!”  
   
Levi glanced at her. “I’ll be gentle.”  
   
Hanji snorted. “Really?”  
   
“Well, she’s the only one at this table I haven’t slept with…”  
   
Krista looked around. “Wow, really?”  
   
Levi nodded.  
   
Eren snickered. “You get around, Sir.”  
   
“I have money and time to spare.” Levi smiled, then reopened his mouth when Hanji’s hand patted his shoulder. He glanced at her.  
   
“Incoming,” she whispered.  
   
Levi noticed the man walking towards them and he pushed his chair out enough to stand. He offered his hand.  
   
“Mister Rivaille,” the man said with an unnecessary laugh. “I think there must have been some table mix up… I had been told I was at your table?”  
   
“Look.” Levi shook his hand. “Fourth year in a row you’ve tried this chickenshit. The thing about detecting bullshit is that I’m quite good at it, you see, and your wife is probably waiting for you.”  
   
“Ah, uh…” He took a step back. “Yes…”  
   
Levi took his seat again. “Useless tool.”  
   
“Hey Siri,” Eren said to no one or phone in particular, “Could you find the nearest burn treatment centre around here…?”  
   
Armin giggled.  
   
Levi smiled. “There’s a few people here I don’t have the patience for. I’m usually nicer.”  
   
“Well.” Marco offered a supportive smile. “It’s only a few more minutes before we’re all settled in, right?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin nodded.  
   
Hitch pulled back her sleeve to reveal the thin, feminine, gold watch around her wrist. The clock was on her wrist. “Mhm.”  
   
Jean sighed. “I’m bored.”  
   
Marco rolled his eyes. “Already?”  
   
Eren opened his mouth—  
   
Mikasa looked at him.  
   
Eren coughed into his elbow. “So when do things start happening?”  
   
Hanji turned to Hitch. “Six fifteen-ish?”  
   
Hitch nodded. “Yep. It’s six seven now.”  
   
Levi let out a pained noise. “I should go…”  
   
“Aww.” Hanji grinned. “Good luck sweetie dearest.”  
   
“Thank you sugar pumpkin.” Levi got out of his chair.  
   
“Aww.” Hanji clasped her hands together. “You’re such a nice date, caramelised onion.”  
   
“I’m stopping at three, you useless bitch.” Levi flicked her forehead.  
   
“Ouch!”  
   
Levi smirked and turned to the table. “All of you, sit. I don’t care if you piss your pants. Do not get out of your seats.” He left.  
   
Eren blinked. “Wow. What’s that about?”  
   
Armin laughed, albeit it was a nervous-shaky laugh. “When I left once, last year, someone switched our seats and made me sit on the other side of this place.”  
   
“Wait, what?”  
   
Hanji nodded. “Yeah, nobody takes my seat because I’m Levi’s date, but I left for the bathroom and Armin got up to… what were you doing again?”  
   
“Oh, a server dropped a fork.” Armin pointed to the side as if that would help with the mental image. “And he had this huge tray in his hand so he couldn’t lean down and pick it up so I got out of my seat to help him… and then a man took my seat and told me where my new seat was.”  
   
Eren paled. “Brutal.”  
   
“Yeah, but Levi came to my rescue though.”  
   
“Hm.” Annie nodded. “We tried to find you… you looked like a scared little thing sitting amongst strangers.”  
   
Hitch burst into a cackle. “I saw the whole thing! Levi just picked him up by the back of his shirt-collar thing, like a cat, and walked back.”  
   
Armin laughed at the memory. “Yeah… I’m not good with people I don’t know.”  
   
Eren kissed his cheek. “You’re perfect the way you are.”  
   
Armin’s face reddened and he mumbled some kind of reply.  
   
Jean refused to mentally admit to himself that it was cute to watch, but everyone else did.  
   
“Incoming,” Annie muttered.  
   
A woman smiled as she approached them. “Is this Mister Rivaille’s seat? I was told I was supposed to be sitting at his table.”  
   
“I don’t think so.” Hanji forced a smile. “Levi chose his own seating plan.”  
   
“There must be some mistake.”  
   
Annie shook her head. “There isn’t.”  
   
She turned to Annie. “Oh, Miss Leonhart, store manager was it? I am the one with power over your position…”  
   
Annie cocked her head to the side.  
   
Mikasa didn’t seem worried.  
   
Hitch snorted. “Wow, you got balls to spew threats at an event like this.”  
   
“Oh no!” She raised both hands. “I’m not threatening anyone.”  
   
“Mhm.” Hitch nodded.  
   
Annie stared at her. “Table’s full.”  
   
“Well!” She crossed her arms. “I’ll talk to Mister Rivaille about this.”  
   
“Very well.” Annie smiled. “Do as you please.”  
   
“Whoo.” Hitch laughed. “Annie, you’re too nice; I’d just tell the bitch to fuck off.”  
   
The woman gasped. “Excuse me? Did I hear that right?”  
   
Hitch leaned forward. “Fuck off.”  
   
“Wh-What?”  
   
Mikasa moved some hair out of her eyes. “She said fuck off.”  
   
“I heard her!”  
   
Mikasa frowned. “Then why ask?”  
   
Eren snorted. Armin hid his smile. Krista and Marco both seemed worried about it all, but Jean considered it free entertainment (extra points since it was kind of a catfight).  
   
Hanji jumped as her phone beeped. “Oh, text from Levi, he says: Tell that hawk circling your table to take her seat. She has a speech to give soon.”  
   
“Hawk?” She huffed. “Honestly!” She threw her hands in the air and stormed off.  
   
“Wow.” Eren shook his head. “Is everybody such a pretentious ass?”  
   
“Fashion industry,” Marco sighed. “Filled with egos and hot heads.”  
   
There was tapping of a microphone that got everyone’s attention. They all turned to the stage at the center.  
   
“Hello.” Levi forced a smile. “Today we celebrate another anniversary of Rivaille, and hopefully many more to come.” He had to pause as everyone celebrated the copy paste bullshit he said every year.  
   
“Geez,” Eren whispered. “His smile is so creepy…”  
   
“Well,” Armin said, “It’s only because you know what his real smile looks like.”  
   
“Tonight,” Levi went on, “I’d like to start with some thank you’s to those who have made this event possible…”  
 

⁂

  
   
The event began with some long-winded Levi-speech that didn’t sound like the Levi Eren knew at all. He wasn’t bothered by it, though; he kind of liked the idea of him being able to look into Levi’s secret and private world, while all those other people couldn’t. Eventually, Marco was introduced and he was utterly adorable on stage. Jean whistled for him until Annie asked Armin to kick him under the table (Armin didn’t, but Jean got the message). And, while Eren despised that horse’s guts (Jean was kind of right, though; the insult was kinda eh and cliché after being used for all those years)—Jean did make Marco smile in a way that was nineteen-point-two percent illegal for being too cute.  
   
A bunch of other people Eren didn’t know went on and gave speeches.  
   
Lots of clapping, and Eren had no idea what he was clapping for but he liked the idea of clapping so he clap clap clap clapped.  
   
After a while, the metal lids over the food was raised and the aroma filled the air.  
   
Being the table closest to the side (and away from everyone as Levi wanted), they were the furthest from the food, but Eren could still see glimpses of it. “Whoa… They go all out, huh?”  
   
“Mhm.” Annie nodded. “It’s beautiful.”  
   
Mikasa spoke up, “Only reason I come.”  
   
Marco, who had since returned, laughed. “And it’s all low calorie stuff, too!”  
   
“And no heavy sauces,” Armin said with anime glitter in his eyes. “Since sauce is where the calories come from!”  
   
Krista grinned wide. “Wow, it looks so good! When do we go?”  
   
“You can go whenever you want,” Levi muttered, “But I wait. There’s more than enough food for everyone to pig out, but people go in a frenzy at the start. I hate lineups and I hate being in the centre of a bunch of dickwads. So, I wait.”  
   
Hanji nudged his shoulder. “It’s going perfect so far.”  
   
“Yeah, it is,” Levi agreed. “I want to go home, though.”  
   
“But we passed the bad part,” Armin reminded. “Now it’s the good part.”  
   
“Food,” Mikasa emphasised.  
   
“Eh.” Levi shrugged. “Eren and Armin can do better.”  
   
“Um…” Annie paled. “Eren can’t cook.”  
   
“Excuse you…” Eren pouted. “I’ve gotten so much better! Armin’s been teaching me, I’m like… the iron chef now! Feh! Feh!”  
   
“Oh my God,” Jean groaned, smashing his head down on the table.  
   
Mikasa actually laughed. “You did that all eighth grade.”  
   
Annie looked between them.  
   
“Feh?” Hitch cocked her head. “The fuck is that?”  
   
“He means ‘F’-‘E’,” Mikasa explained, “Fe—iron.”  
   
Levi smiled, shaking his head.  
   
“Feh!” Eren yelled again. “I’m a great cook, right Arm’?”  
   
Armin nodded. “He’s actually pretty good. You should try it.”  
   
“No.” Mikasa swallowed hard. “I’ll pass.”  
   
“Me too,” Annie added.  
   
“Me three,” Jean said to no one’s surprised.  
   
“Well.” Marco smiled. “More for me!”  
   
“And me!” Krista grinned, nudging Hitch.  
   
“Hey.” Hitch raised her hands. “Free food’s free food.”  
   
“Hmm.” Hanji smiled. “I’ve sampled some. It was quite delicious, isn’t that right, almond biscuit?”  
   
“Yeah.” Levi didn’t even react to the name. “They’re better than me.”  
   
“Darling, babe,” Hanji said as she put her hand on his shoulder. “That doesn’t say much.”  
   
“Fine. He’s better than Marco, and Jean.”  
   
“Ha!” Eren yelled at Jean.  
   
Armin put a hand in his date’s lap. _“Eren.”_  
   
Eren coughed. “Sorry.”  
   
Jean scowled.  
   
Eventually a server came with two bottles of wine. He asked if they wanted red or white.  
   
“Eren.” Armin looked at him. “Do you mind driving tonight?”  
   
“Nope, I don’t mind.” Eren smiled. “I’m not going to drink wine anyway.”  
   
Levi went with red, while Armin went for white; Marco also went for red, while Annie went for white. Krista went white as well, and Hanji wanted white but Levi insisted they match and she also take red. Hanji called him on just being a little shit, to which Levi agreed and Hanji decided why the fuck not and decided to go with red – as long as it wasn’t Merlot. Levi took offense that he would even offer, and Hanji was forced to apologise.  
   
“So…” Jean pursed his lips. “Jaeger.”  
   
Eren looked up. “Yeah?”  
   
“So, what have you been up to these past few years?”  
   
“Uh… I don’t know,” he admitted. “Mostly finding work where I could, sleeping, occasional subbing.”  
   
“Oh.” Jean smirked. “You’re a sub, huh? I’m a Dom. Maybe I’ll get a chance to put you in your place.”  
   
Eren grabbed his glass of ice water and took a sip. “So you’re admitting you find me attractive?”  
   
“No!” Jean growled.  
   
Eren took the little victory, feeling Levi’s eyes on him as he took another sip. He put the glass down. “I’ll do whatever Levi asks of me.” Jean seemed even more annoyed by that answer, and Armin’s hand on Eren’s knee reminded Eren to be civil. “But, yeah, nothing that exciting. You?”  
   
“Eh, same. Nothing exciting. Except meeting Marco.” He leaned over and kissed his cheek, watching Marco’s cheeks warm into the perfect shade of pink. Jean laughed and looked back at Eren. “I’m just trying to figure out what I wanna do with my life, I guess. Just working until I figure it out. That’s my plan, at least.”  
   
“Well.” Eren smiled. “It’s good to have one.”  
   
“Do you have one?”  
   
“Uhh.” He glanced to Levi for half a second before looking back at Jean. “Marry rich?”  
   
Levi choked on his wine.  
   
Eren meeped. “Sorry!”  
   
Hitch chuckled but eventually stood up. “Well I’m fucking hungry, line up’s dying.”  
   
Krista shot out of her seat. “You have to ask me if I want food too! I’m your date!”  
   
“Eh, fuck you.” Hitch smirked. “You’re only here so I can piss Ymir off with selfies of me and you looking gorgeous in that dress.”  
   
Krista laughed and took her arm; the two of them headed over to the food.  
   
Armin got up as well. “Come on.”  
   
Eren followed and offered his arm.  
   
Armin took it and leaned in close. “Hey.”  
   
Eren looked at him. “Yeah?”  
   
“Have fun too.”  
   
Eren stared at him, tilting his head.  
   
“Enjoy this event, okay?” Armin’s eyes softened. “Levi can’t have fun if we’re not having fun.”  
   
Eren smiled. “Right.”  
   
  
The buffet-style was split into different tables. There was one for the meats, another for seafood, one for vegetables, and another for rice blends and starches. Eren and Armin split up. Eren made sure to get a bit of everything; he made sure to fill a third of his plate with salad or veg’ so Jean wouldn’t call him a meat savage like he used to when they were fifteen. Damn, he wanted to punch that fucker in the face… but, Eren took a deep breath and let it out slow.  
   
Eren grabbed another skewer of grilled tofu when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked and saw a man and smiled. “Oh, sorry, I’m just grabbing one more.”  
   
“Oh no,” the man said with a fake smile, “That’s alright. I was just… wondering who you were?”  
   
Eren put the skewer on his plate and turned to him. “Huh?”  
   
“Oh, I just noticed you were sitting with Levi is all.”  
   
Eren smiled. The guy used Levi’s first name. That meant something. Right? “I’m Armin’s date.”  
   
“Oh… really.”  
   
There was something about the way he said that, that just… Eren nodded. “Yep.” He turned to make a quick escape but saw a taller man looking down at him. “Hi.”  
   
The second man didn’t bother smiling. “What exactly is the nature of Mister Arlert’s relation to Mister Rivaille?”  
   
“I’m… sure you can ask them yourself.”  
   
“Why don’t you just tell us?”  
   
Eren looked at his plate. “My food is going to get cold.” That was a lie, steam was rising everywhere. He looked up and caught sight of what might as well have been Jesus. No, it’s not right to use religious figures. Lana Del Rey. Eren caught sight of what might as well have been Lana Del Rey. There. That’s more politically correct. “Levi!”  
   
Levi approached them. “Yes, Eren?”  
   
“Oh uh, these guys are asking some questions about your personal life and stuff. Good thing you’re here!”  
   
“Yes.” Levi had the smallest of smiles. The kind of smile a man smiled when they knew exactly when the world was going to end. “That is very convenient. What is it, gentlemen?”  
   
“Oh.” The first one’s smile cracked into a grin. “We were just asking if he was Armin’s date!”  
   
“He is.” Levi dropped his smile. “Anything else?”  
   
“N-No.”  
   
The two of them left.  
   
Levi turned to Eren. “Let’s go.” He began walking.  
   
Eren followed, plate in hand. “Not getting any food?”  
   
“Hitch saw them eyeing you a few minutes ago,” Levi explained. “I came to get you. What did they ask?”  
   
“About Armin, and why he was staying with you, and the… nature of your relationship, I think.”  
   
“Hm.” Levi frowned. “What did you say?”  
   
“Nothing.”  
   
“Thank you.”  
   
Eren shook his head. “Don’t thank me for being a basic human being.”  
   
“Even if a basic human being is a nice person,” Levi said, “The average human being is a root beer enema. I’ll thank you as much as I want to for not being that.”  
   
Eren looked around as they approached the table. He lowered his voice to a whisper, “I wish I could kiss you.”  
   
“Me too,” Levi whispered back.  
   
When they got to the table, they split and went to opposite ends.  
   
Armin noticed Eren didn’t seem distraught, so he relaxed. “All good?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
  
Dinner began and they started eating. Halfway through, though, Armin got a text and checked his phone, instantly putting it away. Eren thought nothing of it, until Armin finished his meal and then pulled out his phone again. Eren glanced to Levi, to notice he was gone (and so was Hanji), so he figured it was up to him. “Arm’.”  
   
Armin looked at him. He closed his phone and put it away, forcing a smile.  
   
Eren glanced around, no one else noticed. He put an arm around Armin. “You okay?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin kissed his cheek. “I just need to go to the bathroom.”  
   
Eren stared at him, looking him in the eye for a long time. At least a minute passed before he nodded. “Okay.”  
   
Armin smiled. “Thanks. I’ll be back soon.”  
   
Eren smiled as well, but when Armin left he felt something dark pool in his stomach.  
 

⁂

  
   
Twenty minutes passed. Jean noticed Armin was gone, and he asked Eren; Eren replied with ‘Bathroom’, and the night went on. Nobody else seemed to realise just how long it had been. Eren kept checking his phone. He sent Armin a text asking if he was okay, but no reply. The text had been marked with a read receipt, but still no reply. He tried to calm himself down. He wanted to put trust in Armin, but.  
   
Levi glanced at Armin’s chair.  
   
Eren had counted it being the fourth time Levi did that.  
   
That’s when he realised it.  
   
Levi wanted Armin there.  
   
Eren got up. “I’m going to check on what’s-his-fuck, okay?”  
   
Levi seemed to relax a bit, nodding.  
   
Eren left the table and left through the side doors. He had wanted to leave earlier, but… He didn’t want to be invasive. If it was just for him, he wouldn’t. He would trust Armin. But if it was for Levi… He remotely remembered where the bathroom was—because that’s where Jean came out of when they first met, again, after three years.  
   
He stepped into the men’s washroom and his eyes lit up.  
   
It was clean.  
   
He didn’t know what he was expecting for such a high-end fancy-wancy place, but he felt like Levi would be okay with fucking in here. No. Eren. Focus. He passed the urinals and walked towards the stalls. They were all empty except one. He had a feeling so he backed away, looking under to see Armin’s shoes. His pants weren’t pooled on the bottom, so Eren knew he wasn’t actually in the bathroom to use the bathroom.  
   
They didn’t call him Eren Sherlock Holmes Jaeger for nothing.  
   
Actually no one called him Eren Sherlock Holmes Ja—focus, Eren, focus.  
   
Eren knocked on the door. “Armin.”  
   
“E-Eren?”  
   
“Are you okay?”  
   
No reply.  
   
Eren closed his eyes. “Come on…” The worry pooling in his stomach began to swirl and he felt nausea race through his body. “Talk to me, please?”  
   
“I-I’m… scared.”  
   
“What is it?”  
   
No reply.  
   
Eren bit his lip. “Army, please… please talk to me.”  
   
“I… got a message. From…”  
   
“From?”  
   
“My brother.”  
   
Eren swallowed hard. “Let’s go somewhere nicer, okay?” Actually the bathroom was pretty nice. He didn’t know why they just didn’t have the party in here. “Let’s go somewhere more private? Somewhere we can talk?”  
   
The door opened.  
   
Eren’s heart stopped.  
   
Armin’s eyes were red, puffy.  
   
Eren smiled, and somehow that made Armin smile too.  
 

⁂

  
   
Eren didn’t really know where he was going, but he ended up finding a room that wasn’t being used. Stacks of chairs and tables and cloths and everything were everywhere. The lights were off, but the room had floor-to-ceiling windows and the moonlight lit up the room. Armin seemed to prefer the dark and Eren wondered if it was so he couldn’t see Sunshine cry.  
   
Armin sat on a stack of chairs.  
   
Eren hopped on a table. He sat cross legged (criss-cross-apple-sauce) and the table wobbled a bit. He shifted himself and then looked up, staring at Armin for a long while.  
   
Armin breathed once, closing his eyes.  
   
Eren stayed silent.  
   
Armin realised Eren was giving him space and it made him smile.  
   
Eren waited.  
   
Armin opened his eyes. “I told you… my parents had nothing, we… we had nothing. For a long time, all we had was each other… Growing up, I… Dieter and I were close. Really close. I know, I…” He closed his eyes again, putting both of his hands on his face. “I honestly wouldn’t have made it without Dieter helping me. He fought off bullies. He told me to believe in myself. You know? Whenever I’d go on and on and on about something insignificant, he’d listen. He’d listen because he knew I just wanted to talk… and he knew that…” Armin grabbed his shirt and squeezed. “You know that feeling you get? When you’re talking and you can just… you can tell that the other person doesn’t care?”  
   
Eren nodded. “Yeah.”  
   
“He knew, he knew that’s what I was almost always feeling… so he listened.”  
   
“He sounds, great.”  
   
“He was.” Armin rubbed his face before looking at Eren. “He is. I just. I…”  
   
When Armin fell into silence, Eren smiled. “Say it.”  
   
“My parents… they loved me, but they didn’t have time for me. They couldn’t afford too. Literally. We had expenses, bills, debts; there were a lot of time they couldn’t put food on the table. So… I knew they couldn’t listen to me talk about my day at school, they couldn’t help me with my homework, couldn’t come to parent-teacher meetings or interviews or anything. It wasn’t fair. Not for me, and not for my parents. But… but I had Dieter.”  
   
Eren put his hands in his lap. “You miss him, don’t you?”  
   
“More than anything!” Armin bit his lip. “I… I just!”  
   
“Armin. Do the snow queen. Let it go.”  
   
Armin choked on a sob. “I’m… scared.”  
   
“Because of Levi.”  
   
Armin looked up, blue eyes glistening with moisture.  
   
“Levi hates Dieter.” Eren scratched the back of his head. “That’s the impression I got.”  
   
“Y-Yeah… he does, and for a valid reason.”  
   
“What did he do? What did he do that was so bad?”  
   
“Well… what he did was just, that was the start of it. He blew Levi’s money on drugs, with Eld and Gunther.”  
   
“Eld? You mean the one I met?”  
   
“Yeah, but… he seemed a lot older—like wiser, than when I knew him.” He scratched his nose. “He’s clean now. Like Dieter.”  
   
“So Levi got pissed and threw him out?”  
   
“Well, he threw Gunther, Eld, and Dieter out… and kicked them out of the community, but… it was more than that.” Armin swallowed hard. “It’s just… It broke him. Levi. Petra had just left for England. Oulo went to Asia. It was just us, and Levi kicked them out. It went from the seven of us to the two of us. Levi felt betrayed, and all his warmth was gone… he was more than just lonely. It broke him on such a deep level. It all just hit him at once. He… fell into depression, a pretty bad one. It was just me and him… and I didn’t know what to do.”  
   
“Wow…” Eren’s eyes widened. “And you were, only seventeen, right?”  
   
“Yeah, around there… maybe sixteen? I don’t remember.” Armin looked down. “Erwin and Hanji were there for him too, and Ymir. Even Pixis came from the island.”  
   
“He… had a pixie?”  
   
“Pixis!” Armin found a reason to smile. “Dot Pixis. Do you… remember when you first met Hanji? She’d just come back from the island? She was visiting Pixis, who is like the bondage sage… that’s what Hanji calls him. He comes over every once in a while, but he’s pretty old, retired in his cabin in the middle of nowhere. He’s really nice though.”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
“Yeah, everyone helped… but… it was hard on Levi, and hard on me. And in some ways, what it did to Levi… that never went away. Levi dealt with it, he moved on, he’s no longer a danger to himself, but… it feels like, really, Levi’s just finally recovering now.”  
   
Eren blinked. “Now? You mean it happened two years ago and it’s just now?”  
   
“I think… it’s you.”  
   
“Me?” Eren shook his head. “It can’t be me—it’s you.”  
   
“Well, it’s not me or you, but… us.” Armin looked at him and smiled. “When his old group was together, everyone was with everyone. But, when he has me and another sub… it just feels like we’re both sharing Levi in some ways. I told you, once, when Levi told me he wanted a second sub my first thought was of course I wouldn’t be enough. But I think I understand, now, he wanted a second sub for him and for me. The other subs, even Jean, even Marco and Annie, they never felt…”  
   
“Like one household unit?”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin wiped away his tears. “I think that’s what Levi wants, and what Levi needs. I’m not saying he needs more than the three of us, but as long as we are one unit… I think that’s his actual objective.”  
   
Eren nodded. “And Dieter… he broke that?”  
   
“The three of them did,” Armin corrected. “But, even now… I can forgive Gunther and Eld, but not him. Not Dieter. He hurt Levi, and still feels no remorse for it.”  
   
Eren frowned. “What? He doesn’t feel anything?”  
   
“Well… from Dieter’s point of view… he sees it as Levi separating us. Dieter and I. Now, Die’ and Levi hate each other… so much. Honestly.” He grabbed his shirt with both hands. “The two people I love the most just want each other dead, and I! I just!” He hiccupped and choked on another sob.  
   
“H-Hey.” Eren slipped off the table. “Breathe.” He wrapped Armin in his arms and pulled him close, kissing the side of his head.  
   
“I’ve…” Armin buried himself in Eren’s neck. “Never told anyone how I feel about it all.”  
   
“Tell me.”  
   
“Dieter… he ran away from home.” Armin swallowed hard and pulled away. “But, I make things nicer in my head, because it helps me cope with it.”  
   
“H-Huh?”  
   
“My parents… I told you this too, they were bad people. Racist. Sexist. They believed in shaming everyone for everything they did, only to make themselves feel better. Overly zealous. The kind of religious people who would pick and choose what holy books meant, but would never listen to reason. Homophobic… until I came out… But they told me I would settle with a woman eventually. I would find out it’s better when I gave it a chance.”  
   
Eren frowned.  
   
“I… when, when Annie became Levi’s other sub…” Armin swallowed hard. “I was so, so… traumatised by all the bullshit they told me… I just, God! I just, I don’t even know! There’s so much to me that I don’t know!” He grabbed his head, squeezing his hair. “I don’t know anything!”  
  
“What don’t you know?”  
  
“Who am I? Am I a guy? Really!? Am I gay? Really!? Just what the hell am I? Every word about… gender and sexuality just feels so poisoned by what they were feeding me, and I’m so… I’m so! I’m so… scared of women, sexually—they horrify me… I just!” His eyes brimmed with tears as his breathing became erratic. “I just!”  
   
Eren grabbed his face and kissed him. “You’re Armin; that’s all that matters.”  
   
“But it’s not!” Armin yelled. “I need, I need words to describe me!”  
   
Eren paused. “Do you?”  
   
“It’s… It’s so easy for you to say! You know what you are!”  
   
“If you want words, then find them.” Eren’s smile was lopsided. “But… I mean, I don’t know if I’m a guy? What is being a ‘guy’ supposed to even feel like? Some people know. Some people don’t. But, Army, you know me… I’m so awful with words that they’re all kind of silly to me. I don’t need labels. But, listen… if they’re important to you, then that’s okay too. You can take your time and figure it out… And until you do, we can call you Armin. I’m half German, and ‘Armin’ in German means ‘Really fucking perfect’.”  
   
“Eren…”  
   
“I’m a reliable source, you know? Fotze. That means cheddar. I think.”  
   
Armin laughed, closing his eyes as the tears fell. “Why… why is being around you so… liberating?”  
   
“It just is,” Eren said with a small kiss to his cheek. “You don’t have to worry about why.”  
   
Armin wiped his eyes and sighed. “I… never answered your question. Or did you ask? I don’t know. I don’t know anything.” He pushed his forehead against Eren’s chest. “Our parents… they fucked us up… Dieter left because he got into a fight with them, over me.”  
   
Eren pulled him into a hug. “You?”  
   
“Mm.” Armin nodded. “Yeah, they told him they wanted to send me to one of those pray the gay away camps.” Armin felt Eren cringe. “I know, right? Even with how great this world is, and how we’re all advancing on social issues and all that stuff… there’s still pockets in our society that are still back in square one. I mean, in today’s day and age, my dad said women shouldn’t wear pants. We’re talking twenty-first century.”  
   
Eren blinked. “What.”  
   
“Yeah, see… that’s what I grew up with…”  
   
“So, what happened?”  
   
“Well, we didn’t have any money, so they couldn’t send me to the camp since it was down in the States. So they asked our pastor if the church would raise money for it. My brother didn’t want that. My parents did.”  
   
“And… what did you want?”  
   
“I wanted it,” Armin admitted. “I thought… it was a good thing. I thought that, that if… if that’s what my parents wanted, then they wanted what’s best for me. And, they did want what was best… they just, that was their version of ‘best’. My brother on the other hand… well, Dieter printed out studies and articles linking changing people to suicide and all that fun dark stuff… and he sent it to Nick.”  
   
“Nick?”  
   
“Pastor Nick,” Armin muttered. “Our pastor. But… it’s funny, it turned out Pastor Nick never wanted to send me anywhere. He was just waiting until Sunday so he could give a sermon on acceptance and loving your family, no matter what… He talked about, about how we can’t change who we are. And that good people will love me regardless. It stuck with my parents, and it stuck with me. And even if I hate my parents, I love them… I think.”  
   
Eren hugged Armin tighter.  
   
“It was just such a breakthrough realisation for me. I grew up with all their racist, sexist, homophobic, bullshit… and I realised, at that moment, that none of that mattered. You know, it’s so simple to say anybody can be good or bad, and it’s so fucking simple and yet it was just, I… I couldn’t wrap my head around it.”  
   
“That Pastor,” Eren said with a smile, “He’s a good guy.”  
   
“Yeah.” Armin smiled into Eren’s chest. “A lot of people make fun of priests and religion and stuff, but he… he saved me in a lot of ways, and I’m sure he’s saved a lot of people too. Sorry, that’s… not really on topic…”  
   
“It’s okay; I want to know more about you.”  
   
Armin put his arms around Eren’s waist. “After that, Dieter got into fights with my parents almost every two days. And then he couldn’t take it. He was sick of their bullshit, they threatened to kick him out, so he left. And, just like that, he was gone from my life. He tried to contact me a couple times, but my parents didn’t let him. So, all of a sudden, he was cut from my life. Out of the blue.”  
   
“Just…” Eren’s eyes softened. “Just like when Levi kicked him out?”  
   
“Yeah.”  
   
“Armin…”  
   
“But, I did talk to Dieter again…” Armin’s body stiffened. “It wasn’t until… my parents… The bridge, it…”  
   
Eren felt his chest squeeze on itself. “Bridge?”  
   
“The bridge… it broke. N-Not all at once, but, I still remember, you know? The sound metal makes when it’s being pulled, and when it snaps… and the way that sound echoes through the steel and just…” Armin’s eyes brimmed with tears. “The road on the bridge cracked, and the railing broke, and, and… the part we were on shifted down, and we drove right into the broken concrete. We realised what was happening right away.”  
   
Eren took a deep breath; he could feel the wetness of Armin’s tears against his undershirt.  
   
“We got out and dad yelled, told us to run and… I don’t know. I ran. I don’t remember what happened after that. All I remember is seeing the bridge broken, and the car was gone, and the bridge was mostly gone, and there was this… I just remember seeing the river underneath, the rapids were so strong, and… I don’t know what I was doing, but Ymir grabbed me. It was by chance she was there, but she grabbed me, she grabbed me because I was trying to throw myself in the river—so I could be with them.”  
   
Eren’s eyes went wide. Words bubbled in the back of his throat, but none of them seemed right. Instead, he just hugged Armin tight. Holding him.  
   
Armin swallowed hard and rested against Eren.  
   
There was a beep, a vibrate, then another beep and another vibrate.  
   
They both broke away and grabbed their phones.  
   
“It’s Levi,” Eren muttered.  
   
“Yeah.” Armin swallowed hard. “He sent it to both of us.”  
   
Levi had asked where they were, and Eren quickly replied, letting him know not to worry.  
   
“Eren…”  
   
“Yeah?”  
   
“We.” Armin sighed as he tapped his phone several times. “We haven’t even talked about what happened.” He tapped another button then handed over his phone.  
   
Eren put his in his pocket then grabbed Armin’s. It was a texting conversation. The name up top was Dieter Arlert. He looked down at the messages, quickly noticing it was the first message in a long time by the timestamps before he read the message itself:  
   
 _I know tonight is the rivaille event and I know hes bringing u with him im in the area so slip out and come see me we need to talk ok?_  
   
Eren read the message twice, three times, then four before he handed it back.  
   
Armin took it, swallowed hard, and put it in his pocket. He put both his hands in his lap and looked down. “He’s here. I don’t know where, but he’s here, in the area. What should I tell him? What should I do? What’s the right answer, Eren?”  
   
Eren crossed his arms. “What do you want to do?”  
   
“Well, Levi—”  
   
“Sh,” Eren cut him off. “I asked what do you want to do.”  
   
Armin frowned. “Well, that’s not easy. I know Levi—”  
   
“No.” Eren uncrossed his arms and grabbed Armin’s shoulders. “What do you want to do? No one else. Just you.”  
   
Armin’s frown deepened. “What do you mean? I can’t just…”  
   
“Armin!” Eren huffed. “What the fuck do _you_ want to do?”  
   
“That’s what I’m saying!” Armin snapped, shoving Eren’s hands off of him. “I can’t make a decision based on that!”  
   
“Yes.” Eren glared. “Yes you can!”  
   
“No I can’t!”  
   
“Yes you fucking can and yes you fucking have to!” Eren grabbed Armin’s arms, hands squeezing too tight. “God _damnit_ , Armin; stop putting other people in front of you! Stop treating yourself like you’re secondary all the time!”  
   
“Stop fucking yelling at me!” Armin yelled. “And you’re wrong! I’m not!”  
   
“Fine.” Eren’s eyes burned. “Then you tell me right now: What do you want to do?”  
   
Armin’s lips pursed tight.  
   
“See?” Eren shook his head. “You haven’t even thought about it… not once. It’s all Levi-this, Eren-that. Where does Armin come in?”  
   
“Nowhere!” Armin shoved him off. “I’m not selfish!”  
   
“Armin… you’re not selfish for living your life…”  
   
“Fuck you!” Armin got off the chairs and shoved Eren back against the table. “What do you know? I am! I am selfish. Just _existing_ is selfish! Being born means being an expense to everyone around you. I’m an expense. On Levi. On you! On my parents who had nothing!—I’m nothing but an expense! My existence is a problem for everyone around me so of course that would be selfish!”  
   
Eren wanted to back away, but the table kept him where he was. He swallowed hard. Shaking his head, Eren took a deep breath. “Don’t… don’t you _dare_ say that.”  
   
“Eren, you don’t get it.” Armin’s eyes narrowed, causing his eyes brimming with tears to let some fall. “I—”  
   
“—Fuck you,” Eren cut him off.  
   
Armin blinked, startled eyes widening.  
   
“Do you have any idea how much I care about you?” Eren stepped forward, causing Armin to step back. “Do you have any idea how much you mean to me? I’ll say this once, Armin. Once. I won’t let anyone insult the people I love and the people I care about. I won’t let anyone talk shit about you—and that includes you.”  
   
Armin’s hands squeezed into fists. “But!”  
   
“No!” Eren yelled, “No buts! For fuck’s _sake_ , Armin, if I wanted you gone, I would have told you; if Levi wanted you gone, he would have told you—if your parents wanted you gone, they would have fucking told you!” He raised his hand and slammed it against the table. “No one’s ever regretted having you in their lives! Why the fuck can’t you understand that!?”  
   
Armin took a step back, shaking, then another; he bumped into the stack of chairs and slipped, falling into the seat.  
   
Eren silently took a deep breath.  
   
Armin looked down in his lap.  
   
Eren couldn’t see his blue eyes behind the blond hair, so he walked over. His hands cupped Armin’s face and lifted it up. He pressed his lips against Armin’s forehead.  
   
“I… I, you’re…” Armin swallowed hard before trying again. “You’re… right.”  
   
Eren closed his eyes, keeping his lips against Armin’s forehead.  
   
“I’ve… never considered what I want to do…” Armin’s body felt numb, fell limp. “I’ve… always just told myself, that I’ll be ready to talk to Dieter, when Levi’s better. All this time, it’s… never been about me. Never.”  
   
Eren lowered his head to eye level with Armin. He used one hand to move away Armin’s hair. “So… what do you want to do?”  
   
“I…” Armin looked up, blurry blue eyes looking into gentle greens. “I want, time… I think. To consider it. To think about it. I… I don’t know anymore, which are my feelings… and which ones are other people’s… just like, other feelings I’ve internalised.”  
   
“Okay.”  
   
“Okay?” Armin blinked. “You’re okay with that?”  
   
Eren smiled. “You have a lot to think about. And, whatever happens with my contract and Levi, I’ll be here. I’ll be here for you, and I’ll help you figure it out if you want me.”  
   
“I do.” Armin grabbed Eren’s face, bringing their lips together for a short moment. “E-Eren.”  
   
Eren watched another tear fall and he brought his hand to the green pocket square on his suit, pulling out a handkerchief. “Here.”


	33. The Fourth Week (9)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of the fourth week~ I hope you guys enjoy it! Also, psst, the chapters are out of 37 now. That's confirmed. My gosh, look at how far we've come. You guys are fucking awesome for cheering me along the way, <3
> 
> * * *

Levi looked up. “You’re back.”  
  
Armin’s hand was in Eren’s, fingers interlocked. “Yeah. Sorry.”  
  
Jean gave a teasing smile. “And what were you two doing?”  
  
Krista giggled a knowing giggle.  
  
Annie frowned. “Jean.”  
  
Hitch coughed. “You’re the one who came up with the idea that they’re probably fucking.”  
  
Marco didn’t think the teasing was funny as he looked around the table. It’s when he looked at Mikasa, whose eyes were narrowed and focus, that he followed her gaze. He noticed it too. Armin’s eyes were puffy, and red. “You were crying,” he blurted out before he could stop himself. Mother hen instincts took over and he straightened his back.  
  
Everyone paused as Eren and Armin took their seat. Armin just smiled. “It’s okay; I’m all good now.”  
  
Levi’s eyes locked on him from across the table, before shifting to Eren. Eren put an arm around Armin’s shoulders and pulled him close. Armin rested his head on Eren’s shoulder and smiled. Levi didn’t have to be told that it was a true smile—he knew the difference when it came to Armin.  
  
Hanji cleared her throat. “You can get coffee and tea! And desserts. They have a nice strawberry tart and strawberry everything!”  
  
Jean looked at Levi. “At someone’s request, I’m guessing.”  
  
Eren just smiled. “Probably not as good as our tart, though.”  
  
“It isn’t,” Levi agreed. “Coffee’s not bad, though.”  
  
Marco laughed. “No, it isn’t. I should get another cup.”  
  
Jean stood up. “I’ll get it.”  
  
Marco perked up. “Oh!”  
  
“Fat free creamer, I know Marco.”  
  
“And—”  
  
“Agave,” Jean said as he grabbed both cups. “I know.”  
  
Marco relaxed in his chair. “You know, every gay man has agave in his pantry.”  
  
“We know, Marco.” Levi closed his eyes. “We know.”  
  
  
Time passed at a decent rate. Levi noticed Armin looked better within minutes. Nobody asked him about it, and Armin was thankful. Eren still had a protective arm around him, though he did force himself to let go as Armin got them two slices of strawberry white chocolate cake. Krista and Hitch snickered and giggled, and it made Eren wonder how close they were; they looked like really good friends. Jean was chatty, mostly with Annie across the table, while Marco talked to Levi. Mikasa was more than comfortable with silence, while Hanji was pretty much part of every conversation at once.  
  
Everything was okay.  
  
“That’s the problem,” Marco insisted. “Men’s formal wear is so… linear! It’s not _boring_ per se, because… I mean, really—everyone wants to see a man in a suit that hugs him just right. Mmmm. But, it’s all the same! Suits. Suits. Suits. There’s just… nothing to design, you know? It’s not like women’s wear, where you can do skirts or dresses, different shapes, cuts, angles, curves, colours—splashes of colour. Men are just so… the same, so… Ugh. It’s the worst thing in the world.”  
  
“Yeah.” Jean just stared. “Worst thing in the world. Not world hunger, or poverty, or the fact that I put white sugar in your coffee instead of agave.”  
  
Marco screamed.  
  
Jean snickered. “Kidding! Babe, kidding.”  
  
Marco put a hand over his heart, praying it to beat easy.  
  
“Well.” Annie hid her smile as she crossed her legs. “I agree. Men’s formal wear is pretty, linear, uniform.”  
  
“Well.” Eren grinned. “Everyone has a uniform kink, though… except Levi.”  
  
“Hm.” Levi smiled as he stirred his coffee with a spoon. “Depends on the uniform, I think.”  
  
Jean glanced to Armin, mouthing the word ‘uniform’ and Armin burst into laughter.  
  
Eren glared. Nobody was allowed making his date laugh except everyone who wasn’t Jean Kirstein.  
  
Levi noted the glare and turned to Mikasa. “Question, Ackerman: If you knew Jean and Eren would fight, why didn’t you give them warning?”  
  
“Well, I had hoped three years would have done something…” Mikasa moved some hair out of her eyes. “That, and they would have just complained and whined the entire way, saying they didn’t want to go. Nobody deserves to go through these two whining. No one.”  
  
“Oh yeah.” Marco sighed. “Jean was doing that.”  
  
Jean tugged at the collar of his suit. “Look, being dressed up is nice and all, but being nude is better.”  
  
“Hmm.” Marco ran his finger around the rim of his cup. “Tonight…”  
  
Eren cringed. “But why? Marco, why? You’re perfect… he’s a horse. It’s like Aphrodite and that really ugly blacksmith guy she married. Greek mythology. Are you Greek?”  
  
Marco laughed. “Finnish on my dad’s and Norwegian on my mom’s, actually.”  
  
“See!” Eren frowned. “If you were Greek, that would be okay, because it’s part of their special mountain heritage mythology for tens to be dating ones, but you’re not.”  
  
Marco played with his little heart-shaped necklace. “It’s true love, Eren.”  
  
Eren cringed.  
  
Jean kissed Marco’s cheek in victory. “Wait.” He paused. “Did you just agree with him that I’m an ugly blacksmith?”  
  
“Well, I am a ten,” Marco insisted. “And you _do_ have a nice, sword…” Marco moved his hand under the table, and from the way Jean straightened his back everybody knew Marco’s hand was on his crotch. “But you are hot, like a blacksmith’s forge, see? The metaphor completes itself.”  
  
“Cool.” Jean smirked and brought their lips together.  
  
Marco chuckled into the kiss before breaking away. He looked into Jean’s light brown eyes and kissed his cheek. “Love you.”  
  
“Love you too.” Jean laughed and moved Marco’s hand off his crotch.  
  
Eren couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy, there.  
  
He wasn’t the only one, either.  
  
“You two are adorable,” Hanji said in a laugh. “But, you know what’s more adorable? Cream puffs.”  
  
“But you know what isn’t?” Marco asked in a warning tone. “Not fitting into pants because of those cream puffs.”  
  
“We’ll fuck the calories away,” Jean insisted. “You don’t have any public events for another like, six months right?”  
  
“Oh my God. You’re right.” Marco’s eyes lit up. “I want cream puffs.”  
  
“Me too!” Krista threw her hand up.  
  
Hitch smirked. “If I don’t eat it, someone else will.”  
  
Eren chuckled. “That’s a good mentality. I’m going to eat all of them, then.”  
  
“Eren.” Levi’s look quieted the entire table. “Don’t eat too much. Sex on a stuffed stomach doesn’t sound too nice, does it?”  
  
Eren swallowed hard. “Right. That’s right.”  
  
Annie glanced to him. “Today’s your last day with him, isn’t it?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Jean visibly paled. “With _Eren?_ Really?”  
  
Levi just sipped his coffee, hiding a daring smirk behind his mug.  
  
⁂  
  
The event finally ended after an infinity amount of speeches. Levi led the way to the parking lot, whispering something or another to Hanji, while Armin had taken Eren’s arm, leaning on him as they walked several steps behind. Levi and Hanji broke away and got on opposite sides of the backseat; when Armin went to the passenger side, Eren remembered he said he would drive. He hopped in. He was squished. He hit the ‘2’ to change the seat to Armin’s setting, before he had to further adjust his seat.  
  
Eren had never considered himself especially tall or anything, but when he compared himself to Armin and Levi, I guess you could say… he was a tita—  
  
Hanji’s face distorted into a scowl that was dark enough to prove there was no God as she screamed into the night and rain with pure ecstasy and bliss.  
  
“What the fuck!?” Levi elbowed her in the rib.  
  
“I… don’t know.” Hanji blinked. “I just, had the urge to scream…”  
  
“Fucking batshit weirdo glasses shit fuck.”  
  
“Levi.” Hanji put a hand over her heart, swallowing hard. “It’s just… a part of who I am.”  
  
Eren laughed and switched the gears to reverse. He glanced to the monitor above the stereo as he backed up, turning right as he did. He drove out of the parking lot carefully, focusing on the road.  
  
Hanji relaxed in the back. “You were great tonight, you know?”  
  
Levi sighed. “Was I?”  
  
“Yeah, very.”  
  
Levi sighed, closing his eyes.  
  
Hanji pulled him into a hug.  
  
“Off.”  
  
“Hmmm, nah.”  
  
Levi grumbled before deciding not to fight it.  
  
Eren thought it was adorable. He didn’t want to break it up but, “Hanji? You’re on… Quadra, right?”  
  
“Mhm, there’s a shortcut through Davies Street.”  
  
“Is there?”  
  
Armin smiled. “I’ll lead you.”  
  
Eren took a right through an alley, then a left at the stop sign end.  
  
“Levi,” Hanji sang. “You’re asleep.”  
  
“No I’m not.” Levi pulled away from here.  
  
“All worn out, sugar carrot?”  
  
“Yes I am, apple spice.” Levi shook his head at himself. “I’m alright. It went better than I thought it would.”  
  
“Good.”  
  
“One-one-four-six,” Armin muttered. “It’s on the right, third one. There.”  
  
Eren pulled over and shifted the gear to park. “This one?”  
  
Hanji zoomed forward and kissed Eren’s cheek, then Armin’s, then went back and kiss Levi’s. “Thank you for the wonderful night, gentlemen.” She blew a kiss before hopping out of the car and dancing her way up the stairs.  
  
Armin looked through the window. “Where does she get her energy from?”  
  
“Duh.” Eren eyed him. “Photosynthesis.”  
  
Armin snorted. “Alright, Eren. Whatever you say.”  
  
Eren shifted the gear back to drive. He focused on the road as he took a left and drove onto the bridge.  
  
Levi opened his eyes and frowned. He crossed his legs in the back and cocked his head to the side. “Where did you two go?”  
  
“Huh?” Armin looked up to the rear-view mirror. “Sorry?”  
  
“Where did you go?” Levi repeated. “What happened?”  
  
Armin swallowed hard. “Nothing.”  
  
“You disappeared for nearly an hour, and I will assume you spent most of it crying. Don’t you fucking tell me it’s nothing, Armin.”  
  
“It’s nothing!” Armin huffed. “It’s nothing now, okay?”  
  
“Now?”  
  
“I dealt with it,” Armin assured. “Eren helped. Please don’t ask.”  
  
“You are mine,” Levi reminded, eyes narrowing. “It’s my right to know.”  
  
“I don’t want to say it.”  
  
“Armin.”  
  
“No!”  
  
Eren took a deep breath as he took a right at the end of the bridge. He remembered he should have taken a left, but it didn’t make too much of a difference. His eyes flicked up to the mirror to see Levi’s eyes hard on Armin, and then he glanced to Armin who was curling up in a ball in his seat. Eren’s eyes returned to the road. “Dieter.”  
  
“Eren!” Armin’s hands clenched in his lap.  
  
“Don’t hide it from him,” Eren muttered. “You’re only doing that because you know it’ll piss him off.”  
  
Armin scowled. “I’m hiding it for me! And I’m not hiding anything—just, choosing not to say it!”  
  
“What,” Levi’s voice was hundreds of daggers, “Happened?”  
  
“Nothing!”  
  
Eren growled. “It wasn’t fucking nothing!”  
  
“Yes it was!”  
  
“God damnit, Armin!”  
  
“You!—”  
  
“Enough!” Levi hissed. “This can wait until we’re home. Focus on the road, Eren.”  
  
⁂  
  
When they got back home, they did their own thing for a while. Eren checked his phone, Levi filled out some papers, and Armin made tea. They eventually, somehow, all ended up in the living room. Eren sat on the couch, while Armin sat on the other end. Levi sat on the chair by himself, legs crossed.  
  
“Talk,” he ordered.  
  
Armin shook his head.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Armin,” Eren whispered, “Just say it, okay?”  
  
“No, I don’t want to. Why? Why should I?”  
  
“Because it’s important to you. Because it’s not something that’s going to disappear in a day. Because we don’t hide things from you.”  
  
“But!”  
  
Levi sighed. “Just say it.”  
  
Armin looked at him and then let out a deep breath. “I… got a message from Dieter. He asked me to slip away from the event, and meet him. I froze, and just kind of wanted a second to figure out how to reply to him… so I went to the bathroom, and then before I knew it… I guess I must have been gone for a while, because Eren came and got me. We went to… I think it was a storage room, or something. We talked. That’s it.”  
  
Levi’s face was neutral. “And Dieter?”  
  
“I told him I wasn’t ready to talk to him.”  
  
Eren moved across the sofa and pulled Armin into a hug.  
  
Armin leaned on him.  
  
Levi cocked his head to the side. “I feel like I’m missing a portion of it.”  
  
“We…” Eren thought about how to word it. “Had a heart-to-heart. Armin… said some things that were hard for him to say.”  
  
“We, fought,” Armin admitted. “We yelled at each other, but… I’m okay now. I promise. Eren was right, and he was protecting me… from myself, I guess. So, Levi, Master… please don’t worry.”  
  
Levi stared from across the room. “I just… don’t understand you, Armin.”  
  
“I don’t either.” Armin smiled. “But I’m trying to figure that out. Eren put me on the right track for that, I think. I’m sorry, I don’t know why I was adamant about not telling you… I probably made this a bigger deal than it had to be. I’m just tired, and I have a lot to think about. I kind of…” He pulled away from Eren. “I kind of want to be alone right now. And just think, about me.”  
  
Eren cupped his face and kissed his forehead. “If you need us, just holler, ‘kay?”  
  
Armin smiled at him. “Okay.”  
  
“Armin.” Levi motioned with his hand. “Come here.”  
  
Armin got up and walked over.  
  
Levi pulled him into his lap; because Levi’s legs were crossed, Armin was closer to him. “Are you really okay?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Armin—”  
  
“I’m okay.” Armin smiled and kissed his cheek. “For the first time in a really long time, I think I’m actually okay.”  
  
Levi brought his hand up, stroking Armin’s cheek with his fingers.  
  
Armin kissed his hand and smiled. “We’ll talk in the morning, okay?”  
  
“Okay.” Levi relaxed. “Goodnight.”  
  
“Night.” Armin stole a quick kiss before hopping off. He walked over to Eren, smooched his cheek, then left the room.  
  
Levi glanced to Armin, watching him until he turned the corner, then continued to stare in that direction.  
  
Eren looked at Levi. “Sir.”  
  
“Yes?” Levi glanced at him.  
  
“He… told me, about his family.”  
  
Levi pursed his lips, nodding once. “How much did he tell you?”  
  
“I don’t know, but it felt like… everything.”  
  
“Hm.”  
  
Eren tilted his head as he tried to decipher that ‘hm’. “Sir?”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Y-Yeah?”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“What?”  
  
Levi let out a soft sight. “In some shitty ways, it just feels like I can’t help him. It bothers me, but I just… don’t know what to do for him. I honestly have no fucking idea if it’s an age thing, or were we just raised so differently that I don’t understand? Either way, thank you… for being there.”  
  
Eren scratched his cheek. “All I did was yell at him.”  
  
“Even if you did.” Levi graced him with a rare smile. “You probably yelled your heart out. Whatever you said, no matter how you said it, must have helped him. I can’t do that. I try. I just don’t have the right answers, and I don’t even know the problem. I try, I try so fucking hard to tell him to think of himself… to stop being selfless, but… He, he’s the most important thing in my life. Friends have come and gone, same with subs, but Armin… Armin is my one constant. He’s the most important thing in my life… and you were there for him. He trusted you, he opened up to you, and you did something that helped him.”  
  
“Sir!” Eren frowned. “Look, all I did was tell him what any decent nice person would tell him.”  
  
“Do you remember what I said earlier?” Levi cocked his head. “The average person is a fucking five hour energy enema.”  
  
“Actually it was root beer.”  
  
“Actually it was probably both, so don’t you fucking try to pretend being nice is normal. Don’t you pretend being good is default. Maybe when we’re born, but not when we grow up in this society.” Levi shook his head. “And even if someone is nice or polite or good… that doesn’t mean I trust them with my Armin. I don’t trust Marco or Annie with Armin, and not Jean… I only let Jean have his way with Armin because Armin wants it. Fuck. I’ve known Erwin for fifteen years and I can’t bring myself to trust him with Armin. But you. You…”  
  
Eren felt his chest lock. “Me, Sir?”  
  
“I keep having to remind myself that I _don’t_ trust you with Armin. I keep having to tell myself, over and over, to the point where I honestly think I’m in denial. What if I do trust you?”  
  
“Sir…” Eren leaned forward. “I care about him.”  
  
“I know. I can tell, but…” Levi cringed. “I guess, that weaves into tonight’s game.”  
  
“What?” Eren had no idea how Levi could talk about fucking games at a time like this.  
  
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a game.” Levi stood up. “Come to my bedroom soon. And don’t look so confused, Pup, I’ll explain when you get there. Take your time.”  
  
⁂  
  
Eren took his time, freshening himself up for a bit before he went up the stairs. He checked in on Armin, finding him already asleep. Poor blondie. Must have been drained… but he looked fairly content in his sleep, relaxed. Eren stole a kiss from him before leaving the room, going up the stairs again. He made it to the third floor and swallowed hard.  
  
The hallway was dark, only light was the gleam of gold underneath Levi’s door.  
  
Eren stepped forward. He stood perfectly between the three double doors, to the study, to the library, and to his Dom’s bedroom. “Just get it over with,” he muttered as he grabbed the handles.  
  
He opened the doors.  
  
Levi sat at the foot of his bed, looking up from his phone. He put it away and stood. He ran his hand through his hair.  
  
Eren shivered as he stepped in. “Hey.”  
  
Levi hid his smile. “Hey.”  
  
Eren closed the doors behind him and then looked at Levi.  
  
Levi unbuttoned his coat slowly, shaking it off his shoulders. “I reckon I’ve told you about a thousand fucking times by now, but I only let Armin be with people I trust. But even if I trust them, that doesn’t mean I fully trust them—enough to let them have my toy as if it were their own.” He unbuttoned his collar and then pulled off his tie. “To put it bluntly, I’ve been a submissive before. I know the dangers. I know how easy it is to be used and abused in a way you don’t want to be when you put yourself in that position.”  
  
Eren nodded. “Yeah.”  
  
“So, if I’m going to keep with the bluntness, Eren.” Levi stepped forward. “I only really trust Armin with people I can trust myself with.”  
  
“Wait.” Eren stared. “No. You don’t mean…”  
  
“That’s right. Tonight…” Levi lowered his gaze. “I’m yours… Sir.”  
  
Eren stayed silent as several seconds passed. His brain slowly unwove Levi’s words, contemplating if their meaning was what he was really saying. He wondered what Mufasa would say. What Elsa would say. What Shrek would say. And the holy trio of red, blue, and green looked in his eyes and nodded.  
  
Eren screamed.  
  
The very corners of Levi’s mouth tugged upwards.  
  
Eren backed up against the door and patted it, looking for the handle. “What!?”  
  
“Eren.” Levi looked him in the eye. “Every two weeks I play a game to remind my subs of their role, and every month I do the same to remind me of my role. The best way to do that, of course, is role reversal.”  
  
“No.” Eren paled. “Me? Dom? You. You?”  
  
“Well…” Levi’s eyes softened as his smile disappeared. “If it’s making you this uncomfortable, we don’t have to. I don’t want to put you in a position you’re not enjoying yourself.”  
  
“N-No!” Eren took a deep breath. “I’m just; I’m sorry, what?”  
  
“Most subs always smile when I say they have a chance of being the Dom. It’s a nice change. If you don’t want to, we don’t have to. Don’t feel obligated.”  
  
“I just…” Eren swallowed hard. “Armin said… you don’t take second contracts with people you don’t do the final game with, right?”  
  
“I… see.” Levi shook his head. “That’s, not entirely true. Look, shithead, don’t feel pressured okay? Taking a second contract means a lot more than just one game. If I wasn’t considering taking a second contract, then I wouldn’t offer you the chance to dominate me. But, at the same time, being a little uncomfortable is okay. I… don’t like the idea of being a sub, again.” Levi looked away. “But I think I trust you. And, honestly, I do enjoy subbing even if I prefer being the Dom. It’s different, and that’s nice. And if you’re a little uncomfortable, that’s okay, but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable to the point where you’re forcing yourself to do it.”  
  
Eren didn’t say anything for a while before he let out a breath. “I… honestly, I think it will be fun, I just… I’m not used to being a Dom, and I don’t want to do something that’ll hurt you. And it’s so weird to say because you really are really fucking intimidating, Sir, and it’s actually kind of hot, but I just… What if I make a mistake?”  
  
“We learn from it.” Levi’s eyes softened. “It’s important you understand the mentality of a Dom, and it’s important I understand the mentality of a sub. That will make us better equipped for each other.”  
  
“Then… how do you deal with that fear? That you might make a mistake? How have you silenced that dumb voice?”  
  
“I haven’t,” Levi admitted. “It’s always in the back of my mind. You’ve given yourself to me, not as a toy or object for me to use and own, but for me to care for.”  
  
“Then!” Eren stepped forward. “How do you stop worrying enough that you can actually, you know, Dom?”  
  
“Well, Pup.” Levi smirked. “You’ve been with me for a month, now. How _do_ I deal with that fear?”  
  
“Oh.” Eren straightened his back. “I get it.”  
  
Levi nodded.  
  
Eren smiled. “You know the safewords?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“You sure?”  
  
“Traffic lights,” Levi said, “As you eloquently put it.”  
  
“And you promise me you’ll use them if you need to?”  
  
“I promise, moron.”  
  
Eren chuckled as he scratched his cheek, nodding once. “Okay. So you’re like, a hundred percent cool with this?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
Eren felt an electric chill run down his spine and somehow it made its way to his crotch. He stepped forward. Even though he’d always been taller than Levi… it was the first time he actually… _felt_ taller. He swallowed hard. Looking down at Levi. “You know…” He raised one hand, tilting Levi’s jaw one way. “You’re hot, and really manly, and your abs are ripped but… you’ve got some pretty boy in you as well.”  
  
“Is. That. So?”  
  
Eren snickered and kissed his cheek. “What’s wrong, not gonna talk back to me?”  
  
“I’ll…” Levi’s hand twitched. “Behave. Sir.”  
  
“Mmhm.” Eren’s cheeks warmed as he let out another chuckle. “So, you’re, you’re really going to do whatever I want, huh?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
“Would you do a little dance?”  
  
Levi nodded. “I’m not as talented in lap dances as you are, but I can attempt to do so for you.”  
  
“No not a lap dance, just like a little happy dance, or the Macarena—O-Okay, never mind… put the death glare away…” Eren paled. “Geez this is so weird.”  
  
Levi closed his eyes and sighed. “Would it help if I did the dance?”  
  
“Honestly?” Eren scratched his nose. “Probably not… Sorry. I just. Okay.”  
  
Levi wanted to comment on how adorable his ‘Pup’ was, but tried to remind himself of his position. He pursed his lips and awaited an order. When none came, he knew Eren was struggling. Eren’s shyness was mostly gone, but remnants were there. Any wrong comment by Levi would bring it all back, he didn’t doubt.  
  
“Okay, fuck it.” Eren dove in, capturing Levi’s lips in a way he’d always wanted to.  
  
Levi’s cheeks flared at the brash movement. He wasn’t blushing, obviously, since Levi didn’t blush. Ever. But he felt Eren claim his mouth and resisted the urge to fight back. He would have usually playfully fought for dominance, but he figured Eren would cower away if he tried.  
  
Eren hooked an arm around Levi’s waist, while his other arm also reached down. He grabbed Levi’s ass, giving a squeeze.  
  
Levi inhaled sharply through his nose, throwing one arm around his Dom’s neck.  
  
Eren licked at the seam between their lips, thrusting his tongue into Levi’s mouth.  
  
Levi smiled into the kiss as Eren pulled him close in an upward motion, pressing chest against chest, crotch against crotch.  
  
“Fuck.” Eren broke the kiss. “I’ve… Wow. Yeah. I could get used to this.”  
  
Levi tilted his head to the side. “Is that so, Sir?”  
  
Eren licked his lips, eyeing him.  
  
Levi waited for the next order, the next act, but nothing came. He nuzzled Eren’s neck. “Should I undress, Sir?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren nodded. “That would be awesome. I mean, uh… Do it. Now.”  
  
Levi pulled away enough to begin unbuttoning. He stripped his tight white undershirt off his body, throwing it to the floor. His scars, visible. He pulled off his belt and let that fall, making eye contact as he unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. They came off with ease, followed by his socks, then his boxers. Standing nude, before Eren, he lowered his head in submission. “I am yours.”  
  
Eren’s throat dried, and any words he wanted to say were gone.  
  
“Sir?’  
  
Eren swallowed and rubbed his Adam’s apple. “O-On the bed. For me.”  
  
Levi nodded and slipped on the bed, sitting on his knees, facing Eren.  
  
“Oh fuck,” Eren blurted out. “Actually, uh, undress me!”  
  
Levi smiled. “You don’t have to yell to be authoritative.”  
  
“Ah, uh, sorry.” Eren scratched the back of his head. “I just want to sound commanding… How do you do it?”  
  
Levi slipped off the bed and came back, unbuttoning Eren’s shirt. “I don’t. I know my subs will follow my orders. There’s no need to be a dictator when your subjects will follow either way.”  
  
“Mmm.” Eren nodded, letting Levi take off his shirt. “Okay.” Soon he too was undressed, left only in his dog tag and collar. The two of them made their way to the bed. Eren pushed Levi on his back and brought their mouths together. His hands roamed Levi’s body, moving down his arms, feeling the hard muscles under soft skin. His hands were free to do as they pleased. He ran his hand down Levi’s chest, feelings those abs—he could fucking grate cheese on those fucking abs—and his fingers danced over Levi’s scar, grazing over the turgid lines. He passed them and moved to Levi’s hips, hands planting themselves there.  
  
Levi winced at the touch to his scar, but relaxed.  
  
“Mine,” Eren whispered as he broke the kiss. He laughed and kissed Levi’s neck. “All mine tonight, huh?”  
  
Levi kissed Eren’s shoulder.  
  
Eren backed away, just a little. “You’re, uh. You’re comfortable?”  
  
“With this? Yeah.”  
  
“N-No I mean, like… physically, right now, on your back?”  
  
“Oh.” Levi smiled a smile that threatened to melt Eren’s heart. “Yes.”  
  
“O-Okay Want a pillow? Or something?”  
  
“I’m fine. Thank you, Sir.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard and moved away. He scurried to Levi’s drawer, where the lube was kept, and he picked up the small cylinder. He moved between Levi’s legs, which parted for him. Eren noticed Levi’s length was half hard and he fumbled with the opening of the lube. His own cock had come to life, the big hand ticking straight on boner o’clock.  
  
Levi’s hands took the bottle of lube from Eren’s. “May I?”  
  
“Huh?” Eren suddenly forgot how lubed work. His eyes were in the headlights.  
  
“Do you want to watch me finger myself?”  
  
“Oh.” Eren looked in those steel blue eyes and he swallowed hard. “W-Well, sort of… I mean, yeah, but I also kind of… want to fingerbang you.”  
  
“Well, Sir.” Levi cocked his head to the side. “If you want both, you can have both.”  
  
“Oh sweet Lana Del Rey on a unicycle.”  
  
Levi paused. “What?”  
  
“Well—Jesus wouldn’t be politically correct, because he’s a religious figure and that’s a no no, so so, so Lana Del Rey…”  
  
“I see.” Levi looked down. “Well, look at that. My dick can still stay hard even after your comments.”  
  
Eren looked down and noticed Levi’s cock was indeedly so hard. He clapped his hands excitedly, and then refused to make eye contact after he realised what he did. “Just, yeah, prep yourself. Mutt.”  
  
Levi snorted and opened the bottle of lube. He poured some on his fingers then brought his hands between his legs. Arching his knees up to give his Dom a view, he pushed in two fingers, making eye contact.  
  
Eren’s fingers shook with minor tremors as he watched.  
  
Levi closed his eyes, letting out a soft noise, before opening his eyes again. He looked into Eren’s green ones as he pushed in and out, slowly, smoothly. “Am I to your liking, Sir?”  
  
“Boys dance so Tuesday’s fine,” Eren insisted.  
  
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Levi teased.  
  
“Very yes!” Eren grabbed Levi’s cock, giving it a firm squeeze. “Since you’re being so good…” He began stroking Levi, slowly moving the skin over the head and back down again.  
  
Levi let out another noise as it came, not suppressing his moans for once. “Sir… Sir.”  
  
“Heh.” Eren smirked as he leaned down, kissing Levi’s neck. “You sound so needy.”  
  
“Mmm. Maybe I am.” Levi smiled as he kept going. “Do you want to fuck me?”  
  
Eren’s eyes lit up. “Can I?” As soon as he said it, he moved away. “I mean, of course I can. You’re mine.”  
  
Levi nodded. He pulled the fingers out of his ass and grabbed Eren’s cock; lubed fingers moved up and down, stroking and coating.  
  
Eren’s hand left Levi’s cock as he grabbed the lube and added some to his fingers. Better safe than sorry. He closed the top and tossed it aside. Left hand back on his sub’s length, he brought his other hand down, fingers to Levi’s entrance. Mentally reminding himself that this was happening, he pushed a finger inside.  
  
“Mm.” Levi squeezed on it.  
  
“Sorry, too fast?”  
  
“No, just…” Levi opened his eyes, eye contact resuming. “I’m not used to anyone but me down there.”  
  
“If you’re not comfortab—”  
  
“Fuck me.” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “Please. Sir.”  
  
Eren shook his head. “If this isn’t what you want…”  
  
“It is, alright?” Levi sighed. “I just have a hard time admitting it, so don’t make me. I enjoy being fucked, and I enjoy being dominated—those two aren’t the same thing, but I want them both and I want them together. I just… Please.”  
  
Eren smiled and kissed Levi’s cheek. “Why don’t you just say what you want, then?”  
  
“Because it’s not that easy, Brat.”  
  
“Mm, call me a ‘brat’ all you want, but this Brat’s your Sir too. And I don’t think that’s acceptable.”  
  
“That’s right.” Levi smirked. “I apologise.”  
  
Eren stole a quick kiss before his face became serious again. “Just tell me if you want me to slow down or anything, okay?”  
  
“Eren—”  
  
“No,” he cut him off. “I know pain and pleasure are awesome together. I’m a sub, too. But I’m not interested in hurting you. Not tonight.” Not ever, more like, but he didn’t want to voice that. He hoped dangling the possibility of them doing it rougher in the future (and Eren wouldn’t be against trying it one day) would satisfy him enough.  
  
Levi nodded.  
  
“Thank you.” Eren kissed his collar. “You’re a very good pet.”  
  
Levi’s eyebrows furrowed. “Am I now?”  
  
“Mmm. You call me ‘Pup’ and Armin ‘Kitten’, so what would…” His green eyes caught sight of the silver dog tag hanging from his neck. “This was yours, huh? Pup?”  
  
“What?” Levi followed his eyes, and then smiled. “Yes… Truth be told, Erwin called me ‘Mutt’ more often than ‘Pup’…”  
  
“Mutt!” Eren laughed. “That’s what you call me when I’m being a dumb.”  
  
“Mmm.” Levi nodded. “It’s because I’m the biggest dumb of all.”  
  
“Awww.” Eren kissed his nose. “You’re not dumb, at least not dumber than me.”  
  
“How comforting,” Levi muttered.  
  
“I’m trying here.”  
  
A snort was his reply.  
  
Eren kissed him softly, grating his teeth against his lower lip. Hearing a small whine from Levi’s mouth being muffled into his lips made him smile. He resumed stroking his toy and slowly pushed the finger in, until the nub of his knuckle hit the entrance. He pulled out then moved in again with two fingers. “Feel good?”  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“Sure you don’t want a pillow or something?”  
  
Levi resisted the urge to smile. “I’m fine. You can put in another.”  
  
“Alright.” Eren nodded as he pulled out. He moved the two fingers in and out a couple more times before he added the third. He felt Levi squeeze on him; it was slow, teasing, and Eren snickered. He kissed Levi’s shoulder and then chest. It was when his fingers grazed over a certain spot…  
  
Levi inhaled, shoulders shooting up. “Fuck.”  
  
“Potty mouth.”  
  
“Oh fuck yourself.”  
  
“Mhm?” Eren laughed and moved his left hand, putting it just above Levi’s shoulder, leaning over him. He continued to move his fingers in and out. “I think I’d rather fuck you, Mutt.”  
  
Levi held his tongue.  
  
“How about we play a game?” Eren couldn’t stop the onslaught of giggles. “Let’s see how clean you can keep your mouth.”  
  
“Fuck that!”  
  
Eren sobered and his voice lowered an octave, “For me.”  
  
Levi’s eyes widened as they began to shake with anger. “Yes,” he said with bite, “Sir.”  
  
“Fuck,” Eren muttered. “You’re so hot when you’re pissed.”  
  
“Listen here you little—”  
  
Eren pushed his fingers against that spot.  
  
Levi curled his toes, looking away. “Fuck…”  
  
“Ah,” he patted the prostate again, “Ah,” and again, “Ah,” again, “No swearing!”  
  
“Eren Jalapeno Jaeger I’ll shove a jalapeno up your _ass_ if you keep this up.”  
  
“Aww, cute threats.” Eren smirked, but the smirk faded. He lowered his head. “You’re mine tonight, however I want you… Worst comes to worst, you know your safewords.”  
  
Levi closed his eyes and pursed his lips. “Not easy to give up control…”  
  
“Not easy to take it,” Eren admitted. He pulled his fingers out and stroked his cock, slick. “Touch yourself… let me watch.”  
  
“Understood.” Levi opened his eyes and looked down. He grabbed his cock, teasingly moving the foreskin down and back up. If Eren was going to watch, Levi was going to put on a show. The movements were slow, fluid. Levi watched Eren’s eyes widen with arousal and he smirked.  
  
“U-Uh.” Eren coughed. “Ready?”  
  
“Yes Sir.”  
  
“Awesome.” Eren guided his cock to Levi’s entrance and he leaned in, hips moving forward, pressing the head inside. “Ah.” He opened his mouth and let out a noise as he pushed himself further.  
  
“Ng.” Levi took a deep breath, calming himself, relaxing himself, as the cock moved deeper inside him.  
  
Eren pushed until he felt his hips on Levi’s ass. His legs were shaking as he looked down at Levi, still stroking himself, on display beneath him. “T-Tell me when.”  
  
Levi took a moment to adjust to the feel of something six inches inside him. He took another breath, stroking himself slowly. “I’m good.”  
  
“You sure?”  
  
Levi nodded.  
  
Eren nodded in return. He moved his other hand over Levi’s other shoulder. He moved his hips back and lowered his head, bringing his lips together for a short kiss. He moved back, tight heat hugging his cock, before he pushed in again. Levi’s body squeezed on every inch of him and he shuddered. “Fuck.”  
  
Levi hooked one arm around Eren’s neck and smirked. “Enjoying yourself, Sir?”  
  
“Oh yeah.” Eren smirked. When he pulled out, a moan rolled off his tongue. He pushed back in and buried himself in the heat.  
  
Levi gasped and began stroking himself a little quicker. His knees began to shake and he had words building in the back of his throat. He wanted to say it, but… Fuck it. “Faster.”  
  
“Yeah?” Eren grabbed Levi’s cock, giving it a squeeze. He watched Levi close his eyes for half a second before opening them again. He bucked his hips, hand moving up and down, building a rhythm between the two.  
  
Levi squeezed on Eren’s cock.  
  
Eren hissed.  
  
Levi smirked and wrapped his legs around Eren’s waist, pulling him in with every thrust forward.  
  
Eren aimed for that spot in Levi, remembering where it was. When he felt the head of his cock brush against it, Levi squeezed on him and looked away, exposing his neck. Eren leaned down and took a bite. Not too harsh (because Levi still intimidated him), but he claimed the smooth flesh with his teeth, just hard enough to leave a hickey.  
  
Contrary to what Eren thought would happen, Levi didn’t complain.  
  
Eren licked at the teeth marks, tasting the salty skin.  
  
Levi shivered; he kept his neck stretched, giving Eren access. As Eren’s mouth worked on his neck, and Eren’s hand moved over his length, and Eren’s cock deep inside him… “Ah,” he let out, closing his eyes to moan.  
  
Eren’s hands scrunched up the bed sheets, sending folding lines through the white surface. He rocked his body into his sub’s.  
  
Levi gasped, eyes squishing together. His fingers tingled and his toes curled. The heat moved through him and his breathing became louder, audible. “E-Eren…”  
  
Eren practically whimpered as Levi said his name like _that._ Sweet Lana Del Rey. And not like white sugar Lana Del Rey, but agave—Lana Del Agave. “Levi,” he breathed out, slow and heavy.  
  
“Eren, Sir…” Levi pulled him close, bringing their lips together. As Eren’s cock thrust in again, Levi broke the kiss to let out another noise. “Please, more… more, please…”  
  
Eren grit his teeth, his cock twitching deep inside him. He slammed in, hard.  
  
Levi cried out, throwing his head back on the bed. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead as his legs tightened around Eren’s waist.  
  
Eren moved his back and then slammed in again, feeling the force ripple through Levi’s skin. His pace quickened, becoming fluid and powerful.  
  
Levi stroked himself, pulling Eren in with every thrust his Dom gave him. He let out another noise; if he hadn’t been in the heat, he would have probably felt ashamed. To let out such desperate noises… but every time he did, he could hear Eren’s breathing break rhythm. Levi, for the first time in forever, let the noises be free. He didn’t hold them back. He always did, for control. He was the only one allowed to let himself ever look shameless. And the only time he let himself be shameless was…  
  
Eren thrust in again.  
  
“Mmm.” Levi wanted to swear, but remembered Eren’s stupid fucking shit rule—he wanted to challenge it (he wondered if Eren even remembered, not that he was going to take the chance)—but he didn’t. “Sir!”  
  
Eren’s arms and knees began to shake as he closed his eyes, losing himself in the feelings that wired into him.  
  
Levi closed his eyes, more needy noises spilling from his lips. His hand moved quickly, pleasing himself in rhythm to the thrusts. The head of his cock had turned red and Levi felt pleasure build up inside of him. “Eren, Sir, I’m… I’m going to…”  
  
“Yeah?” Eren’s eyes snapped open and a feral grin dangerously crossed his face. “Cum for me. Come on… cum.”  
  
Levi felt Eren slam into him twice more, aiming for the spot inside him. Levi’s breath hitched in his throat—the rough movements sent aftershocks through his body and he couldn’t take it anymore. “Ngh!” He arched his back, body squeezing on Eren’s cock, hot white shot out over his hand and chest.  
  
If the way Levi’s body squeezed on his manhood, hot walls hugging him, wasn’t enough to make him cum, watching Levi shoot his load all over himself sure as fuck did. He let out something at the halfway point between a growl and a whine as he shoved himself in one last time. Fully buried in Levi’s body, he barely breathed as ecstasy took over. It was electric. It was hot. He closed his eyes and saw white. He leaned forward, breathless, as he released. After a second, he took in a shaking breath and whined.  
  
Levi’s breathing was uneven and sporadic. He threw his head back on the sheets, hair clinging to his forehead from the sweat. His steel-blue eyes watered and a tear fell from his right eye. His legs, tight around Eren, went limp.  
  
Eren took a whole minute before he opened his eyes. “Sir?”  
  
Levi looked at him, eyes glossy.  
  
“Why?” Eren’s eyes widened. “Why are you… crying?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I-I told you!” Eren felt sick. “If you needed to use a safe word—”  
  
“Shut up.” Levi smiled. “I just haven’t been fucked this good in forever.” He used his clean hand to wipe away the tear. “Fuck, Pup… I could get used to this.”  
  
Eren’s shoulders relaxed and he kissed Levi’s jaw. “I was good, Sir?”  
  
“Mmm. Yeah.”  
  
Eren pulled out slowly, biting his lip as he did. He knew he should have cleaned up, but he ended up flopping over, lying on his back next to Levi.  
  
Levi took a deep breath. “Had fun?”  
  
“Yep! You?”  
  
“Yeah,” Levi admitted with a smile. “Clean up.”  
  
Eren whined.  
  
“That’s an order, Pup.”  
  
Eren leaned over, kissing his cheek, before he wiggled to the bedside table. He grabbed the tissue box and took care of all that. After, he crashed back next to Levi, resting his head on his Dom’s shoulder. “Being a Dom isn’t easy.”  
  
“Being a sub isn’t, either.”  
  
Eren nodded. “But it’s worth it.”  
  
“Yeah.” Levi slipped an arm around his waist and looked at him. “I don’t… want to put a downer on the mood, but…”  
  
Eren sobered up quickly. “Tonight’s the last night, huh?”  
  
“Yeah.” Levi leaned down, kissing Eren’s forehead. “Can I… ask you something?”  
  
Eren perked up, smiling. “Of course, Sir.”  
  
“It’s personal…” Levi looked away. “You have every right not to answer.”  
  
“Uh… okay… what, what is it?”  
  
“It’s about… you.” Levi’s forehead creased into a frown. “I… I have to apologise. In some ways, I feel as though I’ve gone behind your back… I can’t remember if it’s been a week or what, but a while ago I… I spoke to Mikasa, about you. I just wanted her opinion on how to better deal with you, and she ended up telling me some things that are… a little concerning.”  
  
Eren’s smile had faded. “Yeah? Well… what did she say, Sir?”  
  
“She told me that you… had been through a lot. She told me some things about your parents, said they were… horrified of what you ‘had to do’.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened and he pulled away. “Don’t.”  
  
Levi sat up. “I’m sorry.”  
  
Eren brought his knees to his chest, hugging them tight. “Why do you want to know?”  
  
“I…” Levi sighed. “The way Mikasa put it, sounded very worrying. I just, I want to make sure I’m properly equipped to deal with whatever issues you have. That is my job as Dom, as owner, as caregiver.”  
  
“I… don’t want to talk about it.”  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
Eren shifted closer to the edge of the bed, throwing his feet over. He looked down at his lap, his naked knees… His hands were on his knees, squeezing tight. His eyes unfocused. He half considered leaving the bed, then and there, maybe sneaking into Armin’s room, taking his clothes. Sleeping on the couch for the night? It wasn’t until he felt a kiss on his back that he looked over his shoulder.  
  
Levi pressed his lips against Eren’s right shoulder again, tentative eyes looking at his face.  
  
“I just… had to do some things I’m not proud of.”  
  
“Hn.” Levi chuckled. “I know that feeling…”  
  
“No you don’t.”  
  
“I do.” Levi’s laugh died. “Would you think of me differently if I said I’ve killed a man?”  
  
“I killed three.”  
  
Levi moved both of his arms around Eren’s waist. “Maybe I’m going out on a limb here…” his voice held caution, “But I think I know you well enough to say you don’t like hurting people. You did it because you had to, didn’t you?”  
  
Eren looked down at his lap again. “Was that what it was like for you?”  
  
“Mhm… Well, not really.” Levi rested his chin on Eren’s shoulder. “You know my scars?”  
  
Eren looked back at him. “Yeah.”  
  
“Mmm. Someone gave me that. I… took revenge.” Levi looked straight ahead. “I didn’t have to do it. It wasn’t self-defence… but he wasn’t exactly a good person… Law and justice aren’t the same thing, Eren; and, in my opinion, killing that shit of a man was a good thing.”  
  
“What did he…?”  
  
Levi sighed, shaking his head. “There are things I’d rather not talk about as well.”  
  
Eren closed his eyes, rubbing his face with his hands. “They took her.”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t prompt him. He knew the answer would come.  
  
“Mikasa… There had been missing people for a while. It was a small town. No fancy police like on the T.V. shows, you know? Missing people, and they would go missing for years… forever. People don’t just go missing. Something happened to them. So when Mikasa went missing… I found the people who took her.”  
  
“Took her? Who?”  
  
“Honestly, I… to this day, I don’t really know.” Eren brought his knees up, resting his feet against the edge of the bed. He hugged his legs and rested his cheek on his knee. “I had a friend, Connie, he was saying he was hearing things from the like… community centre thing? Screaming. There had been rumours about ghosts in there for years, actually, so nobody really took it seriously. Not me, not Mikasa, not Jean. Not even Connie. I… But people were screaming. I don’t even want to think about it, okay? Because if I hadn’t done what I did, then Mikasa…”  
  
Levi frowned, trying to put the pieces together.  
  
“Long story short… three guys took Mikasa. And I got her back.” Eren closed his eyes. “I had to… I had to… I stabbed one, and beat the other… The fire killed the other one.”  
  
“The fire?” Levi regretted asking; as soon as the question left his lips, Eren began shaking. He pulled Eren close, turning him around and pushing Eren’s head into his chest. He looked away, squeezing him tight.  
  
“S-Sorry.”  
  
“It’s okay.” Levi kissed his forehead. “You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to.”  
  
“I just…” Eren’s eyes filled with tears. Visions of red and heat and scorch… “I can’t even think about it… I’m not, I’m not ready.”  
  
“Then don’t think about it. That’s an order.”  
  
“But!”  
  
“No buts!” Levi frowned. “If you’re not ready, don’t force yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day, you fucker. So if you need more time, take it.”  
  
“But I don’t know anything about Rome…”  
  
“Lana Del Rey wasn’t built in a day, Eren.”  
  
“Hm, that’s a good argument.” Eren nuzzled Levi’s chest. “But I don’t want to deal with it…”  
  
“That’s fine. Whenever you do,” he said as he kissed the top of Eren’s head, “I’ll be here. And so will Armin. You’re not alone, do you understand me?”  
  
Eren pulled away, nodding once. “I feel like I just gave you a minimalist version…”  
  
“Not the loquacious one?”  
  
“Not the loquacious one,” Eren said with the smallest of smiles.  
  
Levi wasn’t dumb: He knew there was more to the story than that. Even so, he smiled. “I’d rather have a simple answer than make you suffer for a better one. Plus, your story wasn’t bad. You’re the hero, right?”  
  
Eren snorted. “Jean was the one who called the fire department, so he likes to call himself the hero… It’s not like he was the only one who called 9-1-1.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “Does sound like him…”  
  
“But yeah.” Eren rubbed his eyes. “Mikasa says I’m the hero… My parents…”  
  
“What do they think?”  
  
“I don’t know.” Eren shook his head. “My mom and dad… the two of them love me so much, you know? I just… I think I scare them. The fact that there’s a side of me, inside me, that’s capable of that… that’s a monster, in some ways. It sounds so fucking dumb, but it’s true.”  
  
“They’re idiots.”  
  
Eren blinked.  
  
“Everybody is a monster, Eren.” Levi looked down at the bed sheets. “We’re all monsters. Even the nicest of peoples do terrible things from time to time… sometimes justified, sometimes not. We’re all going to make one mistake or two, or even thousands, that haunt us. We’ll stay up at night wondering… ‘Why did I do that?’, ‘I’m not a bad person’, and we’ll fight ourselves over it. Sometimes people like breaking things just because they’re beautiful. Sometimes, people just like ruining someone’s day because that person’s happy. Even the nicest people do it.”  
  
“But… why?”  
  
“Because there is a part of every human that’s a monster.” Levi shook his head. “And that’s okay.”  
  
Eren’s hands squeezed into fists. “How the fuck is that okay!?”  
  
“Because we’re human. We’re allowed to make mistakes. Everyone will do terrible things… but good people make up for it. Good people acknowledge that they’ve done bad, and they try to do good. Occasionally, they’ll do something bad again, and sometimes they will do something bad out of good intention—but it’s whether they do good in the world after that makes the difference. It doesn’t even have to be big… sometimes just making a stranger smile or the smallest of things will add up.”  
  
“That’s… kind of a nice way to look at it.”  
  
“Maybe.” Levi frowned. “Maybe it’s just a self-serving theory.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“I’ve done a lot of bad things. And sometimes I’ve done them while I was trying to do good things, and sometimes I’ve done them without realising, and other times I’ve done them on purpose. I don’t believe in heaven and hell and all that bullshit, but even so… Even if there’s no God at the end of my life to decide if I’m good or bad, I want to make it to the end and look back and say I was. This world is fucking shitty. It’s disgusting. I’ve done horrible things, and I have these disgusting scars to prove it, but I’ll focus on the future.”  
  
Eren frowned. “They’re… not disgusting.”  
  
Levi stared at him.  
  
“They’re… kinda hot.”  
  
Levi growled, moving his arms away. “Don’t.”  
  
“They are,” Eren insisted. “Just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean other people don’t like them.”  
  
“They’re disgusting,” Levi corrected.  
  
“Nuh uh.”  
  
“Yes, Eren, they are.”  
  
“No way.” Eren shook his head. “You want to know what I think?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Can I tell you anyway?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Please?”  
  
Levi groaned, looking away.  
  
“I think… if you got those scars, those exact scars, from a shark attack you would be parading them around and you would think you’re cool, because you survived something amazing.” Eren smiled. “It’s just because of what happened to you… that’s just colouring how you like, perceive it.”  
  
Levi looked down at his scars, not replying.  
  
Eren leaned over and kissed them, watching Levi twitch. “Just think, ‘Shark attack’!”  
  
“It’s not just that…” Levi scowled. “It’s just… sensitive.”  
  
“I know it’s a sensitive topic, but ‘Shark attack’.”  
  
“No I mean…” Levi snorted. “To touch… they’re sensitive.”  
  
“Aren’t you not supposed to feel anything on scars?”  
  
“Not, not the scars themselves.” Levi grabbed Eren’s finger. “Here… where, the scar tissue… right along the edge, where it meets healthy skin…” He wiggled as Eren pressed down on the nerves. “I don’t know. It just, feels… a lot. It’s sensitive… and it reminds me of it. Tied up. Knife to my side.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard. “Was that… your Dom?”  
  
“No, actually.” Levi shook his head. “I was… ugh, it sounds so dumb to say, but I was part of a gang.”  
  
“Like the Greasers?”  
  
“I swear to fucking God, Eren, if you compare me to _The Outsiders_ …”  
  
“Stay gold, Ponyboy.”  
  
Levi grabbed Eren’s hair and yanked hard.  
  
“Owww! Sorry Sir!”  
  
Levi let go and then pulled him close, nuzzling the top of his head and giving a smoochie.  
  
Eren smiled. “But, sorry… you were part of a gang? Really?”  
  
“Mm, kind of.” Levi frowned. “My parents threw me out, and they saw a thirteen year old boy who had nothing to lose. I learned how to mug people. I learned how to do a lot of things I’m not proud of.”  
  
“So that’s why you’re so good with knives and so bad at cooking?”  
  
“I learned how to stab people, not cut tomatoes.”  
  
Eren wrapped his arms around Levi and hugged him tight.  
  
Levi shook his head. “I met some friends there, too. They convinced me to stay in school… which was so fucked. You’d think backwards gangs wouldn’t care about that shit, but some did. Eventually I moved in with a couple people, found work… met Erwin. I got into BDSM, which was… not the safe, sane, and consensual we have now. I told you this, on your first day, everything was… Yeah. But I met Erwin, and Hanji. The more I spent with them, the less I spent with my gang.”  
  
“That…”  
  
“Yeah. And when they found out I was being some man’s bottom bitch instead of caring about the gang that saved me… They. They took corrective measures.”  
  
Eren didn’t know what to say, so he squeezed Levi tighter.  
  
“I was actually stabbed and sliced more times than just this, but the others healed. They weren’t deep, not like these two. They left me there. Bloody on the streets. The wounds got infected. I can’t even remember who found me, I think it was Isabel… or maybe it was Rico, but… When I found out the wounds were infected, I just… I remember breaking down, in Erwin’s bathroom, on the tile floor, I just… I tried to clean everything. I wanted everything… clean. My fingernails were bleeding from scratching off dirt and I ended up making a mess, but I… I just. I just—”  
  
Eren kissed him, cutting him off.  
  
Levi’s eyes widened.  
  
Eren moved away, green eyes looking into steel blue.  
  
Levi shook his head. “I’m okay. I just… I want them gone. I want the disgusting scars… gone.”  
  
“Sir.” Eren paused for a moment. “Levi.” He was going to address his Dom as his equal. “You’re rich as fuck. You could have had plastic surgery or whatever. You could have had them gone if you wanted them gone. The reason they’re still there is because they mean something to you.”  
  
“I… Armin, said the same thing…”  
  
“It’s okay.” Eren scratched the back of his head, remembering what he told Armin earlier. “People need time for their problems. We’ll figure it out. Together. The three of us.”  
  
Levi stared into his eyes for a long minute before he nodded. “I would… like that.”  
  
“But, I think we have to go to bed first.”  
  
“Mhm.”  
  
The lights were off and they sunk under the warm and clean covers. Eren nestled in his Dom’s arms and nuzzled his chest. “Hey, Sir?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Stay gold, Ponyboy.”  
  
“I swear to fucking God, Eren Jalapeno Jaeger…”  
  
“Stay Zapper, Leviboy. Stay Zapper.”


	34. The Fifth Week (1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I was supposed to update yesterday but I was so busy with work I forgot. Anyway, Halloween's just around the corner for most of us... just remember to stay safe, make good choices, and watch out for your friends okay? Make sure you're well hydrated, getting enough sleep, and eating your veggies. Or whatever. Idk. I feel like I should put something kinda important here, but anyway yeah *psst* chapter title. 
> 
> This will be my last update this month, and I will be taking November off for NaNoWriMo (you can add me [here!](nanowrimo.org/participants/remmyremrem/)); I'll be working on a Free! fanfic, which happens to be a Mako/Haru sequel to my Witch AU. After November, I'll come back to TB and full swing. As I did start in January, it's fitting I end it in December, right? What a long journey it's been. <3 
> 
> Edit: Forgot to mention this. Seksee couldn't beta this chapter, so it was done by Tbiris instead. Special thanks to her for being awesome. Any remaining mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy~
> 
> * * *

The three of them were outside Levi’s house, standing evenly spaced as they looked at each other. Mikasa was also there, but further off. She crossed her arms. She was leaning on her car, ready to go when Eren was, but not rushing him in the slightest. She didn’t understand why this was taking so long, but she did understand it was important… She also didn’t really understand why the fuck none of them were saying anything. Tilting her head to the side, straight jet black hair falling with the movement, she cleared her throat.  
  
“Um.” Eren squeezed the stuffed animal in his hands. “I asked Mikasa to bring this, because Armin said he’d be missing his cuddle buddy… So, yeah, it’s kinda dumb, but I want you to have my teddy bear.” He held it out. “Here.”  
  
Armin blinked, once, twice, opening his mouth to speak but—  
  
“Eren.” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “That’s… a dolphin.”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren smiled. “It’s a stuffie, stuffed animal. My teddy bear.”  
  
“Eren, that’s a dolphin.”  
  
“Shh, Sir.” Eren shook his head. “You’re gay: You wouldn’t understand.”  
  
“Eren—”  
  
“You’re gay,” Eren whispered. “You just wouldn’t understand.”  
  
“But, Ere–”  
  
“Gay!” Eren cried out. “Homofucking… Means no comprendo!”  
  
Mikasa closed her eyes, slowly letting out a pained noise.  
  
Levi stared at Eren for a while before sighing. “Okay.” The smallest of smiles appeared on his lips as he nudged Armin. “Gonna take it?”  
  
“If it’s okay with Eren…” Armin’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren nodded. “On a serious note, I just want to make sure you have something to hug when Levi’s at work and stuff. And of course Levi’s allowed to hug it too, if he wants.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes, not voicing how tempting that thought was.  
  
Armin took the dolphin slowly, holding it to his chest.  
  
Eren grinned. “Make sure he gets lots of cuddles, okay?”  
  
Armin nodded, squeezing the dolphin/teddy bear. “I’ll give it lots of hugs, and kisses.”  
  
Eren grinned and stepped forward, pulling Armin into a hug.  
  
Armin pushed his head to the crook of Eren’s neck, closing his eyes as he leaned into him as much as he could. Eren’s arms around him, tight and strong, almost to the point it hurt, was everything he wanted. He hugged the soft stuffie. He closed his eyes and took in Eren’s scent one last time. “Thank you. I know it’s silly… but it’s really thoughtful.”  
  
Eren kissed the top of his head. “I don’t want you to be lonely.” He pulled away ever-so-slightly, then kissed Armin’s cheek. “And make sure Levi cuddles with him too, okay? I know our Sir’s kind of a big dumb gay who doesn’t understand, but both my stuffie and my Dom need cuddles. So take care of both of them while I’m gone, okay?”  
  
Armin tried not to smile, but failed miserably and absolutely _beamed._ “Will do.”  
  
Eren looked into those blue eyes one more time before he pushed their foreheads together. “I’m gonna miss you, Sunshine.”  
  
Armin rubbed his nose against Eren’s. “You take care of yourself too, okay? No frozen dinners. Eat healthy.”  
  
Eren grinned before leaning in. Their lips met, if only for a moment, but it was enough. He pulled away and turned to Levi. He felt his chest tighten.  
  
Levi cocked his head to the side. “I don’t get you being all cute on me?”  
  
“Of course you do!” Eren wiggled. “I just… I don’t know how to show you the same affection in a way that you won’t get mad at me…”  
  
“Shut up and hug me, you fuck.”  
  
Eren’s grin returned and he pulled Levi into a hug.  
  
“You big fucking baby.”  
  
“You’re so much worse.”  
  
Levi hugged back. “I know… I know.”  
  
Eren closed his eyes, savouring the warmth of Levi’s arms around him. “Try not to be too difficult.”  
  
“Shut up,” Levi muttered, affectionately.  
  
Eren smiled, nuzzling Levi’s cheek. “I’m gonna miss you too, you know?”  
  
“I know.” Levi turned his head, placing a kiss on Eren’s jaw. “And… I’ll, you know… miss you too, or whatever.”  
  
Eren moved his head back, stole a quick kiss, before he took a few steps away. “And make sure you take care of Armin, and try to hug my stuffie some, okay?”  
  
Levi scoffed. “No promises.”  
  
Eren smiled, looking back at Armin… then to Levi… then back to Armin, and then once again to Levi. All three of them stood there, unmoving. Eren swallowed hard. He scratched the back of his head. “Okay, well… I guess this is it.”  
  
Armin squeezed the dolphin.  
  
Levi nodded slowly.  
  
“Okay, well.” Eren took a step back. “Bye!” He turned and ran down the stairs. He looked at Mikasa, who didn’t seem pleased. “What?”  
  
Mikasa pointed back up the stairs. “Your suitcase.”  
  
“Oh! Shit! Right!”  
  
Armin shook his head, Levi sighed, and both of them smiled.

⁂

  
  
As they drove back ‘home’, Eren stared out the window. He eyed the railings of the bridge they had to cross to get downtown. He thought back to the way Armin always seemed to hold him a little tighter than usual when Levi drove over the bridge. His eyes became unfocused as he zoned out. The sights were a blur, and he didn’t even register Mikasa taking a left at the end of the bridge.  
  
“Thinking?”  
  
“Mm?” Eren perked up, blinking, looking at her. “Yeah. Thinking.”  
  
“What about?”  
  
“Well…” He looked out the window again. “Just kinda thinking, about how it’s… only been four weeks, since, you know… Marco picked me up, and drove me to Levi’s. Four weeks.”  
  
“Yeah.” Mikasa flicked her turn signal and then tilted the steering wheel. “Glad it’s over?”  
  
Eren shook his head.  
  
“Eren?”  
  
He realised, with her eyes on the roads, she wouldn’t have seen the movement. “No, sorry. I wish I had more time with them, to be honest…”  
  
“You’ll see them soon enough.”  
  
“I know, I know… but… still.”  


⁂

  
  
Back in the apartment for the first time in a month, Eren pulled his small luggage in. He had brought a big one and a small one to Levi’s, but only brought the small one back for the few days he would be staying with Mikasa and Annie. As he pulled it in, he looked around. Everything was the way it used to be.  
  
Mikasa put her purse down on the counter.  
  
Annie, sitting at the far end of the room, was eyeing a mirror as she adjusted her earring.  
  
Mikasa walked to the fridge and opened it. “Hungry?”  
  
Annie blinked and turned to them. “Hey.”  
  
Eren waved. “Heya.”  
  
Annie tilted her head. “When did…?”  
  
“Just now,” Eren said in a laugh. “Don’t worry.”  
  
Mikasa smiled. “Hungry?”  
  
“Nah, I’m good. Armin made me a big breakfast.”  
  
Annie stood up. “Throw me the cheesy stringy thingies.”  
  
“Cheesy stringy thingies,” Mikasa repeated before grabbing the stick of string cheese and tossing it.  
  
Annie caught it. “Thanks.”  
  
Eren walked over to the couch and plopped down with a heavy bounce. He eyed the table. There was an empty bag of chips and two plates in front of him. It was a mess. Not that bad. But Levi’s house had trained him. He stacked the plates and grabbed the bag of chips before getting up.  
  
Mikasa eyed him. “Don’t have to…”  
  
“S’cool,” he muttered. He tossed the bag in the trash and then walked over to the sink to rinse the plates. “Kind of second nature to me right now, so might as well make use of it. How were your finals?”  
  
Annie sighed.  
  
Mikasa shrugged. “Last one was rough… but I think I did alright.”  
  
Eren looked at Annie.  
  
Annie shook her head.  
  
Eren knew better than to ask. “Well, at least you guys are one term closer to the end, right?”  
  
“Yeah.” Annie sighed as she peeled the plastic. “We have four months off, too.”  
  
“Mhm.” Mikasa ran a hand through her hair as she leaned back on the kitchen counter. “We talked about taking a summer course, condensed one, later… but probably not. Thinking of travelling.”  
  
Eren turned off the water. “Yeah?”  
  
“Maybe,” Mikasa muttered. “No idea yet.”  
  
Eren smiled. “No need to figure it out right away. Four months is a long time.”  
  
Mikasa nodded.  
  
Three phones beeped.  
  
Annie’s was on the counter, so she was the quickest one to grabbing it. “Krista sent us pics from last night.”  
  
Eren pulled his phone out and entered his passcode. He smiled as he swiped through the pictures, everyone dressed to the nines. There was one of Krista and him together, and Eren grinned. There was another of Armin and Krista, and Eren made a little ‘awwww’ noise. Another one was him and Armin, Eren’s arm around his date’s waist, both of them smiling wide since Eren had muttered an inappropriate joke right before they took the picture.  
  
The last one Krista sent was Levi, Armin, and him.  
  
Well, it was supposed to be Levi and Armin together, but Eren photobombed it by throwing his arms around both of them.  
  
Levi seemed annoyed while Armin was just surprised.  
  
Eren was the only one smiling and ready for the picture.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
He looked up. “Huh, what?”  
  
Mikasa sighed.  
  
Annie laughed.  
  
“Ah, sorry, zoned out.” Eren put his phone away. “Need me?”  
  
Mikasa shook her head. “Never mind.”  
  
Eren gave a sheepish, apologetic smile. “Well, gonna head to my room I guess… which is still mine right?”  
  
Mikasa nodded.  


⁂

  
  
When Eren got to his room – it was exactly like he left it. He jumped on his single bed, feeling an initial thought of being cramped compared to his endless hills of soft Armin-smelling sheets he had before, but… He smiled. Then he didn’t. He forced himself to smile, but there was a sour taste in his mouth. Loneliness. He reached for his teddy bear, but there was no dolphin. He wondered where it was, but then remembered he did in fact give that to Levi and Army.  
  
Well that was fucking depressing.  
  
Eventually Mikasa came to bug him, asking if he wanted to get groceries.  
  
He agreed.  
  
“It’s a time of reflection,” Mikasa muttered as she put a litre of skim milk in the shopping cart. “Be sure to reflect.”  
  
“I know.” Eren eyed the cookies for a while, remembering that he and Armin had bought Oreos a while ago.  
  
“You enjoyed your time there?”  
  
Eren smiled. “Honestly, yeah.”  
  
“Don’t be too content either.” Mikasa paused, turning to him. “You have to find things you want to change, to make it better.”  
  
“Well, duh.” Eren shrugged. “I know that.”  
  
“Then, what would you change?”  
  
Eren blinked. He pursed his lips, wiggling his lips from side to side. “I dunno.”  
  
Mikasa sighed.  
  
“Okay, okay, okay, so you might have a point – but I’m okay with our contract, as it is. Why should I change anything, anyway?”  
  
“You being happier means Levi being happier.”  
  
“Well… right. Okay.”  
  
“Take your time.” Mikasa pushed the cart and they eventually came across the meat section of the grocery store. “Hm.”  
  
Eren looked as well. “What are you going to make?”  
  
“Annie wanted ground… beef? Pork?” Mikasa shrugged. “I can’t remember… Chicken?”  
  
“Wanna text her?”  
  
“Whatever’s cheaper.”  
  
Eren eyed the different cuts and whatnot and then pointed to one. “Ground turkey breast is on special.”  
  
“Turkey?”  
  
“Cheaper than lean beef, too.”  
  
“Huh.” Mikasa stared at it for a while. “Might as well… if the price is this good, waste if we don’t.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
They went through the produce aisle, putting things in as they passed them.  
  
Eren passed the boxes of strawberries and whined. “Now I want Levi…”  
  
Mikasa rolled her eyes. “I never liked strawberries.”  
  
Eren froze. “What?”  
  
“I don’t like strawberries…”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“I don’t know.” Mikasa shrugged. “They’re not that sweet, and kind of weird.”  
  
“But, everyone loves strawberries.”  
  
“Some people don’t.”  
  
“Shut up, Phoenix bitch, eat some strawberries.”  
  
Mikasa rolled her eyes and kept walking, small smile on her lips. “You got along well with Armin.”  
  
“Huh?” Eren looked at her, trying to figure out what she wanted. “Yeah.”  
  
“I’m… surprised, I guess.”  
  
“Hm, you mentioned this before.”  
  
“Did I?”  
  
“We had this talk.”  
  
Mikasa nodded. “That’s right. You care about him too, not just Levi?”  
  
“I care about both of ‘em.”  
  
“Which one… more?”  
  
Eren frowned. “It’s not a contest. It’s not like I like one of them more; I like them in different ways, you know? Levi’s… my Dom. He gives me, I’m not sure if it’s affection, but he gives me that structure, that presence, that… whatever it is, that fills my craving. He does give me affection too, in a way that like, legit, no one else can. He gives me the power dynamic I want, the life I want, and he does it… so fucking well. It’s scary. And he cares for me, so much…”  
  
Mikasa grabbed a bunch of bananas, listening.  
  
“But I also kind of get nervous around him, because I want what’s best for him, you know? I just, I want to… It’s like… Well, okay, let’s put it this way: He makes me feel so happy, and just so… warm, I guess, and just, just, I want him to feel that way too, because that’s how he makes me feel, right? It feels good. I want him to have that warmth, that comfort.”  
  
Mikasa grabbed several celery stalks.  
  
“Armin’s… the other half though.”  
  
Mikasa reached for the carrots, but paused. “Other, half?”  
  
“It’s kind of a performance, in some ways, for my Dom. I mean, I’m not playing another person. I’m me. But I’m always doing my best, for him. I can’t… I can’t be the best me twenty-four seven, though. So that’s where Armin comes in. We’re like a team. We take care of Levi together, and it’s like that comfort of having someone you can lean on and… Ah, sorry.”  
  
Mikasa paused.  
  
“I’m rambling, forget it.”  
  
“Keep going.”  
  
Eren blinked at her.  
  
Mikasa nodded. “Keep going.”  
  
“Well… okay, I guess. It’s just, Armin’s there whenever I can’t be the best. And he’s also there when Levi’s unsure about things between us. Armin’s almost, a medium to…” Eren paused, eyes widening. “Bring us… closer together.”  
  
Mikasa frowned, tilting her head.  
  
“Holy shit!” Eren put his hands in his hair. “Holy shit!”  
  
Mikasa glanced around. “Kids nearby…”  
  
“Holy spit! Blessed Saliva!” Eren grinned. “I think I just… figured it out!”  
  
“I can’t read your mind, Eren.”  
  
“Well… Okay, there was a time I was worried, because, because it was like… it felt like Levi and Armin became closer. And I had this thought that if they were closer, then they wouldn’t need me anymore. But that’s not it at all, Mika. Well, it is, but it isn’t!”  
  
Mikasa moved some hair out of her eyes. “English, Eren. English.”  
  
“Okay.” Eren put his hands together. “I brought Levi and Armin closer together, and in that same way Armin brought Levi and Eren closer together! And Levi obviously brought Eren and Armin closer together!”  
  
“Why… are you not using first person?”  
  
“I don’t know!” Eren bounced once. “It’s just, I get it. If I leave, then… So, I think, I think this, this is what Levi wants!”  
  
Mikasa closed her eyes. “I’m not following.”  


⁂

  
  
Mikasa never did follow, but she also didn’t bother. The two of them made their way back home. Eren ended up lying down on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a conflicted, complicated smile on his lips. It wasn’t until he heard the sound of running water, followed by chopping… Eren sat up and looked over to see Annie with a knife and a cutting board. What she was cutting, he couldn’t see, so he got up and walked around the island counter. “Want help?”  
  
Annie looked at him, turning pale.  
  
“I can cook! I promise.”  
  
Annie took a deep breath. “Okay…”  
  
Mikasa, who was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop, glanced at them. “Annie.”  
  
“Shush!” Eren pouted at her.  
  
Mikasa stared for a long second before shrugging. “Okay.”  
  
Annie grabbed another half of an onion and began chopping. “Just making a late lunch. Pot stickers.”  
  
“What are you sticking to a pot?”  
  
Annie looked at him.  
  
Mikasa sighed. “Don’t let him cook…”  
  
Annie swallowed hard. “Dumplings.”  
  
“Oh, then just say that.” Eren looked around. “Are we going to use the turkey?”  
  
“Yeah…” Annie eyed the pink butcher wrapper. “Might be a bit dry, though. Turkey doesn’t have much fat, not the breast anyway.”  
  
“Hmmm, maybe we could shred cheese into it?”  
  
Mikasa looked up again. “Cheese dumplings?”  
  
Annie glanced at her. “Doesn’t sound too bad.”  
  
Mikasa shrugged again.  
  
Eren turned to the fridge. “Well, turkey’s dry, so adding some cheese can help with that.” He looked around and grabbed something. “White cheddar? Want me to grate it?”  
  
“Go for it. Sounds weird, but doesn’t sound bad.”  
  
Eren washed his hands quickly, then unwrapped the white cheddar. He grabbed the grater and got to work.  
  
Annie finished the onions, and then added them to a bowl. She grabbed the garlic and crushed them with the flat of the knife, before peeling the shell. “Ugh.”  
  
Eren looked over to see the garlic sticking to her hand. “You should wash your fingers and the knife under cold water, then start chopping. It’s more cooperative that way.”  
  
Annie raised an eyebrow, impressed.  
  
Mikasa’s opinion, however, stayed stable.  
  
Annie eventually added the garlic and Eren added the cheese to the bowl. Annie then added the ground turkey and mixed it with her hands. Eren squirmed, but didn’t say much. Annie then got to work of wrapping the pot stickers in the little wonton wrappers. “Could you get a pan started?”  
  
Eren opened the cupboard beneath the stove and grabbed a wide pan. “Just some oil and heat it up?”  
  
“Mhm, not too hot.”  
  
“Okidoke.” He added some olive oil and turned the knob of the electric stove, suddenly missing the humming sound of the blue jet burner in Armin’s kitchen.  


⁂

  
  
They cooked them in two batches, and eventually Mikasa set the table for the three of them. They came out… pretty good. It was a little weird with the sauce, but not bad. Eren realised Armin was getting to him when he said he didn’t need sauce. Eventually, Eren went back to his room and pulled out his laptop which he barely used. He opened it up and went online, eventually checking social networking sites.  
  
He noticed Marco sent him a friend request.  
  
Marco Bott, “More like Marco Bottom,” Eren muttered, hitting accept. “He has a cute butt.”  
  
Krista also sent him a friend request, and he accepted that too, taking one look at her name and deciding it was too long.  
  
He eventually found Jean again and decided why the fuck not, and sent a friend request. He clicked Jean’s profile picture, which was him all suited up with a sexy smile. Eren rubbed his tongue against the roof of his mouth… Okay, so maybe he was having some kind of thoughts. They weren’t bad thoughts! Though he did admit, the thought of Jean holding him down, pinning him against a wall… He could just hear Jean whisper something that would annoy the hell out of him, and Eren would playfully fight back.  
  
What if Levi made him sub for Jean?  
  
Would Jean be gentle, teasing? Or rough?  
  
He felt a chill dance up his spine and he sat straight. While it wasn’t straight thoughts that got him hard, his dick wanted to jump straight up. Thank Lana Del Rey for pants.  
  
He went through a couple of Jean’s pictures, eventually coming to a picture of Jean and Armin together.  
  
“Army,” he whispered. He clicked Armin’s profile and then blinked. The profile picture had been changed. “That’s me!” He grinned, realising it was the picture of Eren with his arm around Armin from last night. He clicked the image, noticing Levi had commented on the pic, saying ‘Perfect’.  
  
“Aha.” Eren felt his cheeks warm. He clicked like on the picture and then like on the comment. They weren’t supposed to talk, but he figured a like was okay. He clicked Levi’s profile, and saw it was a different photo of him being grumpy. “Does he know being grumpy kinda makes him cute?”  
  
Levi would have killed him for that.  
  
Eren sighed and then decided he had enough. It just made the little hole in his chest widen. He closed his laptop and put it on the bedside table. He threw himself back on his bed and sighed, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
“I miss them,” he whispered. “Ugh! I miss them!”  
  
Eren reached for his stuffie, but realised his dolphin wasn’t there. He whined and hugged a pillow instead. He rolled over, expecting more bed, but he smacked his face against the wall. He whined more and rolled over the other way.  
  
He fell off the bed.  
  
Eren whined.  


⁂

  
  
“Eren, let’s go.”  
  
“Don’t wanna…”  
  
“Get out of your burrito.”  
  
He whined.  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“Go away.”  
  
Mikasa shoved his side. “This blueberry says no.”  
  
Eren burst into a giggle fit.  
  
Mikasa’s lips quipped into a smile. “Come on.” She grabbed the blanket and pulled up, unravelling him. “Lets go.”  
  
Eren sat up, pouting. “Where?”  
  
“I don’t know, but it’s ten and you’ve been in bed for most of the day. We haven’t had dinner, so let’s find something.”  
  
Eren sighed. “Fine, I guess.”  
  
Mikasa nodded and turned away.  
  
Eren threw his legs over and got up. He walked to the living room and pouted some more.  
  
Annie glanced at him. “Morning, sleeping beauty.”  
  
“Sleeping burrito,” Eren corrected.  
  
Annie snorted. “Wow.” She turned to Mikasa. “He’s taking this hard, huh?”  
  
“No…” Eren whined. “I’m just, I miss them.”  
  
Mikasa looked at Annie.  
  
Annie sighed. “Eren, come on. Let’s get your mind off of it.”  


⁂

  
  
Ten-thirty at night, downtown was a lot colder than Eren thought it would be. He was glad Annie convinced him to add another layer. Wasn’t it still spring? Going into summer? Why were the nights cold? Why? Who did this? They kept walking and Eren eventually sighed, looking around the empty street. “So where are we even going?”  
  
“Good burger place down the road,” Annie offered. “Well that’s where the restaurants are, anyway.”  
  
“Calories,” Mikasa muttered.  
  
Annie sighed.  
  
Eren laughed.  
  
And Annie laughed too.  
  
Mikasa blinked. “What?”  
  
“Nothing,” Annie replied.  
  
“Hmph.” Mikasa rolled her eyes.  
  
It was only then they heard footsteps, heavy breathing.  
  
They didn’t have the time to look behind them before a man charged through the tiny space between Annie and Eren, almost throwing them aside by sheer force.  
  
“Hey!” Eren shouted. “Watch it!”  
  
“He’s…” Mikasa noticed the running man had a purse. She was getting ready to charge, but—  
  
“Get back here!” A blonde blur zoomed past them and jumped, tackling the larger man to the floor. She screamed as she yanked her purse back, punching his back and then getting up and kicking his side.  
  
“Jesus!” Eren threw his hands up. “I mean, Lana!”  
  
“Well…” Annie stared. “That’s downtown.”  
  
“Serves you right!” the woman yelled between kicks. “You think the small girls are easy targets huh? Fuck you! I’ll fuck you up!” With one last, final, kick. She stopped, breathing heavy. She moved her long blonde hair out of her face and turned around. And it was only then, when she was staring face to face with the three of them, did she smile. “Oh… hey.”  
  
Mikasa didn’t even blinked. “Hello Historia.”  
  
Krista grinned. “Mikasa!”  
  
Eren blinked. “Krista?” He noticed a few black highlights in her hair, but it was the same girl.  
  
More footsteps came, followed by two other people breathing heavy.  
  
“So,” Marco wheezed, “Out of shape…”  
  
“Holy…” Jean put his hands on his knees, barely keeping himself from falling over. “Fuck… She can run!”  
  
“Heels!” Marco took a deep breath. “And she’s!” Another breath. “Wearing heels…”  
  
Krista scratched the back of her head. “H-Hey…”  
  
Jean looked up. “Mika? What?”  
  
Marco blinked. “Hi!”  
  
Eren smiled. “Hey…”  
  
Marco took another deep breath and he seemed better. “We were, just going to get, something to eat.”  
  
Mikasa nodded. “Us too.”  
  
Krista grinned. “I heard the new bar finally opened, the one on fourth street? Apparently it’s nice, and not too loud.”  
  
Annie tilted her head. “We should all go together, then.”  
  
Eren smiled. “Yeah.”  
  
Marco grinned.  
  
“Fine by me,” Jean said with a laugh.  
  
The man who had stole Krista’s purse ended up getting up; he tried running away, but it was a pathetic limp.  
  
Krista sneered at him. “I think he learned his lesson.”  
  
“Geez.” Eren scratched his nose. “We’re not like, intruding or anything are we?”  
  
“No way!” Krista smiled sweetly, perfect little angel. “Ymir told Marco to get me out and stop worrying all over her. I was going to get third wheeled all night anyway, so more the merrier!”  


⁂

  
  
Their orders were put in. They sat at a large, circular table on the upper part of the restaurant. Soft guitar played at a volume that they could comfortably hear each other. Marco leaned on Jean a little, Krista rolled her eyes, Eren laughed, Annie smile, while Mikasa didn’t really react.  
  
“So, Eren.” Jean eyed him. “I heard Levi’s actually considering a second contract with you?”  
  
“Well, yeah, I would hope so.” Eren scratched his nose. “Would be kinda sad if I was the only one…”  
  
Marco made a little ‘awwww’ noise. “Don’t mind Jean, he’s just jealous.”  
  
Jean gasped. “Am not!”  
  
Marco kissed his cheek.  
  
Jean dove and bit his neck.  
  
Marco’s breath hitched and a spiral of pleasure coiled down to his crotch.  
  
Krista smirked. “That was a sexy noise.”  
  
“Mhm.” Eren chuckled.  
  
Marco blushed and looked away. “Aha, well, uh, yeah…”  
  
“Marco here.” Jean ruffled his hair, then hooked his arm around Marco’s neck, pulling him close. “He’s an unruly sub, loves fighting back… But I know how to get him hush hush again.”  
  
“Good.” Mikasa’s lips curved into a smile. “It’s nice to get control back from the unruly ones.”  
  
Annie snickered, eyeing her girlfriend sidelong.  
  
Mikasa met her Annie’s glance with her own.  
  
“Well.” Krista looked at Eren. “Welcome to third wheel corner.”  
  
Eren laughed again. “It’s not too bad.”  
  
Marco cleared his throat, then leaned forward. “Eren, tell us, what are your thoughts on Levi and Armin?”  
  
Mikasa sighed.  
  
Marco blinked.  
  
Annie shook her head. “We brought Eren out to get his mind off of it… he looked so fucking, miserable.”  
  
“Hnnn.” Eren frowned at her. “I’m not miserable… I just like, keep finding myself wanting to hug Armin from behind, or to just kiss Levi’s cheek, you know?”  
  
Marco’s eyes widened.  
  
Jean frowned.  
  
Annie blinked.  
  
Mikasa swallowed hard.  
  
Krista inched away from him. “You…”  
  
Eren looked around. “What?”  
  
“You…” Krista took a shallow breath. “You kissed Levi’s cheek and lived? No. He’ll kill you.”  
  
Eren tilted his head. “Uhhh, I smooch his cheek all the time.”  
  
“Smooch,” Jean repeated. “You smooch his cheek?”  
  
Marco’s eyebrows knit together. “Do you still have your balls?”  
  
“Yeah, I have my balls…”  
  
Marco smiled. “Might have to prove it to me sometime.” After a small silence, Marco shrunk. “Sorry.”  
  
Jean whispered something that made Marco blush, and Marco retaliated with a bite to Jean’s shoulder, which devolved (or evolved) into them making out.  
  
Annie glanced back to Eren. “I’m… surprised, you know. Levi. Being so…. affectionate with you.”  
  
“Be careful,” Mikasa spoke and the heaviness wasn’t lost on anyone. “I just… I think if, you’re going to open yourself up to him…” She shook her head. “Just don’t get hurt, alright?”  
  
Eren cocked his head. “From Levi?”  
  
“Mika,” Jean said (which earned him a glare from Eren), “There’s nothing to worry about. It’s Levi we’re talking about. Of all people you could trust, Levi’s like number one, right?”  
  
Mikasa shrugged.  
  
Marco smiled. “Besides Krista, and you, we’ve all been a sub on contract with him.”  
  
Annie smiled. “He does get around…”  
  
“And…” Mikasa looked up. “I’m glad he does. He does put the safety element first in this community. “  
  
“Mhm.” Jean rubbed his shoulder. “And you’re the one who pointed out, to me, the way he watches the munches… like a fucking hawk.”  
  
“Always watching for signs of unruly subs,” Annie clarified, “Or dangerous Doms.”  
  
Mikasa nodded.  
  
Krista sighed. “I’ve never been to a munch.”  
  
“Hey!” Eren smiled. “Me neither.”  
  
“Well, next one! Both of us will go!”  
  
“Sure!”  
  
“And then!” Krista’s eyes lit up. “You can meet Ymir!”  
  
“Ha!” Jean shouted, startling Marco next to him. “So I’m not the last person to meet Eren… again. Whatever.”  
  
Eren paid him no mind. “I heard Ymir’s… kinda scary? Well, I heard she’s just really… territorial.”  
  
Krista tried to find a way to reply, but muttered some nonsense or another.  
  
“It’s the truth.” Jean sighed. “One time, just once… I called Krista cute, once. Just once. And Ymir threw me down the stairs. An entire flight of fucking stairs.”  
  
“Oh come on.” Marco put his hand on Jean’s wrist. “It was only like… eight or nine steps.”  
  
“Marco…” Jean whined. “Stop defending her!”  
  
Marco shook his head. “Chicks before dicks, and she’s my bestie.”  
  
“But Marco I’m your Dom _and_ your boyfriend!”  
  
“Boys come and go, but Kindergarden best friends are forever.”  
  
Mikasa smiled at that, but said nothing.  
  
Annie turned to Krista. “How is Ymir anyway?”  
  
“She’s okay,” she replied. “She’ll get better, so I’m not too worried about her. She wants to get back to work before the weekend… and I do kind of wish she would just sit and rest, but, you know, her wanting to get better is kind of helping her recover. It’s like a short-term goal to get that stubborn bitch to eat her veggies.”  
  
“Well, that’s Ymir.” Annie smiled. “She pretends not to care, but the mall is going to be busy this weekend… and I’m guessing she doesn’t want to leave Mina alone.”  
  
The waitress stopped by and put down their drinks.  
  
All except Annie and Jean who ordered a dark guinness, they all ordered the local specialty, the pale honey lagers. Eren brought the fizzy drink to his lips and sipped the beer. Wasn’t his favourite, but whatever. He put it down again. “Mina’s… the one who works at the tea place, right?”  
  
“Mhm!” Krista nodded. “I’ve known her for a while now, back when she worked at this shitty little bar.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Mhm, I used to go bar singing actually! But… I haven’t done that in a while, just not that inspired, and now Mina’s not there either so. I don’t know. The bar’s kinda turning into a wreck… couple of the bandmates I used to play with talked to me though, trying to find somewhere with more… life.”  
  
“Shame, you’re a good singer.” Annie raised an eyebrow. “What about here?”  
  
Krista blinked, looking around. “Maybe! Not sure they’ll let us just drop in, though.”  
  
“New place,” Jean pointed out. “Happy to have anything, at least for a little while.”  
  
Krista laughed. “Well, no harm in asking!”  
  
“You should.” Mikasa looked at her. “You’re beautiful when you sing.”  
  
Krista paused for half a second before she chuckled, cheeks warming to a pink.  
  
Mikasa smiled and turned her head, muttering something to Annie.  
  
Annie muttered something back.  
  
Jean eyed them. “The quiet duo.”  
  
Annie casually raised her middle finger.  
  
Marco laughed and nudged his boyfriend. “Shut down.”  
  
“Eh.” Jean scowled. “Don’t rub it in.”  
  
“But my job is to,” Marco purred, “Rub you in.”  
  
Krista huffed. “See? Quiet duo over there, and flirting like they just met over here.”  
  
Eren snorted. “So, how long have you two been together?”  
  
“Uhhh.” Jean thought about it. “We’ve been together, seven? Seven? Eight? Eight months?”  
  
“Uhh, something like that.” Marco smiled.  
  
“Wow.” Eren blinked. “You guys are actually serious.”  
  
Marco looked at Jean and kissed his cheek. “I wuv him.”  
  
Jean smiled. “I wuv you too!”  
  
“No.” Marco shook his head. “It’s only cute when I do it.’  
  
Jean’s face dropped. “Wh-What?”  
  
“I wuv you,” Marco repeated. “Now. You have to say ‘I love you’.”  
  
“I love you.”  
  
“I love you too!” Marco punctuated it with a kiss.  
  
Krista glanced to Eren. “It’s cute at first, but it gets gross exponentially.”  
  
Annie snorted.  
  
Mikasa sipped her beer, hiding her smile behind the glass.  
  
Marco held back the urge to stick his tongue out as he turned to Annie. “You guys have the next four months off, right?”  
  
Mikasa nodded. “Working full-time instead of part-time, but it’s a quiet job. I don’t mind it.”  
  
Marco smiled. “We might drop by then, keep you company, or…”  
  
“Or.” Jean smirked. “Get me a new toy for Marco here.”  
  
Marco laughed and kissed his cheek.  
  
Krista shook her head. “See, Jean is cool and Marco’s cute, but together they’re glued to each other like one person… and it freaks me out.”  
  
Eren snickered. “But it’s nice to see him unwind, though.”  
  
“Huh?” Jean blinked. “Me? You know I can hear you, Jaeger.”  
  
Eren meeped.  
  
Jean thought about it. “Me… unwind?”  
  
Mikasa nodded. “You used to have a stick up your ass.”  
  
“And not the good kind,” Eren added (because someone had to).  
  
“Hm… yeah, whatever, Jaeger. People change. Whatever. So I was kind of a dick in high school, we’re passed that now.”  
  
“I’m curious now.” Annie’s eyes had a glint of mischievous light. “Tell me about Jean’s school days.”  
  
Jean’s spine snapped straight. “No!”  
  
Marco’s eyes also lit up. “Please, please? Please?”  
  
Mikasa actually laughed. “Neither of you would have liked Jean in high school…”  
  
“Well…” Eren shrugged. “No one did.”  
  
“Not true! Mika did!”  
  
Mikasa looked down at her beer. “Because I knew you were being an asshole as a show.”  
  
Jean sighed. “Whatever!”  
  
Annie laughed. “It’s alright… you guys probably wouldn’t have liked me then, either. People change.”  
  
Marco blinked. “Ymir says I haven’t changed.”  
  
“You’ve always been an angel?” Eren asked. When Marco gave him a little devil’s wink, Eren laughed. “Well, I think I’m mostly the same.”  
  
Mikasa didn’t comment, neither did Jean.  
  
Krista ran a hand through her hair. “I’m the same too? Well, I don’t know. People change, we grow older, move on. We’re just in a different part of our life now.”  
  
“I like this part,” Annie admitted. “Though I do miss Montreal. It’s a real city, not this shit.”  
  
Mikasa smiled.  
  
Jean shrugged. “Well the three of us came from the fucking boonies.” And it wasn’t that much of a stretch, either. “So this is a city to me.”  
  
“Yeah.” Krista laughed. “No.”  
  
Eren blinked. “No?”  
  
Krista shook her head. “New York is a city of all cities, Montreal’s also a rich city – not as many people, but culture! There’s London, Prague – those are cities. This is, well… you know, the sort of halfway point between a city and a village?”  
  
Annie nodded. “It’s a slow life, with all the city’s traffic.”  
  
“Yes!” Krista smiled.  
  
Marco sighed. “I gotta agree with them there… But there is honestly something nice about calling this place home, you know? When I was in Paris, just a couple months back… I don’t know. I guess you never think the Canadian stereotypes are real until you leave home, and then you realise wow yeah. It’s really nice here. We’re nice… well, not nice…”  
  
“Passive aggressive,” Mikasa offered. “We’re not really polite, we’re just… kind of passive aggressive, aren’t we?”  
  
Annie snorted, nodding.  
  
“Hm.” Jean’s eyes twitched. “Passive aggressive? Not sure that’s the best way to put it.”  
  
“I kinda get what you mean,” Eren went on. “People say we’re nice—we’re not nice. We’re just polite. We’re not going to call you out on your shit, but sure as hell we’re thinking that you’re a fucking idiot.”  
  
“Okay, yeah…” Krista giggled. “That part is true, but we do say all that sorry and thank you stuff, at least on this coast.”  
  
Jean rubbed the back of his head, frowning. “Isn’t that just kind of… like, learned behaviour shit? It just kinda spills out of my mouth.”  
  
“Well…” Marco crossed his legs under the table. “It is automatic, but I wouldn’t especially say it’s… empty.”  
  
Annie snorted, and then burst out laughing. Everyone stared at her. “Sorry,” she said in a laugh. “I just…” Her smile was shining. “It’s kind of random, but I just remembered when I first moved here, from East coast to West coast, from Quebec to here. I was buying groceries, and the lady asked me if I had any plans for the weekend, simple small talk… but I just stared at her and asked, ‘Why do you want to know?’, like do I know you? And she just _stared_ at me like I slaughtered a bus full of children…”  
  
Eren put a hand over his face.  
  
“She just… she just smiled and, I don’t know. I still had my French accent, so I apologised and said I was new and left and never went back.”  
  
Jean threw his head back laughing. “You fucking would.”  
  
Annie shook her head. “Didn’t help I had like… eight piercings in at the time? I was just, scared. Like don’t ask me that. I don’t know. Was just, weird.”  
  
Jean scratched his cheek. “So is it true what they say about Montreal? Full of French Canadian dickwads?”  
  
“Not really… no.” Annie shook her head. “It’s just a different culture, different way of doing things, even from the rest of Quebec. But they’re not rude, by their standards.”  
  
Eren perked up. “So, what if you’re like me and you don’t know French? How lost will you be?”  
  
“You’ll be fine,” Krista answered. “They’re not going to let you suffer.”  
  
Annie nodded. “If you’re struggling to speak French, they’ll switch to English for you. I mean, most of the population is bilingual… not enough to write essays or whatever, but they get by, they can hold a conversation in both languages… Although, it kind of fucking horrified me when I first moved there. I was so used to France-French that… just, I could recognise the words, but I still had no idea what they were saying.”  
  
“But.” Krista tilted her head. “That’s the _liaisons,_ right?”  
  
Annie blinked. “Is that what it is?”  
  
Krista nodded. “Yep!”  
  
“Uh.” Marco leaned forward. “The only real thing I know how to say in French is ‘cheese omelette’, and that’s it… So what’s a lee-ayy-zohnn?”  
  
“In French,” Annie explained, “You generally connect the sound of the last letter to the next one, if it’s a vowel. That’s why people say it sounds so… flow-ey and romantic, I guess.”  
  
“Ohh.” Eren nodded twice. “Is that why it sounds like crap in classrooms? ‘Cause we don’t do that?”  
  
“Exactly!” Krista smiled. “But, in Quebec – my mom has relatives there, so we go pretty often – with the population being English and French, they kind of cut that flowiness, so if you’re shit at French you can understand it better. It’s not really a conscious thing, but people just do it.”  
  
Annie sipped her beer and then put the glass down, wondering where the fuck the food was. “There’s also a lot of English words sort of… made French? And same with French words made English. It’s… actually unique that way. That’s why I was really fascinated when I came to Canada.”  
  
Marco tilted his head. “When did you move?”  
  
“I was six. My family and a friend’s family both moved, and for the first week in school… I just remember being so confused. Reiner and I would sit in the back of the class and try to translate their French to our French, even if we were using the exact same words. It took us a while, but we eventually got it. When I talk to my family in Paris over the phone, though, I try to make myself sound… extra-French, and.” She paused, eyeing the two waiters bringing their food.  
  
“Sorry for the wait,” the waitress said with a smile.  
  
Eren’s tummy grumbled as a burger and fries were placed in front of him.  
  
And they began eating.  
  
A minute passed, then another, then five, and ten.  
  
Krista smiled as she sipped her beer. “It’s quiet; that’s usually a sign that the food’s good!”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren said with a smile. “Worth the wait. Plus, we’re like six people or whatever so…”  
  
The conversation died off, and the quiet returned as they kept eating.  
  
“Tsk.” Annie scowled. “Don’t steal my fries.”  
  
Mikasa snatched another, lowering her voice to a silent whisper, “Fight me.”  
  
Marco realised he wasn’t going to finish his fries so he put some on Jean’s plate.  
  
Jean smirked. “I wuv you.”  
  
Marco paled. “Only cute when I do it…”  
  
“Oh fuck you, you’re just doing it to piss me off, aren’t ya’?”  
  
Marco fucking beamed, smile from ear to ear. “I do love you angry in bed…”  
  
“Third wheel corner,” Eren muttered as he shoved a fry in his mouth.  
  
Krista snorted. “At least we have each other.”  
  
Eren nodded. “No idea what I’m going to do for the next two nights, though.”  
  
Annie frowned. “We’re fighting over fries. We’re not as bad as Marco and—Mikasa!”  
  
Mikasa shoved another fry in her mouth.  
  
Annie huffed. “She doesn’t even like fries!”  
  
Mikasa swallowed and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I have a childish sense of humour. Sorry.”  
  
Annie sighed. “Bitch.”  
  
Mikasa smiled. “Cunt.”  
  
Krista grinned. “Hot.”  
  
Jean licked his lips. “Yeah.”  
  
“Well.” Marco sipped his beer. “I’m just going to sit in the ‘I’m gay’ corner.”  
  
“Yeah?” Eren rolled his eyes. “At least you’re not in the ‘that’s my sister’ corner.”  
  
Krista snickered, Marco snorted, and Jean laughed. Annie smiled, and Mikasa pretended she didn’t find it funny.  
  
By the end of the night, Mikasa asked for the bill.  
  
The waitress blinked. “It’s already been paid.”  
  
Krista frowned. “By who?”  
  
“Oh fudge buckets.” Marco patted Jean’s shoulder. “How unfortunate, but let’s go.”  
  
Annie scowled. “Oy, don’t pay for us.”  
  
Marco shrugged. “My treat, and it’s already done.”  
  
Eren pouted. “Marco…”  
  
“Nuh uh, you two are unemployed,” he said as he pointed at Krista and Eren. “And these two are paying tuition, while I’m a frickin’ international fashion designer, don’t fight me on this.”  
  
“Hm.” Krista crossed her legs and arms. “Fine, but I owe you one.”  
  
“Actually that makes us even.”  
  
“Oh, right. Fine.”  
  
Eren smiled. “Well, we owe you one.”  
  
Marco smiled. “You could give me another kiss…”  
  
Jean slammed his hands on the table. “Marco!”  
  
Marco sighed. “No fun.”  
  
Jean’s eyes narrowed. “I’m gonna have to keep a collar on you, you know?”  
  
“Oh really?” Marco licked his upper teeth.  
  
“How about,” Eren cleared his throat to get their attention. “I can cook dinner for you guys sometime.”  
  
Jean paled. “Uh…”  
  
Marco perked up. “Sure.”  
  
Mikasa swallowed hard.  
  
Annie rubbed her arm. “He was okay during lunch, but… dinner?”  
  
“What?” Eren pouted. “I’m a good cook.”  
  
“Well.” Krista smiled. “I’m in, and you owe me one too, Eren.”  
  
“Huh?” Eren blinked. “I do?”  
  
“When I tried to get Armin to go for a run with me, and you had your little… Captain Burrito Picard moment, you said you owe me one, so making me dinner cancels that out.”  
  
“Oh, right.” Eren grinned. “Tomorrow?” He glanced at Annie and Mikasa. “Cool with you guys?”  
  
Annie nodded. “Not working.”  
  
“I am, during the day.” Mikasa moved some hair out of her eyes. “I’ll be home by the afternoon, though. Fine by me.”  
  
Annie looked at Jean and Marco. “Come by whenever… Another things about these fucking Canadians: They don’t fucking lock their front door.”  
  
“Well…” Mikasa shrugged. “We don’t need to.”  
  
“Yes you do,” Annie said in a voice that said they had had this conversation many times before. “You need to lock the front door so only someone with the house keys can come in.”  
  
Mikasa paused. “Do I even have my house keys on me?” She patted her pockets.  
  
Eren didn’t bother. “I don’t.”  
  
Annie growled. “So where are they?”  
  
“I don’t know?” Eren shrugged. “At home, probably. See – that’s why they’re house keys. Because they’re in the house!”  
  
“I can’t fucking…” Annie sighed. “Canadians.”  
  
Mikasa frowned. “You’re a Canadian citizen.”  
  
“Dual citizenship,” Annie added.  
  
“You moved here when you were six.”  
  
“Dual citizenship.”  
  
Jean snickered. “Well, alright… I guess we’ll bring like a salad or something as a worst-case scenario.”  
  
Krista perked up. “Can you make your mom’s potato salad?”  
  
Marco smiled. “Sure.”  
  
Jean frowned. “Don’t leave halfway through making it because you get more fashion ideas!”  
  
“Aha!” Marco scratched his cheek, wincing. “I don’t know… just, potato salad, it’s just… inspiring, I don’t know!”  


⁂

  
  
“You sure you want to cook dinner? Not order a take-away? Or, something?”  
  
“Annie, I’m cooking.” Eren huffed as he opened the door to their apartment, which happened to be unlocked. He stepped in and ran a hand through his hair. “I can cook, you know?”  
  
Mikasa forced a smile. “Alright…”  
  
Annie’s lips pursed together.  
  
Mikasa nudged her shoulder. “If it goes bad, we’ll order take-out.”  
  
“Fine,” Annie sighed. “Wanna watch a movie?”  
  
Eren turned around and rubbed his neck. “Sure.”  
  
Annie nodded. “Comedy?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren nodded as well. “Not in the mood to cry over romance movies.”  
  
Mikasa rolled her eyes as Annie moved to set it up.  
  
Eren smiled as he moved to get some popcorn. He opened one cupboard, then paused. “Where are the bowls?”  
  
“Moved them,” Mikasa muttered, “To the left.”  
  
“To the left, to the left,” Eren sang as he closed the cupboard and opened the other one, “All the bowls were moved to the left.” He grabbed the large red one and put it down. He then opened the pantry and grabbed a packet of microwaveable popcorn. He wondered, would Armin microwave? Or maybe he would make his own. Levi, after all, would be fussy. Levi, after all, probably wouldn’t tell the difference, though.  
  
Eren tore the plastic wrap and threw it in the microwave. He didn’t press the popcorn button because that scared him, so instead he manually entered the time and let it go.  
  
Pop.  
  
Pop.  
  
The Popcorn King demanded the kernels to pop.  
  
“We shall not pop for you,” replied Prince Kernel. “We will pop…” He looked at Eren. “For him.”  
  
The microwave beeped.  
  
Eren opened it and tentatively grabbed the steaming bag. He put it on the counter quick and transferred it to a bowl. He moved to the couch where Annie had set up the movie and sat next to Mikasa. She always sat in the middle. It was the middle seat. The popcorn seat. Only reason Mikasa actually watched movies.  
  
They watched the movie. It was boring. Annie fell asleep. Mikasa did too eventually. Halfway through the movie, Eren just got up and turned it off. He put both of them to bed and then waddled his tummy full of popcorn (including Prince Kernel) to his own bed. For the third time that day, he reached for his stuffed animal, and…  
  
Eren grabbed a pillow instead, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
He was supposed to review the contract and think about things to change.  
  
“What would I change?” he asked himself. “Hm.” He closed his eyes. “Nothing.”  
  
No.  
  
Eren opened his eyes.  
  
There was one thing…


	35. The Fifth Week (2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see~ but in the words of the twenty-first century American poet Kelly Brianne Clarkson, heRE I AM, ONCE AGAIN, TOOOORN INTO PIECES, CAN'T DENY IT CAN'T PRETEND JUST THOUGHT YOU WERE THE ONE BROKEN UP DEEP INSIDE BUT YO--*Ahem* Anyway, yeah. Couple housekeeping thingies. I'm **doing a giveaway** so please click this link here: [CLICK ME!](http://remembrance123.tumblr.com/post/105081818965). 
> 
> Since the last chapter we broke some milestones! 350,000+ words, 55,000+ hits, 2,000+ kudos, and 3,500+ comments. Damn you guys are good. Thank you, honestly. The final stretch of any fic is always the hardest and your support has made it easier. Thank you. <3
> 
> Other than that, I figure I might as well #PromoForHomo myself here. If you guys are into Haikyuu!!, I'm going to start posting my HQ fics on my main pseud ([Remembrance](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Remembrance/pseuds/Remembrance)).
> 
> * * *

Didjya skip the authors note? Didjya? Didjya, you jerk?

 

* * *

 

 

“Eren.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Eren.”  
  
“No.”  
  
Annie walked in the room holding a steaming mug of coffee. She sipped slowly. “So… how’s he doing?”  
  
Mikasa stared. “Ask him yourself.”  
  
Annie forced a smile. “Hey buddy…”  
  
Eren snuggled deeper into his bed sheet burrito. “No.”  
  
“No?”  
  
“I…” Eren squeezed the pillow he had brought inside his burrito for cuddles. “I want my Armin…”  
  
Annie winced. “I made coffee?”  
  
“Coffee?” Eren perked up and then his eyes widened. “Armin makes coffee… I want Armin’s coffee…” He nuzzled his pillow. “I want my Armin.”  
  
“Eren,” Mikasa used her patient voice, “How about you get up and we make breakfast?”  
  
“Breakfast? Food. Armin. I want my Armin…”  
  
Annie sighed. “You’re such a little bitch.” She offered her coffee cup to Mikasa, who took it, and she walked over to the bed. She tugged the bed sheets and began to unravel the burrito. “Come on. Take a shower, you’ll feel better.”  
  
Eren whined.  
  


⁂

  
  
Eventually, somehow, he ended up saying yes. He dunked his head under the hot water, and Annie was right: He did feel better. A lot better. Smiling, he ran a hand over his arm and then closed his eyes. He heard a little purr in his ear and bit his lip. He imagined the feel of Armin’s skin, soft as silk, and Levi’s hands, firm and gentle, over him and he moved his head back. His hand moved down and for a moment he imagined it was Levi’s. He was about to let out a moan when—  
  
Three knocks slammed on the door.  
  
Eren growled and turned around. “What!?”  
  
“Hey,” Annie called out over the running water, “Don’t use up all the hot water.”  
  
Eren whined. “Fine!”  
  


⁂

  
  
When breakfast rolled around, he picked at his food. It wasn’t bad, per say. A pancake, a little burnt, two pieces of turkey bacon and some scrambled eggs. Eren mentally noted how Armin would make sure they had something from every food group, and although Eren didn’t remember that food pyramid thingy (did the Egyptians make it or something?) he was pretty sure they were missing stuff. Like fruits and veggies, and tomatoes—which were the like the non-binary genders of that food group, or something—Eren didn’t know, but Eren did know Armin didn’t like tomatoes (not because they were non-binary; they were just an asshole who so happened to be non-binary).  
  
Eren opened his mouth.  
  
“Don’t,” Annie hissed.  
  
Eren blinked. “What?”  
  
“You were about to compare me to Armin, weren’t you?”  
  
“N-No.” Eren knew neither of them believed him so he just wiggled his lips and pouted. “I was just thinking of other breakfast things Armin made me, like the best omurice ever. My weeaboo heart, man…” He sighed. “I want my Armin…”  
  
Mikasa rolled her eyes. “Think of something else.”  
  
“Okay, okay.” Eren sighed. He looked to the left and imagined the way he was called ‘Pup’, the way an arm hooked around his waist… that territorial affection. The way he nuzzled and just—Eren sighed again.  
  
Annie blinked. “What?”  
  
“I miss my Levi…”  
  
Mikasa smacked a hand over her face.  
  


⁂

  
  
After another fifteen minutes, Mikasa had left for work. She was only working half a day, four hours, so after a bit of Eren being annoying Annie couldn’t handle it. She dragged him to the grocery store and ran a hand through her blonde hair. “So, we have guest coming over tonight. What are you going to make?”  
  
“I…” Eren shrugged. “Don’t know yet.”  
  
“Oh well.” She turned a corner and then motioned forward. “This is my suggestion.”  
  
“Annie this is the frozen dinner aisle.”  
  
Annie looked at him.  
  
“No!” Eren frowned. “I wanna cook, okay? Okay, so I don’t know what I want to cook, but uh… chicken. Chicken’s sorta easy. Harder to fuck up… I think. I don’t know. I actually know how to cook chicken, and I did it before Armin…” Eren’s eyes widened. “Armin…”  
  
Annie scowled.  
  
Eren yelped. “Ch-Chicken.”  
  
“Chicken,” Annie repeated to make sure they would stay on topic. “Are you going to pan fry, boil it?”  
  
“Bake it.” Eren nodded. “Like a cake.”  
  
Annie rubbed her eyes. “Alright buddy…”  
  
  
After getting the chicken breasts from the meat section, they went to the dairy aisle to get another carton of milk. Passing things here and there, they eventually came across the fruit section.  
  
Eren’s eyes widened as he stared longingly.  
  
Annie followed his gaze.  
  
There were a stack of strawberries.  
  
Annie noticed his puppy look and she rubbed her temples. “Not every strawberry is about Levi, Eren.”  
  
“They are! Every one! Every. One.”  
  
“Then don’t look at the strawberries.” She pointed to the side. “Look at those mangoes.”  
  
Eren gasped.  
  
Annie stared. “What?”  
  
“It’s just…” Eren swallowed hard. “Armin’s allergic to mangoes.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Home again, they put everything in the fridge and a desperate Annie was trying anything to get his mind off those two. He wouldn’t last another two days like this. She asked him about the chicken cake, which Eren explained he just meant he was going to bake the chicken like a cake since you bake cakes and he was going to bake chickens, to which Annie checked her phone in hopes that her headache would disappear.  
  
“Mikasa texted me,” Annie muttered. “She said she’s getting off work sooner than she thought. She’s going to be here within the hour, and she’s bringing lunch.”  
  
“Sweet.” Eren nodded. “Food’s always good.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Mikasa brought sushi from the place near her work. As she was putting it down on the table, she eyed Annie and swallowed hard. “I have bad news. The marks for one of our classes came out.”  
  
Annie’s small smile faded and her eyes darkened into the abysses of time. “Which one?”  
  
“Four-fifteen.”  
  
Annie looked out the window and a brief moment of throwing herself through the glass occurred. She pulled out her phone and took a deep breath. “Okay.” She began typing the website for their university into the search bar.  
  
Meanwhile, Eren got small saucers for the soy sauce and put them on the table. Mikasa began opening up the boxes of sushi. Eren put down cups and the pitcher of filtered water. Amongst getting other things, Annie faced the dreads of all dreads.  
  
Then, music began to play.  
  
 _“So I put my hands up, they’re playing my song!”_  
  
Annie held her phone up.  
  
 _“And now I’m gonna be okay!”_  
  
She began swaying her hips.  
  
 _“Yeah! It’s a party in the USA!”_  
  
“Annie,” Mikasa muttered.  
  
But Annie was a force that couldn’t be stopped.  
  
 _“Yeah! It’s a party in the USA!”_  
  
Eren blinked. “What?”  
  
Annie shook her head. “God bless America.”  
  
“Annie… we’re Canadian.”  
  
“God bless America.”  
  
“Annie…”  
  
Mikasa shook her head. “Let her have her fun.”  
  
Annie eventually turned the song off. “Got a ‘B-’.”  
  
Mikasa smiled. “Same.”  
  
Eren laughed. “Grats.”  
  
“Class average was a ‘D’,” Mikasa explained. “Something like thirty percent failed? Fun.”  
  
Eren winced. “Ouch.”  
  
Annie nodded. “Let’s eat.”  
  


⁂

  
  
When the food was eaten, saucers washed and takeout boxes thrown out, the three of them ended up sitting at the kitchen table. Annie was adjusting the pins in her hair, keeping one in her mouth as she organised her blonde strands into a bun.  
  
“So.” Mikasa eyed Eren. “Have you thought of anything you want to change for the contract?”  
  
Eren nodded. “Yep.”  
  
Annie removed the pin from her mouth. “Really?” Eren didn’t give her a response and she respected that. Was none of her fucking business anyway. She managed to get her hair together in her usual unusual bun and walked around the kitchen to set the kettle.  
  
Mikasa frowned. “I’m… worried about you.”  
  
Eren blinked. “Huh?”  
  
“I don’t like the way you’re acting, Eren… You’re diving into this head first.”  
  
Eren felt a little awkward the way she stared at him from across the glass table. He got up and walked away, shrugging her off. “So?”  
  
Mikasa got up as well and slowly walked around the table. “You’ve only known them for thirty days… that’s too early to trust someone as much as you do.” She waited until her eyes met. “You’re not acting rationally, and you’re not taking care of yourself either.”  
  
“Okay.” Eren glared. He was agitated, but there was a calmness, an underlying anger beginning to boil in his blood. “You might be right, but I’m still going for it. Whether you like it or not, okay? So stay the fuck out of it.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“I said,” Eren spoke louder, “Stay the fuck out of it. Stop babying me all the damn time!”  
  
Mikasa’s frown deepened. “Don’t raise your voice.”  
  
Annie glanced over from behind the kitchen counter. “Eren,” she spoke slowly. She knew Mikasa—Mikasa didn’t always make all the social jumps of logic that everyone else did. Incredibly smart in some aspects, Mikasa had her downfalls like everyone else. “Why do you like them?”  
  
Eren blinked. “Well…” He looked to the side and a shy smile formed on his lips. “Why do I like them? Well… why don’t I like them? They’re… adorable.”  
  
Mikasa glared. “Adorable?”  
  
“Both of ‘em.” Eren laughed. “Armin is… yeah, right off the bat he’s a cutie patootie, with his cute button nose and the way he’s just… very reserved and conscious… But when you get to know him, he’s this kinky as fuck little minx… He cares, and he’s shy but he makes the effort. He wants hugs, he wants attention—he wants me and my attention. He makes me feel like… I don’t even know. It’s just really nice when someone wants to spend time with you, and looks at you like that, and he’s just the kind of person I hug a little too long and he never pulls away either and it’s just, being with him… I don’t know. He’s amazing.”  
  
Annie tilted her head. “And Levi?”  
  
“More adorable. He’s adorabler.” Eren’s smile widened. “He’s this asshole at first, but… that’s kind of his defense mechanism. He pushes people away, so often, so damn often, but I can tell he wants me too. I can tell he wants to be the best him he can be, for me. And he’s totally cute too. The way he doesn’t realise he’s being all pouty when we run out of strawberries, and he totally pretends he hates snuggling but… Aha, I don’t even know.” Eren put a hand over his chest. “They make me feel all warm, and it’s kind of like butterflies in my stomach but… I don’t mind them as much. It’s just, it’s nice. It’s really nice.”  
  
Mikasa looked away, muttering something.  
  
Eren blinked at her. “What?”  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
“Eren.” Annie’s lips tugged into a smile; not the cheeky or forced bitchy ones she usually made, but a real smile. “Are you in love with them?”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened. His cheeks went beet red. “Well…” A giggle choked its way out of his throat and he scratched the back of his head. “Um… I guess, I can’t really say no, huh?”  
  
Annie crossed her arms. “Cute.”  
  
“I just… I know it’s silly, but they make me so happy! Nothing… nothing really goes right for me, ever, and just… just… I love Armin, and I love Levi and…” His eyes widened. “Oh shit!” He put a hand to his mouth. “I said that out loud… fuck, I can’t take it back now!”  
  
Annie laughed, shaking her head. “You don’t have to.”  
  
“Yes,” Mikasa corrected, eyes stern. “Yes you do.”  
  
Eren looked at her.  
  
“You don’t think…” Mikasa took a shallow breath, eyes narrowing. Her voice practically held a sneer, venom pouring over every word. “You don’t think! That brain of yours is so… useless. Do you have any idea what you’re doing or what the consequence might be?”  
  
Eren looked left, then right, then left, then right again. “Consequences?” He finally stared at her, then a twitch of anger flicked in his hand. “Shut up. It’s just—”  
  
“You shut up,” Mikasa bit back. She took a step forward, forcing Eren to take a step back. “Every time you do this, your life ends up in utter shit. No one knows how to help you and you can’t even help yourself… You stupid! Useless! Idiot!”  
  
Annie swallowed hard. “Mikasa? Do… what?”  
  
“Yeah,” Eren muttered. “What are we talking about?”  
  
“That… that puppy love bullshit you do every God damn time… The way you get shy, and hesitant, with that damn…” Her hands began to shake and she clenched them into fists. “With that stupid smile on your face! You don’t think! Eren! Think! Honestly, do you even have a plan for the worst case scenario? What happens if Armin loves you back, but Levi doesn’t, huh? Ever thought of that!? What if Levi loves you back, but Armin doesn’t? You’re going to make one of them feel unwelcomed in their own home, that’s what! You’ll ruin what’s between them because you’re too fucking dumb to see what’s right in front of you!”  
  
Eren’s throat tightened. “N-No, I wouldn’t…”  
  
“Just shut up!” Mikasa ran a shaking hand through her hair, breathing heavily to calm herself down. “Something makes you happy so you just throw yourself a hundred percent at it! You’re so blinded by that feeling of just, bliss, and happiness that you never look around! You’re throwing yourself at the biggest heart break—two at a time—ever and you’re not even worried. I’ll spell it out for you: This tentative bliss you have shoved so far up your ass won’t hold as a reality—Eren!”  
  
His jaw turned tight, voice locking far in his windpipe.  
  
“Doms…” Mikasa breathed. “And subs… they… they don’t deal with those feelings. It’s not a natural part of the relationship… some people manage to do it but, how could you… How dare you bring that element into a relationship between three people? It’s dangerous enough as it is and just… How do you think Armin will feel if he has to choose between Levi and you? How will Levi choose between the sub that’s been with him for two years and someone he’s actually in love with?”  
  
Annie opened her mouth, but when nothing came out she closed it again.  
  
Eren just stared.  
  
Mikasa breathed through her nose and her hands relaxed. “Armin and Levi… let’s, let’s pretend they both love you back… do you know if they love each other, that way?” She tilted her head. “You’re just… you’re going in that relationship hoping for the best. Hoping for shits and miracles… You really think life’s like that? You really think, after everything we’ve been through, after everything everyone we know has been through… you think life will be nice to you this one time? You think you could have something that nice? It doesn’t matter if you fight for it. It doesn’t matter what you want. Life won’t give it to you.”  
  
Annie’s fingers twitched against the kitchen counter.  
  
Eren’s eyes dropped to the floor.  
  
Mikasa turned away, looking downwards. Her hair fell and she pushed it back over her shoulder.  
  
Eren glanced to the side. His eyes widened for a moment before he walked over. He put his hand against the window and stared down to the city streets below. The apartment was on the seventh floor, giving them plenty of view. He didn’t know how much time passed.  
  
They stood still, until Annie talked:  
  
“Maybe…” her voice frail, weak, “Maybe… we should get coffee… or something. Fresh air…”  
  
Mikasa nodded slowly. “Maybe.”  
  
“I…” Eren looked at something floating outside. “I’m going out…”  
  
Annie looked at him.  
  
Mikasa cocked her head.  
  
“Pender Street… I think.”  
  
“Pender?” Mikasa blinked. “Why Pender?”  
  
“Because…” He smiled. “I’m a blender.”  
  


⁂

  
  
It was sweater weather, oddly enough. Being at the awkward stages of spring where the weather didn’t bother making up its mind, the sun was shining but it was still cold. They made their way to the street, and then Eren realised he didn’t actually get the names right. He still considered himself a blender, though. When they walked down the streets, they were covered in pink little bits. Eren caught one as he walked, examining it in his palm before a breeze tossed it away.  
  
“They finally bloomed,” Mikasa muttered.  
  
Annie looked up. “Cherry blossoms?”  
  
Mikasa nodded.  
  
Annie sighed. “Eren, where are we going?”  
  
“Well, I know the three of us promised to go together,” Eren began, but when he turned the corner… He paused. Mikasa and Annie paused behind him about to ask him what the abrupt stop was, but they saw why. Eren’s eyes widened.  
  
Under a larger pink tree, Armin wore a black hoodie with the hood up and dark navy skinny jeans. The hoodie was covering his waist, but Eren knew he always wore those pants with a white belt. He was looking up, looking at the pink petals. His hand was open and one fell on his palm. His blue eyes widened a little and he smiled. It wasn’t for a moment before Armin seemed to feel eyes on him and glanced to the side.  
  
Eren walked over.  
  
Armin blinked once, twice. “Eren?”  
  
“Armin!” Eren ran over.  
  
Without thinking, Armin’s feet moved. He blurred the distance between them and jumped. Eren caught him in a twirl, the movement causing the petals to swirl around them. Armin wrapped his arms around Eren’s neck and squeezed tight. Eren put his arms around Armin’s waist and pulled him as close as possible. He dove his head into the crook of Armin’s neck and suddenly laughed.  
  
Armin squished his eyes shut and he laughed as well. “What’s so funny?”  
  
“You smell nice.” Eren squeezed his Armin tight. “Strawberry Splash.”  
  
Armin grinned and pulled away just enough to see Eren’s face. “Like it?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren saw those big blue eyes and his smile slowly faded. Their eye contact was held for a while before Armin pulled him down, eyes closing, lips meeting. It was short, but long enough.  
  
Armin smiled. “I missed you…”  
  
“I missed you too.”  
  
Footsteps.  
  
Eren looked up.  
  
Despite holding two steaming Styrofoam cups of coffee in his hands, Levi looked a little pale. His eyes were wide, like he’d seen a ghost.  
  
Eren wondered just how much Levi was holding back in that moment.  
  
Levi offered one of the drinks to Armin.  
  
Armin took both beverages despite the pleading look not too and took a little step back.  
  
“Um.” Levi stared at Eren. “Hello.”  
  
“Jesu—I mean, Lana.” Eren grinned. “Cute.”  
  
“Wh-What?” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “What the fuck did you call me?”  
  
“Cute!” Eren repeated in a laugh. “You’re so cute, oh my God.”  
  
“I will snap your neck, shit down your spine, and funnel this scalding coffee up your ass, Pup.”  
  
Eren couldn’t help but burst into a laugh. “S-Say that again.”  
  
Levi frowned. “Coffee up your ass?”  
  
Eren shook his head. “No, no, the other part?”  
  
Armin blinked. “Snap your neck?”  
  
Eren cupped both sides of Levi’s face and kissed him. “Pup, you idiot.”  
  
“Oh,” Levi muttered.  
  
Armin mouthed a little ‘Oh’ as well.  
  
Levi smiled, but it was a shaky smile. “Pup.”  
  
Eren couldn’t hold back—he practically tackled Levi as he hugged him, both of them rocked a bit as they had to take several steps back from the force. Eren hugged Levi tight, as tight as he could. Levi eventually gave in and buried his head into Eren’s neck. He pushed himself as close as he could be.  
  
Armin watched it with a smile.  
  
“I missed you,” Eren said as he pulled away.  
  
“It’s only been two days.”  
  
“I missed you,” he repeated.  
  
“You’re a loser, Pup.”  
  
“You know, Sir, I’ll be kinda hurt if you don’t say you missed me.”  
  
Levi’s mouth twitched; the way Eren said Sir always… “Well, I enjoyed the silence that came without your presence, that’s for sure.”  
  
Eren looked at Armin.  
  
Armin grinned. “He _so_ missed you.”  
  
Levi glared.  
  
Eren laughed and kissed Levi’s cheek.  
  
Levi’s eyes softened. “I didn’t promise, but you two did… to meet here.” He looked up. “At the cherry blossoms, like the fucking weeaboo trash shit stains you are.”  
  
“That’s us,” Eren said in a sing-song voice.  
  
Armin laughed. “It’s gorgeous.”  
  
Eren winked at Armin. “Like you.”  
  
“Sh-Shut up.” Armin thrust Levi’s drink at him.  
  
“Other one, Kitten.”  
  
“O-Oh, sorry.”  
  
Levi took his drink and looked at Eren. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“Well…” Eren remembered the two others and glanced to the side. Annie gave a wave while Mikasa just stared. In return, Armin waved back and Levi gave a nod in their general direction. Eren turned and poked Armin’s shoulder. “Oh, I had a cooking question.”  
  
Armin blinked. “You did?”  
  
“The temperature for preheating was like three-fifty, right?”  
  
“That… depends on what you’re making Eren.”  
  
  
Ways away, Annie had her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. She glanced over to Mikasa. “You look upset.”  
  
Mikasa’s face was neutral, to the untrained eye at least. Her arms crossed, her eyes held a certain distinct fire. “Does he ever listen to me?”  
  
“Maybe, but he’s got to make his own mistakes too.”  
  
Mikasa glared. “He’s my age.”  
  
“I don’t mean it like that, Mika,” Annie spoke softly. “Everyone thinks that phrase applies to kids, but… even Levi needs to make his own mistakes. In theory, anyway… There is another thought.”  
  
Mikasa eyed her. “And what’s that?”  
  
Annie looked at her and smiled. “Who says it’s a mistake?”  
  


⁂

  
  
“I am going to do the cooking.”  
  
Mikasa sighed. “Okay.”  
  
Eren paused, looking between the two of them.  
  
Annie just shrugged.  
  
No resistance? Eren blinked and moved to the oven. He preheat it to three-fifty, Fahrenheit, and grabbed the pink butcher wrapping paper. He had definitely expected more resistance. Was it because of their conversation earlier? A few hours had passed but the air had been heavy around Mikasa since Eren said his goodbyes to Armin and Levi. He managed to steal one more kiss from each, knowing that would give him the strength to make it to the last day of his contract.  
  
It was pretty close.  
  
He unwrapped the wrapping paper and heard the two girls walk away, in different direction. One went to their room, Mikasa he assumed, and the other to the television. When he heard the news, he glanced over his shoulder to see Annie paying more attention to her phone than watching.  
  
Eren grabbed a casserole dish.  
  
Mikasa’s words swirled in his head, reverberating against his inner skull, echoing, resonating, ringing.  
  
Eren opened the drawers and searched for some kind of cooking oil. He found spray oil and figured that was fine. He coated the baking dish.  
  
Was he walking into another heartbreak?  
  
Could he risk their stability with his feelings?  
  
Eren grabbed a cutting board and then washed both the basil and parsley he bought; getting to work, he began chopping. It was probably safer to focus while cutting, but his mind wandered… it wandered away, and away.  
  
He thought of Armin, almost looking over his shoulder to tell Armin he was done with his part.  
  
Was Armin thinking of him?  
  
“Nah,” he muttered. “He’s been cooking by himself forever.”  
  
Eren didn’t measure, just threw roughly half of his chop chop on the bottom of the dish. He then aligned the chicken breast evenly apart—six of them. He considered two for everyone, but the butcher had big ones when he went. Locally organic grown, which he bought because they were on special. Lana Del Rey bless specials.  
  
Eren wondered if he ate specials, would that make him special?  
  
He was already special.  
  
Eren’s mind went off again.  
  
He remembered the first time he met Levi, the uneasiness, the excitement, the fear, all of it fidgeting inside him. He knew, as time went by, his uneasiness faded; his fear, on the other hand, went and came back several times, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. A little bit of fear, little bit of risk, it put him on his toes.  
  
Eren wiggled his toes.  
  
He grabbed two tomatoes and washed them.  
  
He thought back to the time he was swimming, swimming with Armin and eventually Levi. The way he hugged Armin, the way Armin pushed him in the pool… but also Levi, shirtless, muscled, ripped, but also ripped by his scars… his scars…  
  
Eren sliced the tomato into tomato slice things.  
  
He thought of the whip against his back, the spanks—the playful times. He remembered thanking Levi for each and every act, and that stupid smug look on Levi’s face. The one that made him completely unable to contain the urge to smooch that face so hard.  
  
Eren stopped. He couldn’t remember if he was supposed to put the herbs first, then the tomato, or the tomato, then the herbs. It didn’t really matter, did it? “Diplomacy,” he muttered as he added half of the remaining herbs on first, then the tomato, then the remaining half.  
  
He thought back to Armin’s package dance…  
  
To snuggling with Levi…  
  
To Armin in the rain…  
  
To the time he almost fell in the pool but Levi threw him back, making him eventually fall in the flowers. Eren paused again. Didn’t Armin say Levi planted the flowers? He looked up. He was pretty sure Armin said Levi would kill him if he fucked the flowers… But then when he thought about it, Levi did spray him with the hose and that was pretty much death itself.  
  
Eren shuddered.  
  
The oven beeped.  
  
He glanced over to see it was preheated. He opened the door and put the baking dish in. He closed the door and set the timer. His eyes moved to the clock.  
  


⁂

  
  
“J-Jean!” Marco, despite his protests, arched his neck to expose it even further.  
  
“Mhm?” Jean mumbled against Marco’s skin as he left a trail of hot kisses on his neck.  
  
“W-We’re in the elevator,” Marco whined. He hugged his bowl of potato salad and wiggled his hips.  
  
“We got seven floors,” Jean purred. “I’m just giving my obedient boyfriend some love.”  
  
“Don’t get me worked up, Jean!”  
  
“Why not, babe? I want you thinking of me.”  
  
“Well!” Marco’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll think of Eren!”  
  
Jean gasped, moving back and crashing against the elevator wall.  
  
The doors opened.  
  
Marco smirked, regaining the high ground. “You so want to have a threeway with him, don’t you?”  
  
Jean’s breath hitched in his throat.  
  
“You do.” He walked out, grinning to himself like an idiot.  
  
Jean followed, low growl burning in the back of his throat.  
  


⁂

  
  
Krista opened her phone, going to the camera app. She switched it to her front camera and then checked herself out. Her hair was good, makeup was right. It wasn’t that big of a deal tonight, but she liked putting effort. Ymir laughed at her but Krista just literally kicked her butt, which made Ymir fall over, and then Krista laughed at Ymir.  
  
In her hands was a circular oven-safe dish, covered with foil.  
  
The doors opened.  
  
Krista had a skip in her step as she walked down the hall, remembering the way. When she turned the corner, she laughed. Two people were bickering down the hall. “Hello love birds.”  
  
Marco turned and grinned. “Hi!”  
  
Jean was still growling.  
  


⁂

  
  
When there was a knock on the door, Mikasa got up. She knew they were coming since she buzzed them in, but as she crossed the distance a realisation passed her. The kitchen smelled… good. She glanced to the oven, which had the timer ringing down, and she hummed. Maybe her worries were misplaced. She kept walking and then opened the door. “Hey. Come in.”  
  
“Hiya,” Marco practically sang as he stepped in. “I brought my potato salad.”  
  
“I brought something too.” Krista raised her dish.  
  
Annie adjusted her bun and smiled. “Here,” she offered her hands and Marco handed her the dish.  
  
Eren walked over and smile. “Heya.”  
  
Marco walked over to Eren, grabbed both sides of his face and then leaned in—pressing their lips together and moaning far too suggestively into the kiss. When he backed away, Marco just smiled. “I missed you.”  
  
Eren opened his mouth to speak, but he noticed there was a fire in the building. He looked over to the side and swallowed hard.  
  
Jean was the coffee machine, destroyer of worlds.  
  
Marco just turned around with a little sway of his hips. “And who is worked up now?”  
  
“Marco,” Jean whispered in a voice that held Saturn’s demise in its grasp, “You are _so_ in for it tonight.”  
  
Krista snorted. “So when will dinner be ready?”  
  
Eren turned around and glanced to the timer. “Ten-fifteen minutes, ish?”  
  
“Okidoke,” Krista said with a smile.  
  
Mikasa crossed her arms. “We can still order takeout.”  
  
“Or delivery,” Annie suggested.  
  
Marco pouted. “Don’t be mean to Eren… He’s worked hard; I’m sure it’s going to be perfect.”  
  
Eren smiled wide. “Thanks Marco.”  
  
“Yeah.” Jean’s eyebrows knitted together. “ _Thanks_ Marco.”  
  
Marco let out an exhausted sigh then walked over, kissing the side of Jean’s face. “Happy?”  
  
“One more,” Jean whimpered.  
  
Another kiss.  
  
Jean smiled. “Okay, I’m good.”  
  
Krista rolled her eyes. “Mind if we throw my dish in the oven for a bit? Just throw it in for like five minutesish.”  
  
Jean blinked. “Oh what did you bring?”  
  
Marco patted his shoulder. “Be patient.”  
  
“Sure,” Eren continued the conversation as if Jean had never interrupted. “The oven’s at three-fifty. Is that fine?”  
  
“Totally,” Krista assured.  
  
Jean frowned. “But what is it?”  
  
“Jean,” Mikasa spoke softly. “Set the table.”  
  
Jean whined. “Why are people being mean to me?”  
  
Annie actually laughed. She continued to ignore Jean for a reason nobody quite knew and began opening up a tray of veggies and dip, appetiser stuff. She laid it on the bar counter of the kitchen and picked up a cauliflower before munching on it.  
  
Jean whined and grabbed the stacks of plates.  
  
Eren raised an eyebrow. “So why are we being mean to Jean?”  
  
“We’re always mean to Jean,” Marco muttered. “We do it every once in a while. Keeps his ego in line.”  
  
Mikasa smiled softly. “How’s work?”  
  
Marco looked up. “Good, actually. Well, I’m not actually doing anything right now. I don’t have any big shows or line ups anytime soon, so I’m just writing ideas down for summer and then…” He swallowed hard. “Autumn.”  
  
Annie sighed. “Not this again.”  
  
Krista chuckled as she closed the oven door. “Ymir wasn’t kidding, huh?”  
  
“Autumn is a scary time,” Marco assured. “For designers at least.”  
  
Eren grabbed a carrot and dipped it in the ranch dip. “You’ll do fine.”  
  
“Of course he will,” Jean declared as he walked back towards them. “But you don’t have to worry about that anytime soon anyway, right?”  
  
Marco nodded and then smooched his cheek.  
  
Eren whined. “I want smooches…”  
  
Marco was about to walk over but Jean held him back.  
  
“I want Armin smooches,” Eren explained.  
  
“Oh God,” Annie muttered.  
  
Eren thought back to…  
  
 _“Slow down,” Levi muttered into his coffee mug. He took a sip and then put it down. “Enjoy it, Hanji.”  
  
Hanji smiled. “Sorry, it’s just—So—Good!”  
  
Armin dipped his head. “Thank you.”  
  
“And the coffee!”  
  
Armin grinned. “It’s not as good as Jean’s, though…”  
  
“Well,” Eren spoke up, “It’s the best coffee I’ve had, and I mean that.”  
  
Armin smiled and blew Eren a small kiss from across the table.  
  
Eren caught it and put the kiss in his pocket for later.  
  
Armin giggled and looked away._  
  
Eren reached in his pocket and then smacked himself across the face.  
  
Krista stared. “What.”  
  
“It was from Armin.”  
  
Jean’s eyes narrowed. “He hit you?”  
  
“No.” Eren smiled. “It was a kiss.”  
  
They all stared at him.  
  
Mikasa cleared her throat. “Eren, do you have any side dishes?”  
  
Eren’s eyes lit up. “Ah, uh… uh…”  
  
Annie tilted her head. “Just a chicken breast for everyone?”  
  
“Well, they’re uh, they’re big!” Eren nodded. “And we have Marco’s salad, and Krista has a thingy, so – I’m all covered, right?”  
  
Mikasa pinched the bridge of her nose.  
  
Annie patted her shoulder. “I have delivery on speed-dial.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Dinner was served. The chicken breast was colourful with bits of green herbs and the red tomato over it. Marco’s potato salad was a perfect blend of creamy and chunky, while Krista’s dish was also a hit—sautéed tofu triangles on toothpicks. Between everyone’s dishes, everyone’s plates were filled and the conversation had mostly died out as they ate.  
  
“Holy shit,” Eren muttered. “I made this.”  
  
Marco blinked. “Of course you did, didn’t you?”  
  
“Well, yeah, but.” Eren stared at the chicken breast that was juicy and tender, mixing flavours. “It’s good!”  
  
Krista laughed. “Well that just means you’re good.”  
  
“Not this good!”  
  
Jean nodded. “It ain’t half bad.”  
  
“It’s pretty good,” Annie agreed.  
  
Mikasa just nodded. “I’m impressed, Eren.”  
  
Eren grinned. “See!”  
  
Mikasa’s laugh may have been silent, but her shoulders shook as she did. “I like the tofu squares, Historia.”  
  
“Thanks!” Krista grinned as well. “I was wondering how they would turn out. I mean, Ymir said they were yum but she’s a vegetarian—so her opinion doesn’t really count.”  
  
Marco raised an eyebrow. “She’s only a vegetarian one day a week.”  
  
“Wait.” Jean tilted his head. “Why doesn’t her opinion count?”  
  
“Because she’s Ymir,” Krista said simply. “Don’t worry about it.”  
  
“You’re gay,” Eren said, “You wouldn’t understand.”  
  
“Wh-What?”  
  
“Exactly,” Krista agreed.  
  
“But I’m bi…”  
  
“Vegetarian once a week,” Mikasa muttered. “We should do that.”  
  
Annie looked at her. “I eat like an animal. Veggies won’t satisfy me.”  
  
“Mushrooms,” Marco offered. “They’re like my diet food, I swear. They’re low in calories, kinda meaty… sort of. High in Vitamin D.”  
  
Jean nodded. “And everyone loves the D.”  
  
“Gay,” Eren muttered.  
  
“Especially portabella,” Marco went on, “But they… they kind of look like vaginas.” When everyone stared at him, he looked around the table. “To me, at least.” He shrugged. “Like, portabella are like the big brown ones, and if you remove the stalk and then there’s the gills and stuff and it’s like—boom!—splat. A vagina, open. Right?”  
  
Mikasa kept staring. “That’s…”  
  
“Oh, honey,” Annie muttered.  
  
“Marco.” Krista eyed him. “You are so gay.”  
  
Marco wiggled in his seat. “What?”  
  
“Marco, babe.” Jean shook his head. “That is not what a vagina looks like at all.”  
  
Marco kept wiggling in his seat. “Kinda… right?”  
  
Eren shook his head slowly. “Marco…”  
  
Marco shrugged about a million of times. “I don’t know.”  
  
“So…” Mikasa raised an eyebrow. “There are three portabella mushrooms under the table?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Annie blinked slowly.  
  
“Okay babe.” Jean sighed. “I’m sure we could find a chick willing to sleep with you—tons of chicks would be willing to sleep with an eye candy like you. They don’t even have to be a chick, tons of non-chicks got that equipment. Y’know?”  
  
“Ah, I don’t know.” Marco scratched his head. “Maybe one day, I don’t know. I kind of wish I had a vagina though.”  
  
Krista raised an eyebrow. “Okay this should be good. Why?”  
  
“Well!” Marco’s spine went straight. “It self-lubricates.”  
  
“Periods,” Annie reminded. “Cramps. Blood. Tampons.”  
  
“All very valid negative points,” Marco agreed. “But you don’t take it anal like four times a day. Self-lubricates.”  
  
Eren just coughed.  
  
“Plus there’s like that, depo shot or whatever?” Marco paused. “Why are we talking about this again?”  
  
“Because,” Mikasa spoke slowly, “You compared a vagina to a mushroom.”  
  
“Here, buddy.” Jean typed something in his phone and handed it to Marco. “This is what a vagina looks like.”  
  
“Whoa.” Marco’s eyes went wide. “That doesn’t look like a portabella mushroom at all…”  
  
Eren slapped a hand over his face. “I didn’t know Marco was so innocent.”  
  
“He’s not,” Jean assured. “He’s like the dick master, I swear, but that’s about it. He could write a book on how to work a dick.”  
  
Krista raised an eyebrow. “Uhuh? So what’s your favourite kind of dick?”  
  
“Jean’s.”  
  
Jean snorted.  
  
“But dicks are so…” Marco’s eyes lit up. “I mean there are so many details. I mean there’s the length, and the curve, the thickness, the veins, whether it’s cut or uncut, and then there’s the length of the foreskin, circumcision scar, then there’s the balls and the hair—treasure trail… So many details, you know?” Marco tipped his chair back just a bit. “Dicks!”  
  
“I love him,” Jean whispered.  
  
“Wow.” Eren eyes lit up as well. “Marco, you’re an inspiration for us all.”  
  
Mikasa put her hands over her eyes.  
  
Annie snorted.  
  
Krista just laughed. “Oh boy…”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren cleaned up after dinner, rinsing the plates and putting them in the dishwasher before anything dried. Dinner went well, and clean up followed. Levi would be proud of him, Eren thought. Levi… He thought back to when he saw Levi today, the way it was so obvious that he was holding so much back. That hug, though… he felt Levi lean in, felt the slightest nuzzle to his neck. The way warmth swelled inside him and spiraled outwards in every direction.  
  
“Boo.”  
  
Eren screamed.  
  
Jean laughed.  
  
“H-Hey!”  
  
“You’re thinking too hard.” Jean poked his forehead. “It’s obvious from your face, bud.”  
  
“Hm.” Eren shrugged as he put the last dish away. “I just miss them.”  
  
Jean tilted his head. “Huh?”  
  
“Armin, Levi…”  
  
“Aww.” Jean ruffled his hair.  
  
Eren growled, trying to bite Jean’s hand.  
  
“Whoa.” Jean laughed. “Dangerous, shit. Anyway, you’ll see them in two days, won’t you?”  
  
“Yeah but… there’s more to it than that.”  
  
“Eh?”  
  
“Forget it.” Eren shook his head. “You’re right: I’m just thinking too hard.”  
  
“Okay…”  
  
The two of them moved to the living room where the others were.  
  
“But they’re like,” Marco paused to search for a way to describe it, “Feet bags.”  
  
Eren blinked. “What?”  
  
“Talking about feet,” Mikasa muttered.  
  
“Sprinting,” Annie explained, “In the Olympics some countries don’t wear shoes… usually because they’re from poorer countries, but the way their feet grip the floor with their toes is better than our shoes. We force everyone to wear socks and nobody develops the grasping ability here.”  
  
“It sucks, yeah,” Marco admitted, “But they’re like little heat bags for our feet; they make sure our toes are nice and warm.”  
  
Eren sat on the couch next to Marco and then leaned to the side so his head landed in Marco’s lap. “You always know how to make the best of everything.”  
  
“Hey!” Jean yelled.  
  
Krista laughed.  
  
Marco played with Eren’s hair. “Of course I do.”  
  
Mikasa smiled. “It’s a good skill.”  
  
“Yup,” Eren agreed.  
  
“Yeah, yeah.” Jean sat next to Marco, putting an arm around his shoulder. “But you’re not too bad yourself, Eren, or should I say Mister Levi is Lev-ing.”  
  
Eren jolted upright and he turned. “Who told you that?”  
  
Krista laughed again. “Armin.”  
  
“Wait.” Eren gasped at thirty kilometers an hour. “Armin told you about that?”  
  
“Well.” Annie moved her hair out of her eyes. “He put it on his blog.”  
  
“Blog?” Eren gasped at forty-five kilometers an hour. “Blog?”  
  
Marco nodded. “I totally track that tag.”  
  
“Tag?” Eren gasped at sixty kilometers an hour. “Tag?”  
  
“Yeah he’s got a tag for you.” Marco pulled out his phone and hit the right app. “Let’s see. ‘Chicken!’ after finding out the monthly price for a gym.”  
  
Eren whimpered.  
  
“Oh here’s my personal favourite,” Marco said in a laugh. “When picking up the phone, ‘This is Captain Burrito Picard of the USS Eren-prise. How can I help you?’”  
  
Eren put both his hands over his mouth. “He posts this in a tag?”  
  
“Mhm.” Jean smirked. “It’s his ‘Shit Eren Says’ tag.”  
  
“It’s the best!” Krista exclaimed.  
  
“Sweet Silverware,” Marco read, “Sweet Soy Sauce.”  
  
“Wait!” Eren frowned. “But I didn’t tell him those!”  
  
“Mmm.” Marco looked at the post again. “It’s submitted by… Oh, that’s right, Levi changed his URL.”  
  
“Levi!” Eren stood up.  
  
“There’s more,” Marco went on: “There’s ‘Who says dragons can’t taste like melons?’, ‘Holy Buckets’, ‘This blueberry says no’. ”  
  
Eren’s head snapped and he glared at Mikasa.  
  
Mikasa hid her smile. “Too funny to pass up.”  
  
“But he’s collecting all my dumb!” Eren grabbed Marco’s phone.  
  
 _“I’m Monochrome and Horny for you, Sir.” –when he thinks he’s alone._  
  
Eren screamed.  
  
He was about to freak out, but he stopped. His eyes caught sight of something. The posts had tags, which ran as a sort of undertone commentary.  
  
 _No wonder Levi calls him perfect, omg,_ Eren read and he scrolled. He saw his _Holy Hickeys_ tagged as _Marry me, please,_ and a small smile formed on his lips. He didn’t even remember yelling _Clippers_ , but it was tagged as _Eren is so important, bless his soul,_ and some other stuff. His lower lip wibbled until Marco took his phone back. “Wait! What’s his blog?”  
  
Marco tossed his phone in the air and then caught it. “Ask him yourself.”  
  
Eren whined and dropped to the floor.  
  
Krista moved her hair over her shoulder. “Aww, you really are a puppy.”  
  
“Am not!”  
  
“Puppy!”  
  
“Only Armin and Levi can call me that!”  
  
Marco smiled. “Puppy.”  
  
“And Marco.”  
  
Jean smirked. “Puppy.”  
  
“Hey!” Eren shot to his feet. He dove forward in a tackle, which Jean dodged. Eren got up again and screamed as he chased Jean around the apartment. At one point, Jean yelled “Tag team” and Annie stuck her foot out—Eren tripped and crashed against the floor. As Eren roared and got up again, he was cut off by the sound of a ring tone.  
  
Krista grabbed her purse and flipped through it before she pulled her phone out. She looked at the caller ID then swiped her phone and put it to her ear. “Hello.” Her eyes opened. “What? What? Slow down.” She stood up. “Emergency?” Her eyes narrowed. “Spanish?” She listened a little more. “One sec.” She put her phone down and put her wrist over the speaker. “Is it okay if Hanji comes over? I think she’s crying about some kind of translations or something. It seems important.”  
  
Mikasa blinked. “Sure.”  
  
Annie nodded.  
  
“Thanks.” Krista put the phone back to her ear. “I’m actually at Mikasa’s and Annie’s right now if you want to head over?” She listened a little more. “Okay, see you soon.” She hung up.  
  
Annie tilted her head. “And… what was that?”  
  
“Well.” Krista laughed. “I think one of her students wrote the entire exam in Spanish and she needs the marks in by eleven… considering its ten-thirty right now…”  
  
“Psh.” Jean frowned. “Just fail them.”  
  
“Hanji’s nice,” Eren muttered. “Most profs probably would just fail them.”  
  
“Mmm.” Annie nodded and a sparkle danced in her eyes. “You know… Hanji…”  
  
Mikasa sighed.  
  
“Before time began, before spirits and life existed,” Annie spoke with vigor, “Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule...”  
  
“Hanji,” Jean continued, “The goddess of ropes.”  
  
“Levi,” Annie went on, “God of order.”  
  
“Mikasa,” Jean again, “Goddess of pain.”  
  
“Hanji, with their strong ropes cultivated the bondage and discipline.”  
  
“Levi poured his dominance and created the order of dominance and submission.”  
  
“Mikasa, with her strong arms, created sadism and masochism.”  
  
“The three great, their labors completed, departed for the heavens,” Jean explained. “And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis for our community’s providence. And, the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm.”  
  
“Wow.” Eren stared at them. “You fucking nerds.”  
  
Jean and Annie made eye contact before they smacked him upside the head at the same time.  
  


⁂

  
  
“Kristaaaaaa!” Hanji had tears in her eyes as she barged through the door. She pulled her laptop out of the bag, putting it down on the counter and thrusting a piece of paper forward.  
  
Krista took it. “Hi…”  
  
“Hi!” Hanji grinned then turned around. “What’s the time?” Reading ’10:51 PM’, she screamed. “It’s my last exam.” Hanji booted up her laptop. “For fuck’s sake just please translate this!”  
  
“O-Okay.” Krista looked at the paper and read the first few lines. “So she, or he, or whatever, she’s starting by saying she’s sorry she just doesn’t know English well enough to write for the theory portion. Uhh…” She read a couple more lines. “She’s talking about some kind of management accounting?”  
  
“Managerial accounting?” Hanji’s eyes lit up.  
  
“I think so. That means something to you?”  
  
“That’s what the course is about.”  
  
“Oh!” Krista nodded. She went on, reading sentence by sentence. Hanji, all the while, began nodding and writing something down on a pad. When Krista got to the end she put it down. “That’s it.”  
  
“Wow.” Hanji smiled. “She’s got it. Not perfect, but she’s got the main concept. Honestly, none of the accounting students can write theory so I mark them easy anyway, but she’s earned ten out of ten.” She typed it in the program she was using. “Oh, her mark’s on the cusp… I’ll just bump her up to an ‘A’. There! Sent!”  
  
Krista giggled.  
  
Hanji deflated and took a few steps back to lean against the wall. “Thank you.”  
  
“You’re welcome.”  
  
“Essays in Spanish… that’s why you don’t leave things for the deadline.”  
  
Mikasa smiled as she grabbed a glass. “Can I get you anything to drink, Hanji?”  
  
Hanji’s eyes opened. “Water, please.” She looked around and laughed. “Oh, so many people. A party without the old geezers, huh?”  
  
Mikasa shook her head. “Small get together, planned yesterday.”  
  
Hanji laughed and glanced to Eren. “Oh, hi!”  
  
Eren smiled and dipped his head. “Hi.”  
  
“Couple more days until you see Levi again.” She walked forward and leaned her elbows on the counter. “Right?”  
  
“Yep,” Eren said softly.  
  
“Oh boy,” Annie muttered.  
  
“Think,” Hanji met the softness of his voice with her own. “Think long and hard, about what you want out of it, Eren.”  
  
“I know. I have a couple changes I want to make already.”  
  
“Not just changes…” She smiled. “Think about what kind of life you want… I’m serious. It’s important to know if you want them or if you just want their lifestyle, or maybe you want them but not their lifestyle. You have to know what it is you’re looking for.”  
  
Eren blinked.  
  
“You’ll make the right choice as long as you focus on you. There’s a time and place to think about other people and be selfless—this isn’t one of them. Be as selfish as you can be. You don’t live for anyone else but you. Nobody lives for another person…” She paused. “Well, maybe parents or guardians, but neither of them are your kids. They’re adults. If you’re not right for them, they’ll make that call. If they haven’t told you that yet, then you’ve got to be doing something right.”  
  
“R-Right…”  
  
“So put those fears aside, okay?”  
  
Eren scratched the back of his head. “How did you know…?”  
  
“Well.” Hanji huffed and smiled in a feline manner. “I figure if I had to offer that advice to both Levi and Armin, I might as well offer it to you too.”  
  
“They’re…” Eren looked away. “Worried about that? Seriously?”  
  
“Mhm.” Hanji nodded slowly. “Listen, Eren… the three of you, you got along great. You got along… but your communication is more shit than the jokes Levi makes. That’s okay, though. You’ve only known them for a month… and it’s natural to have that second-guessing feeling too. But it’s something to work on.”  
  
“Hanji…” Eren’s finger twitched. “Thanks.”  
  
Hanji put her laptop back in her side-bag and blew them a kiss. “Well, I’m off. Thanks again Krista.”  
  
“Any time,” she said in a laugh.  
  
Hanji bowed once before straightening her back. “Toodles to the poodles!”  
  
“Bye,” Mikasa whispered.  
  
Marco smiled. “Toodles.”  
  
Eren nodded. “Poodles.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Eren Jaeger never really thought he’d see the day where Hanji of all people would be the voice of reason.  
  
A couple hours had passed, people went home, and he went to his room.  
  
He sat on his bed and put his hands in his lap, fingers interweaving by themselves.  
  
As dumb as Jean and Annie’s stupid Zelda goddess thing was, it made sense too… Levi, Mikasa, and Hanji… they were sort of the masters of their own domain. Hanji was royalty of bondages, Mikasa could dish out more pain than anyone else, and Levi was really the lord of Dominance… In some ways he felt like he underestimated Hanji. It was weird to think of his sister as some kind of holy trinity, but it only made her words reverberate once again.  
  
 _“Something makes you happy so you just throw yourself a hundred percent at it! You’re so blinded by that feeling of just, bliss, and happiness that you never look around! You’re throwing yourself at the biggest heart break—two at a time—ever and you’re not even worried.”_  
  
Maybe he should be proceeding with caution…  
  
Eren sighed.  
  
He rubbed his face.  
  
When the others were over, it was nice. They were friends, pretty close for how long he had known them. But even then, even now… Eren looked up to the ceiling in his dark room. Even then, even now, it wasn’t home. It didn’t feel like home. This apartment didn’t feel like home. No, home was… If he had to choose one place where he really felt at home it would be… Eren laughed. The place he was happiest… it didn’t need to be said, did it?


	36. The Fifth Week (3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're still here? Really? You read 35 chapters of this fic with it's ridiculously pompous title to find out the title drop was an up your ass joke and you're still here? Well, okay. Suit yourself, lmfao. Anyway, last update of the year -- next one, the final one, will be in mid-Jan. This chap's a little short, but the next one will be long. It's funny because my New Year's resolution for 2014 was to write 1000 words a day/365k a year. This fic, alone, is now 363k... adding the 70k from Girls Night and Two-Sided, yeah I hit the goal... plus my 20 chap Free! fic, my NaNo word count, everything else... Guess who blasted through that goal? Lmao.
> 
> Anyway! 
> 
> Thank you all for the comments, and kudos, and bookmarks, and hits, and hduiawfowieajeogw. I love you guys so much, omg. Please, enjoy~
> 
> * * *

Armin grabbed a white china plate and threw it against the wall. On contact it shattered to a thousand pieces. Soon enough, Armin began throwing more plates and each one, like the plates before them, smashed against the wall. “You think!” he screamed, “You think this is fucking funny? Do you think this is a game? Levi!”  
  
Levi swallowed hard, taking a step back.  
  
“Say it again!” Armin grabbed the bread knife with all its teeth. “Say it again! Come on! Say it!”  
  
“I-I t-take it back!” Levi backed against a wall. “I don’t… I don’t like sauce!”  
  
“Good!” Armin huffed and then stabbed the fridge. The fridge began to bleed, bleed red tomato sauce. Armin grabbed his wrist and snapped it off. Alfredo sauce began to pour from the broken joint. Armin’s head began spinning, twisting his neck, crunching the bones and breaking skin. His head broke off. Fell to the floor. It rolled away and rosé sauce fell from his neck.  
  
Levi fell to his knees and began screaming.  
  
Armin’s body began to fly upwards, doing the Macarena, sauce spilling out everywhere.  
  
This was it, Levi realised—the true evil of sauce.  
  


⁂

  
  
Levi inhaled sharply, eyes snapping open. He was in bed.  
  
Armin rubbed his forehead against Levi’s chest in the dark. Half asleep, he felt the shift. “Mm?”  
  
“Shit.” Levi brought a hand to his face and rubbed it.  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Nothing…” He took a deep breath. “Nothing.” He kissed the top of Armin’s head. “Just a bad dream, go back to sleep. Sorry.”  
  
Armin nodded and nuzzled Levi some more. “Just a dream.” He leaned in closer. “Just… a dream…”  
  
“But…” Levi’s eyes narrowed. “It didn’t…  
  
“It didn’t?”  
  
“It didn’t have… italics.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Nothing. Sleep.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Hours later, the sun rose and Levi’s eyes slowly opened. The light filtered through the windows and the soft gentle warmth spread over his bed. He felt Armin coiled up close to him and he pulled him closer, kissing the top of his head. He nuzzled his hair and smelled the faint strawberry splash. Perfect. He slipped in and out of sleep for a while, but he didn’t really mind. It was warm and it felt like home. His arms were tight around his pet, where they belonged.  
  
After another kiss to his head, Armin laughed.  
  
Levi opened one eye. “Hm?”  
  
“Well, Master,” his voice teasing as always, “When were you so affectionate?”  
  
Levi opened his other eye and blinked. He pulled away to see his face. “Well…” He thought about it. “When were you?”  
  
“Ah…” Armin tilted his head as he opened his eyes. “Good response.” He rolled away from Levi then stretched, making all kind of strained noises before letting out a comfortable sigh. He curled up again and then rubbed his face in a pillow.  
  
Levi snorted and rolled onto his back. “I’ve got to get ready for work.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“I’m only going for a few hours.”  
  
“Mew. Mew.”  
  
Levi looked at him. “Don’t make sad cat noises at me.”  
  
“Meeww,” whined Armin. “Mew.”  
  
“I have to.” Levi rolled closer and moved some of Armin’s hair out of his face. “It’ll ensure I have tomorrow free.”  
  
Armin pouted, but eventually sighed. He reached over to the other side of the bed and grabbed the dolphin stuffed animal. He hugged it tight and sighed. “Okay. Fine.”  
  
Levi smiled and leaned over, kissing Armin’s forehead.  
  
“Hey.” Armin pushed the dolphin stuffy (or ‘teddy bear’ as it sort of was but wasn’t) against Levi. “You have to hug him too.”  
  
“Fuck that.” Levi scowled. “I’m thirty.”  
  
“As if I didn’t see you squeeze him last night.”  
  
Levi pursed his lips.  
  
“Check,” Armin teased, “And mate.”  
  
Levi snorted. “Fine.” He pet the dolphin once then got up. “Come on. We still have some time together this morning. Let’s not waste it.”  
  
Armin sighed but eventually sat up. “Mhm.” Letting go of the teddy bear dolphin stuffie thing, he wiggled out of bed and then waddled closer to Levi. Hugging his Master’s arm, he kissed Levi’s shoulder and followed him into the bathroom.  
  
Levi eventually turned on the water, adjusted the temperature, and pulled Armin in. Gathering the shower scrunchy thingamagig thing, he whispered the necessary words: “Scrub, scrub, scrub, bitches.”  
  
Armin snorted as he felt Levi clean him.  
  
Softly, Levi kissed the back of his neck before resuming.  
  


⁂

  
  
It wasn’t long before Armin was in his realm – the kitchen – and he got to work. He grabbed a couple eggs (the Norwegian Queen had demanded more eggs) and beat them quickly. Making two omelettes was easy. He added some peppers and mushrooms, as well as some other things, but he made sure not to overload it because the swimming butterflies would scream that it wasn’t beautiful. For himself, he added a touch of shredded cheese, but not too much. He didn’t want any of the evil strings.  
  
(He did, but Armin was Romeo and Cheese Strings was Juliet… first of all Armin was gay and second Armin thought killing everyone would kind of piss off his parents in heaven.)  
  
He put them on a plate then washed some fruits and added them—grapes and grape tomatoes, because they were cute together. Also because he was running out of fruits and veggies for breakfast. He had a small bowl of oatmeal for each of them then hummed happily when he had all the food groups. He put the bowl on the plates and then brought them over to the table.  
  
His happy humming became him humming a tune.  
  
He walked to the coffee machine and poured Levi a cup, adding some of the purple milk and a bit of agave since he only had a couple drops left.  
  
Pouring a glass of water for himself, he came back to the table and put them down.  
  
“Thank you,” Levi muttered softly. “It’s perfect.”  
  
Armin smiled and took his seat. He grabbed his fork and began digging in. Breakfast was quiet, too quiet. Levi seemed fairly comfortable with the silence, but there was an itch growing in Armin’s mind. After a while, he put his fork down, just to hear the soft clang. “Sorry.”  
  
Levi looked up. “For what?”  
  
“It’s just…” Armin’s blue eyes met his. “It’s not very lively… we’re not talking much. I’m not talking much.”  
  
“It’s not your job.”  
  
 _It’s his_ is what wasn’t said, but didn’t need to be.  
  
Armin smiled. “One day more, huh?”  
  
Levi nodded. “Yes.”  
  
“Hm.” Armin checked his phone for the time. “You have to leave pretty soon… I guess we’ll talk tonight, I guess. Right? As usual?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Hm.” Armin got up and grabbed Levi’s travel mug. He poured coffee, milk, and the last drop of the agave. His hands were shaking a little. Why? He put it down on the counter and twisted the top. “Good luck at work today, okay?”  
  
Levi got up, his plate almost empty anyway. “Thanks.” He walked over and grabbed the travel mug. “Bless me with your patience, please.”  
  
Armin smiled and kissed his cheek. “Don’t kill anyone.”  
  
“We’ll see,” he muttered. “Homicide of idiots would look great on my résumé.”  
  
“Uhuh.” Armin rolled his eyes. “Play nice.”  
  
“I never do.” Levi sipped the coffee. “They don’t call me Levi Danger Rivaille for nothing.”  
  
“Get the fuck out, Master.”  
  
Levi snorted before he left.  
  


⁂

  
  
The drive to work was quiet, as always. The bridge was annoying but he eventually made his way to the parking lot for business owners. When he got out of his car, he saw one of his senior staff run to him, probably wanting something or another. After wasting twenty minutes on that old crow, Levi eventually made his way to the mall. The second floor (which most customers didn’t even know existed) was where all the offices were. He was at his desk when some papers were placed on his desk.  
  
“Here,” said his secretary. “The forms you asked for.”  
  
“Thank you.” He nodded to the only person that wasn’t an idiot. He watched his secretary leave before he scanned the papers. They were the forms he needed to fill out. As well as sales analysis and the stats of their current budget. Their main store was in this shopping centre, but they had another one further away. There was talk about opening a third store, and judging by the sales it was a good idea.  
  
Sort of.  
  
Good idea.  
  
But bad time.  
  
The other higher ups wanted to open a third one, but that was an investment during the wrong time of their routine. Before going for any investment, Levi always maximised Rivaille’s earnings. He watched the company go down once because a lack of a safety net. He wasn’t about to do it again. He didn’t care how many hypothetical dollars he was missing out on. He needed to build a barrier before it…  
  
“Ugh.” Levi groaned at his own pun. “Before it folds. Like clothes. Ha. Ha. So fucking funny.” He grabbed a pen and began filling out the basic information.  
  
He just didn’t understand what the other people were thinking. The company just spent all that fucking money on the dinner event—now they wanted to spend more? One of higher ups suggested they lowered all the pay for all their employees to minimum wage, to which Levi suggested he should lick the shit stains off the toilets.  
  
They seemed to understand his stance on that.  
  
It was weird, really.  
  
When Levi sat at the head of the rectangular table at their meeting room, he felt like he was the one out of place. Everyone around him went to business schools, had degrees… Levi didn’t have any of that. He just got the company, built it up from the ground, and tried not to fuck up along the way. Before his fat paycheck he was fighting tooth and nail on minimum wage. It was probably why he felt so… He felt… It was this overwhelming sense that he didn’t belong. It was a hand around his throat, telling him he was a failure compared to everyone around him.  
  
It was the tightness of his jaw, the stiffness of his shoulders…  
  
He hated it. He dreaded going to work the same way a seven year old dreaded going to school.  
  
He just… wasn’t… comfortable.  
  
He wasn’t comfortable on his own throne.  
  
Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair. His fingers twitched and he closed his eyes, figuring he needed a break. He pulled out his phone. Going through his pictures, he eventually found the one of the three of them. Historia offered to take a picture of him and Armin, to which Eren photobombed. Levi himself looked annoyed, Armin startled like a kitten, while Eren was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
Levi smiled.  
  
It was the three of them.  
  
Three.  
  
Levi hated seeing his own face in the picture.  
  
He preferred the picture of just Eren and Armin, but for whatever reason he kept staring at the three of them. There was… something, there, too. The fact that, the fact that… Levi rubbed his neck. His smile became strained, creases forming at the corners of his eyes. It was the fact that it was the three of them. Maybe that’s what they meant when they said he was part of the picture. Was that where the idiom came from? From the fact that other people _wanted_ it to be the three of them.  
  
The fact that Armin wanted him there.  
  
The fact that Eren wanted him there.  
  
“Fuck.” Levi’s smile faded and a frown took its place. It was unbelievable, really.  
  
Why would those two willingly want to be around him?  
  
He sighed and put his phone to sleep, slamming it down on the desk and shoving it away from him.  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
Levi looked up.  
  
His secretary came in and put down a mug of steaming coffee on a coaster.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
His secretary nodded, then paused. He looked around. “Why are the lights off?”  
  
“Huh?” Levi looked around then glanced out the window. “Hm. Sun went down on me.”  
  
“Mm, okay.” His secretary walked over to the light switched, flicked it on, and closed the door behind him.  
  
Levi flipped the page and stared. He grabbed the coffee mug and took a sip. It wasn’t bad. Not as good as Armin’s, but it was good. The thing about coffee was that it was supposed to taste like shit anyway. So if it wasn’t bad, it was good. That’s all there was to it.  
  
Levi grabbed his phone again and went through his pictures.  
  
He saw the one of Eren and Armin.  
  
 _Mine._  
  
In some ways…  
  
Levi swallowed hard.  
  
There was a time, not too long ago, that he only wanted another sub to give Armin a connection. That way, if Levi was driving and his hand so happened to slip off the steering wheel… or if he was walking home and accidentally walked too close to the edge of the sidewalk, near the road… if he did something that would bring an accident upon himself… then Armin would have someone. Then his Armin would be okay.  
  
He swiped his phone to see the picture of the three of them.  
  
Three.  
  
But it was the three of them, wasn’t it?  
  
 _They want me.  
  
They would be incomplete without me._  
  
Levi felt his chest squeeze on itself.  
  
Commitments. Need. There was the feeling that the relationship will never go away… but…  
  
Levi slumped on his desk. Arms crossed and used as a pillow, he stared at the light. He grabbed a pen and threw it across the room—it hit the light switch and the room went into darkness. He closed his eyes and put his head down.  
  
He remembered Eren embracing him under the cherry blossom.  
  
He remembered Armin nuzzling his neck this morning.  
  
“Hm.” Levi lifted his head and flipped the page.  
  


⁂

  
  
Armin sat in a comfortable chair; he had moved it near the window while the sun was up, feeling the warmth on his bare skin. Now the sun had gone down and the room had gone from warm orange to cool blue. He turned the brightness on his iPad up and flipped the electronic page of his book. Without looking, he reached over and grabbed the spoon. He swirled his mug of tea – an earl grey latte – and then let go. He grabbed the handle and took a sip slowly.  
  
It was a latte because… Ymir.  
  
Always Ymir.  
  
He swiped the screen, flipping the page again.  
  
It was quiet, really quiet.  
  
It was nice… yeah, it was nice… in the sense that it was a break away from routine but… But routine was what would give him so much comfort now. He wanted that dork around, those arms around him, that awful language skill… He wanted that one person who made home feel like home until Levi came back from work. He took a deep, slow breath and let it out in equal speed. He realised he didn’t really read the paragraph he was reading so he turned the tablet off. He put it on the bedside table and grabbed his mug.  
  
He got up.  
  
Armin ran a hand through his blond hair and noticed it was getting long.  
  
He didn’t want to cut it but summer heat was coming and that always made it unbearable to run in, even with a ponytail like Krista did.  
  
Another sigh left his lips and he walked towards the kitchen.  
  
He considered playing a video game but it didn’t feel right to advance Sanchez’ story without Eren.  
  
He looked at the time and noted Levi would be home soon.  
  
Thank God.  
  
He went to refill his mug then realised it wasn’t in his hand. He remembered picking it up. Did he put it down? Was he that distracted? He walked back to find it on the side table and picked it up again. Returning to the kitchen, he grabbed the pot of tea and poured. He added a bit of milk and then sipped.  
  
Eren…  
  
Armin closed his eyes. “Geez… this is depressing.”  
  
“What is?”  
  
Armin lifted his head and glanced over his shoulder. “Huh?”  
  
“Yo.” Levi gave a little wave.  
  
Armin put his mug down. “I’m just… really alone I guess.” He pushed himself closer to Levi and felt two arms around him. He pushed his forehead against Levi’s neck and closed his eyes. “Master?”  
  
“Yes, Kitten?” Levi whispered with a startling amount of affection.  
  
Armin couldn’t help but wonder if Levi felt it too – the hole missing from their lives. “When… when was this quietness so normal for me? When did I used to look forward to it? Do you remember? I used to… I used to love the times when the subs would go away for a couple days. I would have the house to myself, wouldn’t have to compete with anyone for your attention… It used to be the best and now it’s just… I feel so…”  
  
Levi closed his eyes. He didn’t know what to say. Actions spoke louder than words, didn’t they? Levi kissed his head and hugged him tighter. It was odd, how Levi always resorted to actions when he didn’t have words. He nuzzled the side of Armin’s hair.  
  
Armin kissed Levi’s neck then pulled away. “How was work?”  
  
“Was alright. Decent. I’ve got tomorrow off, though.”  
  
“Good, good.”  
  
Levi smiled. “Made tea?”  
  
“Yeah, just earl grey.”  
  
“Hm, okay.” Levi moved away and poured himself a mug. “Would have preferred a straight tea.”  
  
“Since when were you so hetero?”  
  
Levi snorted. “You dumbass… I’ll smack you.”  
  
“On my butt?” Armin purred.  
  
Levi rolled his eyes and added some milk. “When’s dinner?”  
  
“In a couple hours. Is that okay?”  
  
“That’s fine.”  
  


⁂

  
  
When Levi left to do his own thing, Armin felt alone – again. A part of him wanted to just hide under Levi’s shirt, to be honest, but he also wanted to remember this. He wanted to remember this feeling, this feeling of loneliness, the feeling of what life was like with just the two of them. He enjoyed having Eren around, but he expected the time without Eren to be just as good… if not better.  
  
Had he ever been more wrong?  
  
He prepped the kitchen and used the flat of his knife to crush the hard shell of the garlic cloves. He used wet hands to peel the shell off and then began slicing. “Eren, could you chop the onions?” He glanced over his shoulder. He paused. “Oh.” He went back to chopping. “Right.”  
  
*  
  
Dinner was quiet.  
  
They ate slowly.  
  
After a while, in the silence, there was a woman’s loud slutty moan.  
  
Armin’s head perked up.  
  
Levi was playing porn at full audio on his phone.  
  
Armin stared.  
  
“Trying to fill the silence.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
“You’re welcome.”  
  
“Please turn that off.”  
  
Levi snorted and closed the video. “Sorry.”  
  
Armin shook his head, but the slightest smile appeared on his lips. He knew that’s what Levi wanted. Levi never seemed to be able to enjoy anything if Armin wasn’t smiling. Armin paused and looked up. “So… we’re having our talk soon, right?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi froze for a moment before looking Armin dead in the eye. “I… don’t think it’s best… I… Eren.” Levi pursed his lips. “I’m not signing another contract to him.”  
  
“Mhm.” Armin stared. “Yeah. Right. Sure.”  
  
“I don’t want him for another month.”  
  
“You do.”  
  
“I am telling you, mutt, I don’t.”  
  
“You do.” Armin put his fork down to take a sip of his water. “Why don’t you want him, Levi? Because you think you won’t be a good Dom for him? Because you think he doesn’t want you? Because you’ve got trust issues that are rooted from your dad cheating on your mom when you were five?”  
  
Levi’s lips twitched and his forehead creased into a frown.  
  
“You’re right. We can both see it, Levi.” He made sure to use first name. “Eren’s… problematic. We hit some bumps along the way. We’ll hit more. It’ll shake him up, scare him, like the time he touched your scar, like every time he was afraid of you. And you’ll avoid him, from time to time, since you’re dealing with the shit in your head. But whatever your problem is with Eren… can you fix it?”  
  
“Well…” Levi looked away. “No.”  
  
“Is that really a no? Or is it just because it’ll take time and effort? That’s why the contract’s a month long. And that’s why you get the chance to sign another one after it. You’ll have the time, and you know he’ll put in the effort. I know what you’re scared about. For the first few weeks we thought he was fine. We had no idea he was bubbling all kinds of fears and shit and whatever trauma he had. But it’s not that he fakes his happiness. He’s not faking the fact that he’s happy-go-lucky. That’s who he is. He just focuses on the positive… and ignores the negatives. A kind of blindness, really. A person who won’t really think about consequence and then get crushed under it when it comes, right?”  
  
Levi took a deep breath before he nodded. “Yeah.”  
  
“That scares you, huh?”  
  
“More than anything.”  
  
“Wanna know why?”  
  
Levi frowned. “Why?”  
  
“Because you’re the opposite.” Armin smiled. “You’re the kind of person who knows fourteen ways something will go wrong before you even start. To have your opposite around is weird isn’t it? But it’s not a bad thing. You two really get along. I think… Pardon me for being so blunt, Master, but… he brings out the better side of you. And I think you bring out the better side of him, to be honest. You’re happier with him… and… you… You deserve that happiness.”  
  
Levi said nothing.  
  
“I can’t say if he’s happ _ier_ here, but for one I know he is _happy_ here, and two… I don’t have to. That’s for him to decide. But if you don’t think the happiness he gives you is worth it, then okay… but I’m not letting you turn him away unless you have a solid reason.”  
  
Levi nodded. “I do.”  
  
“You’re running away, Levi.” Armin smiled. “I’m not dumb. You run away from everything and the only reason you haven’t run away from me is because my parents are dead and I have nowhere to go. I bet you’ve even considered how you could kill yourself and leave me happy, huh?”  
  
Levi raised his chin, throat squeezing tight.  
  
“I’m happy with Eren.” Armin smiled. “I’m happy with Eren for two reasons. One, he just makes me happy. Just the way he smiles, the way he’s so dumb, and the way he’s so smart. Two… he makes you happy. And if he can make both of us happy, then… If your problems can’t be solved, then fine. If it can, then it is worth a try even if it takes more than a month to solve. That’s as simple as it gets.”  
  
“I know… you’re right, but.” Levi closed his eyes. “I’m scared… I’m scared I’ll hurt him. I’ll go too far, I’ll snap. I can’t trust myself as a Dom, as a caretaker, as his owner if I… I just, I feel like I will hurt him.”  
  
“You will,” Armin admitted. “Just like you hurt me.”  
  
Levi’s eyes widened.  
  
“Do you remember? How you held me down? Took me beyond my breaking point? When I called my safeword… you didn’t stop. A lesser person would have blamed it on depression, blamed it on the liters of alcohol you drank, but you blamed yourself. And do you remember what you asked me after that? You made me promise that I would never forgive you for it. I haven’t, I never will, but I’m still here. Things go wrong, Levi. They will go wrong. You took that and you seared the memory in your mind. You did something wrong and forced yourself to become a better person because of it. And I…” Armin looked away. “I hurt you too. There was a time I went too far. Coerced you into playing a game you were uncomfortable with. It wasn’t until you broke down I really understood why you were shaking. Bondage, discipline, Dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism… they are dangerous. We put all the safety, all the barriers in the world… but we crossed the line. Both of us.”  
  
Levi closed his eyes, putting his hand over his eyes. Guilt, shame, regret, diseases running through his bloodstream, in his veins, crawling under his skin, feeding every cell.  
  
“But.” Armin looked down at his food. “If someone means enough… you talk about it, you understand each other, and you move on… We’re playing with fire. It’s not your fault if you get hurt, but you have to acknowledge the dangers of being burned here. You might hurt Eren, Eren might hurt you, but… I think you just have to decide if him hurting you is worth it.”  
  
“Of course it is!” Levi yelled. He looked away. “It’s me hurting him that I have a problem with.”  
  
“But that’s not for you to decide.” Armin looked at him. “He’s the only one who can decide if you hurting him is worth it. You can’t make that choice for him and you can’t protect him from you. To an extent, yes, but he’s an adult. He’s the only one who makes that choice.”  
  
“But…”  
  
“I think… you’re an idiot, if you don’t think Eren is aware of the risks. And, as much as I hate saying it, we don’t live in a perfect world… Think of it this way: Would Eren be safer with you or another Dom?”  
  
Levi’s eyes narrowed.  
  
“You’re possessive,” Armin pointed out with a little coy smile. “Because you know that some Doms don’t care about safety. You know he could end up in bed with one of those Doms. But, here, you make it as safe as possible. The world can tell you that. You outline your rules, and you make sure you don’t even think about touching a sub after just a drop of alcohol. I’ll say it again: We can pretend to be in a perfect world, but we’re not. If you think he’s not aware of the danger, your job is to inform him and bring it to light – not shut him in the dark.”  
  
“I…” Levi ran a hand through his hair, inhaling through his nose. “I want him around… as much as I want you around. It’s only been a month, it’s been so quick, and yet I just feel so attached to him. It’s scary, and I’m scared.”  
  
“That’s okay.” Armin’s smile lost its coy element and became sincere. “It’s okay to be scared. But if you want him around, fear can’t be a reason to stop you. If it becomes so much that you can’t function, that’s one thing, but you’re going to throw him out of your life over being scared?”  
  
“But it’s just… It’s me.” Levi frowned. “It’s me, Levi, when has fear ever stopped me.”  
  
“Oh get off your fucking high horse.”  
  
Levi’s jaw twitched.  
  
“Fear stops every single person.” Armin sighed. “Aren’t you the one who tells us not to lose perspective?”  
  
Levi’s lips twitched. “Well well, being tutored by my own student.”  
  
“Mmm.” Armin smiled. “Headmaster Levi…”  
  
“Don’t.”  
  
“Aww, you’re no fun.”  
  
“Save that game for Eren.”  
  
Armin grinned. “So you’ll do it?”  
  
“I’ll decide when he’s here…” Levi pursed his lips. “I have changes I want to make for the contract, and I hope he will too. We’ll see if our changes are compatible. Even if we want each other… it’s possible we’ll want different things. We might want different lives with each other. Nothing’s ever final until the changes are made.”  
  
“Hm. Okay.” Armin nodded, fine with that answer.  
  
“So.” Levi tilted his head. “I take it you’re okay with me signing another contract with him?”  
  
Armin raised an eyebrow. “Really?”  
  
“I want a direct response.”  
  
“I am.” Armin paused, then looked up again. “But… Well, I know the contract is between you and Eren… but I also have a request, for a change in the contract.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Later, Armin went to bed. His own bed. He slept alone. Early.  
  
Levi wondered why that was, but figured Armin was too calculating to figure out when it was passed midnight. He walked through the halls alone, going up the stairs. He checked on Armin and found him hugging a pillow in his sleep. He kissed his cheek before slipping out of the room. He went up the stairs again and down the hall, to his own room. He opened the double doors slowly and closed them with equal speed before he slipped into his room.  
  
He stripped.  
  
He went under the covers.  
  
Levi felt the frost of not sharing a bed with anyone. He wondered if Armin had done that to him on purpose, to remind him. He really wanted to punch the blondie in the face, but he also knew Armin wouldn’t do anything he didn’t think was necessary. He reached out in the darkness and felt something soft.  
  
Levi sighed, swallowing his pride.  
  
Levi pressed the dolphin close to his chest. He buried his head against it and closed his eyes. It smelled like Eren, with a faint smell of Armin from being hugged so much in the past two days.  
  
It smelled like holding the two of them in his arms.  
  
It smelled like safety.  
  
It smelled like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple people have guessed what the contract changes are going to be and I find it really exciting, actually. If you want to tell me what you think it is, I'd love to hear it!!


	37. The Fifth Week (4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the D/s community, a contract is the agreement between the Dom and sub: It outlines the structure, expectation, rules, and limitations of the temporary relationship. After Eren nervously signs one with his new Dom, Levi, they both have a month to decide if they're right for each other and to see if Eren can fit in the household without clashing with the others. Although, Eren is a little surprised by Armin's kindness and Levi's actual objective...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _The final chapter. Holy shit. Okay. I know you want to skip ahead, but please read this, okay? It’s important to me. Seriously._** I’d like to start by thanking some people. I started Tentative Bliss on January 11th, 2014. And, today (in my timezone) it’s January 11th, 2015. In a way, my 2014 is this fic. From Jan to Dec, I’ve been working nonstop on series. So this is huge to me, and I… don’t really know what to say, but I want to start by giving thanks to people who have supported me. Not just supported this sotry, but have supported my writing _beyond_ just TB.
> 
> (I apologise if I capitalise your uncapitalised name or whatever; I am dyslexic, and I have a trouble time reading large amounts of text when it’s all lowercase.)
> 
> Thank you to: 123GreenMars, AlexTree, Aneleynob, AuburnImp, Breezy, Cakoir, Chuzzle786, Cora, Cottontale, Dancing Titan, Fujoshichan69, Gabrielle015, Gold Sakura, GoneWithTen, Hanatsuki, Heichofied, MelancholicBard, MelloD, Moist-Rosebud, NaruKim, Rainie, Resmiranda13, RosesAndCinnamon, Seanpurrs, Seksee, Shawnathin93, Shipping Queen, Tbiris, Thisismylife, Universalbunny, VioletStar98, XenophonSpeaks, ZimmrieKanoah, and everyone else. I’m sorry if I’ve missed anyone! Also thank you to those who have made fan-art/fics/cosplays/etc of TB, omfg. And speaking of (look at that transition whoa):
> 
>  **Hold up!** Seksee, my beta, [wrote an adorable drabble for TB about Armin’s hair.](http://sekseedragoness.tumblr.com/post/106587785417/fairy-hair-a-tb-fic)
> 
>  **Hold up!** HeMadeMeFeel gave us a [steamy preview (NSFW!)](http://hemademefeellikeihadaheart.tumblr.com/post/107528433825/little-preview-of-what-im-working-on-kitten) of something they’re working on! 
> 
> **Hold up!** Nikooki made a [compilation of fan-art about all the repeated inside jokes of this fic](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/post/106491905843/this-is-something-that-i-thought-of-a-very-very)—you should feel somewhat obligated to reblog. 
> 
> But anyway, yes, this is the last chapter. Don’t ask for a sequel, please. As much as I love the Tentative Bliss Universe, I have spent an entire year of my life working on it. I’m going to need a long-ass break before I can start anything else here. That being said—something is on its way! It’s not a sequel, but if you’re subscribed to the TB Series, you’ll find out I do have a little treat for my fans incoming!
> 
> TB is just… I’m surprised anyone’s actually reading this. I set out writing this because a lot in this fandom is sad and overloaded with angst, so I wanted to write a happy story that was about nothing and about life. I didn’t think anyone else would care… I’ve gotten so many fanworks it feels like I’ve won the Olympics, but I just… I still can’t believe it. I never expected other people to care, I never expected others to laugh with me, to cry with me, to be inspired by me, and to inspire me. 
> 
> So, thank you.
> 
> If you want to keep reading my stuff after TB, I’m going to take a step away from SNK for a while. I have my Witch AU in Free!, working on a Sugar Daddy AU in Haikyuu!!, and a small BDSM AU in Tokyo Ghoul—oh God witchcraft, sugar daddies, and bondage is going to be my life for the next while, my grandma would be so ashamed. Anyway, fuck you Grandma. If you guys want to come along with me for that, that would be cool. But… 
> 
> Focusing on now: Enjoy this chapter… and thank you.
> 
> * * *

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.  
  
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.  
  
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”  
  
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.  
  
“But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”  
  
Mr. Bennet made no answer.  
  
“Do you not want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.  
  
“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”  
  
This was invitation enough.  
  
“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”  
  
  
Wait a second…  
  
Wait, wait, wait, wait…  
  
This isn’t Tentative Bliss.  
  
Oh shit, wrong story.  
  
Sorry.  
  
Here we go, the final chapter!  
  
  
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.  
  
“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”  
  
He didn’t say any more, but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that. In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has—  
  
  
The fuck is this??  
  
Great Gatsby?  
  
Get that weak shit out of here don’t be salty with me (okay I kind of liked that book actually).  
  
I’m sorry, okay haha that was funny.  
  
No seriously let’s go back to Tentative Bliss.  
  
  
Well, they were _something_. Something outside the possibility of rational justification was taking place in front of my incredulous eyes. Whether it be Jacob's _cold ones_ or my own superhero theory, Edward Cullen was not… human. He was something more.  
  
So then — maybe. That would have to be my answer for now.  
  
And then the most important question of all. What was I going to do if it was true?  
  
 _If_ Edward was a vampire — I could hardly make myself think the words — then what should I do? Involving someone else was definitely out. I couldn't even believe myself; anyone I told would have me committed.  
  
Only two options seemed practical. The first was to take his advice: to be smart, to avoid him as much as possible. To cancel our plans, to go back to ignoring him as far as I was able. To pretend there was an impenetrably thick glass wall between us in the one class where we were forced together. To tell him to leave me alone — and mean it this time.  
  
I was gripped in a sudden agony of despair as I considered that alternative. My mind rejected the pain, quickly skipping on to the next option.  
  
  
NO.  
  
DEFINITELY NO.  
  
The last thing I want is Twilight, ugh… Okay, to be fair I never actually read the books, just saw the movies—and say what you want about the movies or the acting, but the soundtrack was fucking gorgeous. To be honest I’m pretty easy to entertain, as long as you have one strong point—OKAY BUT SERIOUSLY EREN COME ON I WANT THE LAST CHAPTER HERE.  
  
OKAY I FOUND THE FILE I’M SORRY FOR WASTING YOUR TIME.  
  
  
Aiichiro Nitori never liked killing children, but he understood it was kill or be killed. Though, the six year old girl was technically dead anyway. He stayed still, blue eyes focused on the swirling black oil that surrounded the corpse. He figured it out quickly—she was an artist, a prodigy—but none of that gave Nitori any information of her death, which made her a useless sacrifice.  
  
The corpse hovered a foot above the ground, black oil spilling out of her mouth and eyes, moving in slow circles around her.  
  
“Ai,” Momotarou called out. “I’m running low on arrows here!”  
  
Nitori bit his lip and kept staring at the corpse. “Alright… Gotta think.” His chest squeezed and he looked around. He needed to find something, some way to gain the upper—  
  
  
Oh _wow_ that was the first chapter of my Free! fanfic whoa if I didn’t know any better I might think I’m using the confusion to promote myself here ha ha yeah haha ha yeah…  
  
Yeah…  
  
Shut up don’t give me that look I bet you don’t even read my author’s note.  
  
  
Levi kissed the underside of Eren’s chin, then kissed his Adam’s apple. “I don’t think you understand, Pup. I _need_ my subs to know how much _I_ need _them_. Without you, I would be worse off.”  
  
Eren’s cheeks burned and he looked away.  
  
Levi admired the way Eren’s cheeks flushed red, and kissed it to taste the heat. “I want you here.” He moved his mouth back to Eren’s neck, making him moan. “We want you here.”  
  
Despite how distracting Levi’s warm mouth was on his skin, Eren opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off.  
  
  
Whoa right story—wrong chapter, but…  
  
  
Armin’s mouth moved over Eren’s opposite shoulder. His lips and his hot trail of kisses moved up Eren’s neck.  
  
  
Mmm yeah, threeway…  
  
  
Eren gasped and bit his lip. He closed his eyes. Lulled into heat by the two mouths on opposite sides, working in synchrony, Eren shivered and he felt himself get hard. He leaned his head back and soon his back was against the mattress. He wasn’t sure when or how or why or what their position was rearranged too, but his ass was still in Levi’s lap, legs going past him. Back against the mattress, his head rested in Armin’s lap. Because of their position, Armin’s mouth couldn’t kiss his neck any more, but slim fingers rubbed his shoulders as Levi continued his onslaught.  
  
  
Sorry we’ll get to the last chapter let me just, yeah just a little more…  
  
  
“Good boy,” Levi chuckled. His hands worked away at the belt holding Eren’s jeans together and he pulled it off; it flowed from his hips and onto the floor with a thud. Levi ran his hand over Eren’s clothed erection, hearing the minor flutter in Eren’s tenor voice. He unbuttoned and unzipped the jeans before moving his head back. He sat up straight and undid the button on Eren’s boxers. He freed the erection and gave it a firm squeeze.  
  
Eren bit his lip, holding back a moan.  
  
Armin chuckled, fingers playing with Eren’s hair for a moment before they pulled at the base of his shirt.  
  
Eren raised his arms to help Armin take it off before he rested in the blond’s lap again, feeling the hardness in Armin’s pants.  
  
Levi stroked Eren slowly, rolling the skin over the head and back again. “It’s true, Armin and I are more… in sync, I guess you could say. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want you here.”  
  
Armin chuckled and leaned down. He slipped the head of Eren’s cock in his mouth and sucked gently.  
  
Eren gasped. With their position, his face was pretty much in Armin’s crotch—not that he minded. He slipped a hand in those blond strands of hair and pushed the mouth to take more of his dick.  
  
Levi smirked. “See? Armin’s being good, for you.”  
  
Armin bobbed his head on the cock several times before he pulled away. He licked the head once before swirling his tongue around it.  
  
“F-Fuck,” Eren whispered.  
  
  
OKAY WELL YOU GUYS ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT IN THE MOOD FOR SEX OR ANYTHING SO ITS NOT LIKE IMMA LEAVE YOU LIKE SEXUALLY FRUSTRATED OR ANYTHING GIVING YOU SNIPPETS OF THE THREEWAY OR ANYTHING YEAH ANYWAY.  
  
ITS ALMOST LIKE SINCE I CAN’T USE CLIFFHANGERS IN THIS CHAPTER I’M GOING TO TAKE IT OUT ON YOU HERE.  
  
HA HA.  
  
HA.  
  
YEAH…  
  
ANYWAY.  
  
Jean had a bit of a swing in his step as he called out a latte. Contrary to what people believed, seven o’clock on a Monday morning was relatively calm at the café. It was past the time the early birds grabbed a cup to go before heading off to work, and those going to work at eight usually stopped by at seven thirty. There were the occasional busy customer, but it was only half as hectic as it would be in the afternoon. The customers were usually store owners, taxi drivers, bus drivers, or people who woke up too early for their own good and had time to kill.  
  
HERE WE GO.  
  
As usual, the air was heavy with the smell of freshly ground coffee beans of the ‘blue bird’ variant. There was nothing blue about them, though. It had a strong, robust flavour without much bitterness, and they seemed to be generally popular, if sales were anything to go by.  
  
There was also the sweetness of steamed milk and cocoa, the warm air of freshly baked baguettes, honey glazed and crunchy exterior, warm white fluff on the inside, and croissants of all flavours—butter, chocolate, almond, cheese—lined up behind the display glass.  
  
HERE WE FUCKING GO.  
  
Along the back wall were white tea cups hung high, as decoration.  
  
Out front was the special written in chalk on the blackboard—a ‘Levi’ (an iced Americano with no water, just let the steaming espresso melt the ice).  
  
“Jean.”  
  
Jean glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah?”  
  
“Another Levi.”  
  
“Mhm,” he hummed. “Got it!”  
  
Erwin smiled. “Thank you.” Erwin dealt with the exchange of money and asked the lady if she wanted the receipt. She said yes and Erwin printed it for her. The café was playing some tunes Jean picked out. Erwin had decided he’d leave music to the younger employees since they seemed a little more in tune with it than he was. It was an instrumental album, mostly soft guitar. It was relaxing. Café music, in a way.  
  
The door chimed.  
  
Marco stepped in and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes were glued to the busy-working Jean, but he eventually glanced to the counter. Making eye-contact with Erwin, his lips tugged into a smile as he stepped to the register. “Hello Sir.”  
  
“Hello,” Erwin said in a laugh. “His break is in five minutes, switching out with Nifa when he gets here.”  
  
“Aha.” Marco scratched his cheek. “Am I really that like, readable?—Not readable… what’s the word?”  
  
“Predictable,” Erwin offered. “And not usually, no… but yes when it comes to Jean.”  
  
“Huh?” Jean glanced over. “Someone call my?—Marco!” He blew a kiss across the café to him. The laughter that spilled from Marco’s lips was shy, nervous, but fluttered like a lovebird. Jean considered that a victory in itself. “Told you—he matches my new special idea!”  
  
“New?” Marco said apprehensively, “Special?”  
  
Erwin laughed. “Jean’s convinced that if ‘Levi’ is a bitter drink, we need a ‘Marco’ that’s very sweet.”  
  
“Use agave,” Marco said with a smile.  
  
The corners of Erwin’s lips had tugged ever-so-slightly but he suppressed the smile. Oh yeah, Jean had told him. About thirteen times. “Can I get anything for you, or just here to pick up the boyfriend?”  
  
“Medium nonfat hot chocolate and one of the whole wheat chicken wraps, please.”  
  
“No way, fuck that,” Jean muttered. “I’m making it a breve hot chocolate! And you’re getting that sandwich you love. Put it on my tab.”  
  
Marco tugged at his heart-shaped necklace and pouted. “Jean…”  
  
Erwin tapped it in and then looked up. “Marco, on another topic…” He seemed to hesitate for a second, before he cocked his head to the side. “How should I put this?”  
  
Marco blinked, absentmindedly fiddling with his necklace.  
  
“I’ve been informed of your… lack of,” Erwin paused for a moment to glance around the café, just to make sure no one was listening too closely, “Knowledge and, experience with what’s often called the female sex organ…”  
  
Marco’s spine went straight and his eyes lit up. “Ymir told me they looked like mushrooms I just believed her!”  
  
“Believing Ymir is always a bad idea,” Erwin muttered. “But,” he said with more cheer, “As you know more than just women have that body part. And as you know, my current partner is a man who has that body part. I know the two of you are quite comfortable with each other, and I do remember you being an excellent sub whenever Levi lent you to me.”  
  
“Oh?” Marco’s cheeks reddened, but he smiled. “Well, I guess it’s true Nifa and I are pretty comfortable with each other… And play dates aren’t uncommon…” Marco also figured getting Nifa more… involved with members of the community would get him more willing to go to munches and all.  
  
“I understand if you’re uncomfortable,” Erwin assured. “But I figured if you were curious, I know Nifa considers you a good friend.”  
  
“Um…” Marco tilted his head a bit. “It’s not that I’m… uncomfortable, I just… I don’t know how to say this without sounding bad.” He put his elbows on the counter and leaned in. “I guess I just don’t want to make Nifa feel… different?”  
  
“Different?”  
  
Jean put the hot chocolate down on the counter since Marco hadn’t gone to a table yet. “Different?”  
  
“Um… I mean, I guess it’s kind of exploration for me, but…” Marco pursed his lips, wiggling it from side to side. “I consider Nifa a guy—I mean he _is_ a guy, but uh… I don’t want him to think that I don’t think that… Basically, I want him to know that – to be quite honest – I’d do it with him because our Sirs asked for it and I also think it would be nice to be with him, not just because he’s trans or whatever…? Does that make sense?”  
  
“Of course,” Erwin said. “I’m sure he knows that.”  
  
“Well,” Jean said in a laugh. “He does now, at least!”  
  
Marco looked over his shoulder.  
  
“Hello.” Nifa laughed. “Sorry I’m late, Jean.”  
  
Marco screamed, jumping about a foot high before hugging himself tight. Several patrons turned in alarm, but when Erwin, Jean, and Nifa all burst out laughing they figured all was fine and turned back to what they were doing. “Don’t sneak up on me like that,” Marco whispered, “Rude!”  
  
Nifa laughed again, dipping his head down. “Sorry. Um…” He raised his head back up and tilted it to the side. “I just wanted to say… thank you. You’re very considerate.”  
  
“Uh…” Marco scratched the back of his head. “I’m not really sure I put it elegantly at all…”  
  
“That’s okay, I know what you meant to say.” Nifa put his hands together behind his back. “To be honest, I was really afraid you’d just outright say no…”  
  
“Why?” Marco blinked.  
  
Jean rolled his eyes and began pouring himself a mug of drip coffee. “Hey Erwin?”  
  
Erwin walked over to the grill that dinged and pulled out the two sandwiches. “I’ll get you two a table.”  
  
“Thanks,” Jean called out.  
  
Nifa just smiled and walked around the counter.  
  
“Huh?” Marco blinked again, but took his mug of hot chocolate and walked over to the table Erwin had placed his sandwich at. He glanced to the drink in his hand. Jean had said something about brave? He sipped it slowly, and his eyes lit up. The chocolate was creamy and thick and he closed his eyes.  
  
“Enjoying it?”  
  
Marco looked at him and smiled. “Yeah. What’s a bravey?”  
  
“Breve,” Jean corrected as he took his seat, pulling his chair closer to the table. “Instead of using milk we use that half-and-half cream thing.”  
  
“Oh gosh.” Marco put the cup down. “Straight to my thighs.”  
  
“You’ve got amazing thighs.”  
  
Marco grinned and looked away. “Shut up.” He glanced back. “Why did Nifa think I’d say no? He knows I like him.”  
  
“You know what’s kinda gross?” Jean moved his plate and mug along the wooden table to rest his elbows in front of him. “The way you’re so clueless about what you don’t know kinda reminds me of Eren.”  
  
“Huh?” Marco grabbed his fork and knife and looked down at his sandwich. The Arlert. An open-faced sandwich made with baguette baked fresh in the morning, topped with the thinnest layer of ‘secret-sauce’, iceberg lettuce, turkey, thin slices of red onions, four types of cheese (all melted), and garnished with a sprinkle of parsley. Despite how everything was stacked, it held surprisingly well and was easy to eat. “Eren, huh…” He paused. “Today’s the big day, isn’t it?”  
  
“Oh.” Jean’s eyes widened. “Shit.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Happy Birthday, Marco.”  
  
“It’s not my birthday.”  
  
“Oh.” Jean sipped his coffee. “Then what the hell is that big day—Oh shit! It’s my birthday?”  
  
“No it’s not.”  
  
“No birthday blowjob?”  
  
“Maybe after, but it’s still not your birthday.”  
  
Jean frowned. What the hell was…? “Anniversary?”  
  
 _“No,”_ whined Marco. “Eren…”  
  
“Eren?”  
  
“Eren’s big day.” Marco sighed and cut a piece. He put it in his mouth and his taste buds did a little dance in thanks. After chewing and swallowing, “His contract, with Levi.”  
  
“Oh.” Jean nodded twice. He grabbed his tuna wrap and took a huge bite. Chewing it for a while, he wasn’t done when he opened his mouth, “Wai’t.” He swallowed. “You mean Levi’s actually considering another month with the shit?”  
  
Marco rolled his eyes. “Of course he is.”  
  
“Huh.” Jean stared for half a second before he took another big bite.  
  
Marco sipped his hot chocolate. He put it down. He paused. He glanced out the window; and, without really thinking about it, his finger ran along the rim of his mug. “You know…”  
  
“Hm?” Jean looked up from his fourth massive bite into his wrap.  
  
“For us…” Marco’s eyes were unfocused, staring outside to the cars that blurred by, finger still circling the rim. “It’s just… it’s another day that goes by… I guess it doesn’t affect us, whether Levi or Eren or Armin, you know, say no to the contract… I mean it will, but not that much. For them though…” He sighed. “I bet it changes everything. Weird how we can be so, calm, and quiet… when there’s a storm brewing for some of our closest friends.” He glanced over to Jean. “Right?”  
  
Jean had actually paused his eating to listen. He chewed the massive amount of food in his mouth, swallowed, then made a ‘Huh’ noise. “I guess. But that’s the way it always is. Contracts are private… Has to be this way, right?”  
  
“Right.”  
  
“Yeah… Think he’s got a chance?”  
  
“Eren?” Marco hummed for a couple seconds. “No idea.”  
  
It didn’t take much longer until the food was done and the drinks were no more.  
  
Nifa walked over to the table and smiled. “Can I take the plates out of the way? We’re going to start another wash soon.”  
  
“Sure,” said Jean.  
  
Nifa nodded. He stacked it all and then brought it over to the counter. “Hey…”  
  
Erwin glanced sidelong at him. “Yes?”  
  
“What do you think?” Nifa looked at him. “About their contract?”  
  
“Levi’s?” Erwin asked, although there was no real need to. “I think things will go fine, actually.”  
  
“You sound sure…” Nifa tilted his head. “Why’s that?”  
  
“A few days ago,” Erwin spoke slowly as he turned on the faucet, dunking a dirty cup under the water, “We bumped into them—the three of them—at the food festival. I know Eren was holding several boxes at the time, but I caught sight of something. He wore a necklace. A dog tag.”  
  
“Very cute.” Nifa smiled, glancing to the counter to make sure no new customers had walked in. “So.” He looked at Erwin. “That means something, then?”  
  
“Yes.” Erwin washed another mug, slowly, carefully. “It was one I gave Levi many years ago. I couldn’t see the inscription, but I really think it is. To have given him something that important…”  
  


⁂

  
  
_Eren’s eyes moved past Armin and his eyes widened—Not at all like Shrek.  
  
Shorter than he expected, Levi’s grey eyes stared right into Eren. He had black hair, straight and short, in an undercut. He was wearing a business suit, black blazer, black dress pants, white undershirt. He looked rather youthful, but there was a slight furrow beneath his eyes that gave him a sense of authority.  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
Levi glanced to the side, “Armin.”  
  
“Yes, Sir?”  
  
“Leave us.”  
  
Armin nodded his head politely and left the room.  
  
‘Don’t leave me alone with him…’ Eren attempted telepathy with Armin, but it obviously didn’t work. The door was closed and his green eyes shifted over to Levi. He was sure he was taller than the man, but he feared being crushed by mere presence if he tried to stand.  
  
Levi’s gaze eventually left Eren and he took a seat on the leather chair across from him. He crossed his legs and scratched the side of his head. Grey eyes made contact with green, and there was a crack of a smile. “Eren, was it?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
“Pleasure to meet you,” he muttered in a dry tone.  
  
Eren felt his throat tighten and he nodded slowly.  
  
Levi tilted his head and examined the dark brown haired male in front of him. “Are you nervous?”  
  
“Y-Yes.”  
  
Levi seemed a little amused by the stutter and shifted, getting comfortable in the chair. “Let’s get down to business, then. I’m a little pressed for time. I’ll start with personal questions, if they’re too invasive, you don’t have to answer, that won’t affect my judgement. How long have you been into D.s.?  
  
“About a year and a half, or about two years,” Eren realised he was messing up on the first question, “Somewhere between there.”  
  
Levi gave a little nod, “Have you always been the sub in that time?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
“How many Doms have you had?”  
  
“Well, I’ve had a couple casuals, but I’ve only really had three real Doms.”  
  
“Three in two years is a pretty average number,” Levi said as in a monotone voice, “What went wrong with those relationships?”  
  
Eren blinked, not expecting that. He scratched the back of his head, “Um, well, the first one was great. It was more episodic D.s. and he was the guy who taught me everything, we were together for about four months, but… His wife found out, and I found out he had a wife, so I ended that there.”  
  
The corners of Levi’s lips curved into the faintest smile.  
  
“A couple months later, I wanted to get back into it, so I met my second Dom, but that lasted about a month. He said I was too eager, and he suggested I try to go for more… What’s the opposite of episodic?”  
  
“Lifestyle,” Levi supplemented. “At least those are the terms our community uses.”  
  
“Yeah, that,” Eren felt his cheeks warm, “Third Dom was lifestyle, so he taught me most of that. We only were together for a couple months, two or three, and we just decided we weren’t right for each other.”  
  
“Interesting,” Levi seemed amused, “May I ask how you ended up in D.s.?”  
  
“Uh… Well it’s a bit of a funny story,” he chuckled nervously. “Two years ago, my parents were making demands since I lived under their roof and I figured since I was nineteen I was old enough to live on my own—bad idea—So I ended up moving in with a friend of mine, Mikasa Ackerman, and she was fine with it, but she said if her bedroom door is closed, don’t enter, no matter what. And so one day… it was slightly open, and I needed to talk to her, so I opened the door, and, well… There was this blonde chick all tied up, gagged, and she had these things on her nipples and I had no idea what I was looking at but she made eye contact with me and… I basically just started screaming because I didn’t understand what I was looking at, at all.”  
  
Levi actually laughed.  
  
Eren paused for a moment, listening to the sound of Levi’s laugh, and he decided he liked it._   
  


⁂

  
  
She folded clothes.  
  
The store had white letters above it, slightly spaced out, clean-cut font but italicised, giving it a prim and proper but stylish look. _Rivaille._ The inside had engineered wood floors, black walnut in colour, smooth and perfect. The tables and furniture were all white, giving a monochrome touch to the store. The walls, however, were a dark shade of blue. There was everything. From shirts to pants to dresses to formal clothes, to accessories, to coats, to cravats, cufflinks and gloves, hats, purses, scarves, shawls, shoes, shoulder bags, even swimwear.  
  
Annie folded clothes.  
  
Some kid had tugged at a pair of jeans her mom was looking at, causing them all to fall off the table. Annie had been pissed at first but the boy looked so scared and worried and _sorry_. He didn’t just say sorry to apologise, he actually felt sorry. Annie had smiled (which caused some of her coworkers to freak out) and said it was fine. And it was fine, really—annoying, but it wasn’t the end of the world. The floors of Levi’s store was always spotless, so she didn’t have to check for dust or dirt or anything.  
  
Though she did anyway.  
  
She was thorough.  
  
Annie continued to stack the folded pairs of jeans until it was all done.  
  
She heard a noise.  
  
She knew that noise.  
  
That was Hitch’s ‘I’m thinking’ hum.  
  
Annie walked over to the register where Hitch was talking to a customer, both of them had faces like scrunched up napkins. “Hey,” she muttered softly, “Everything okay?”  
  
“Oh!” Hitch smiled (her usual fake smile). “Well, it’s for this. I know the sale ended yesterday, but I’m seeing if I can still get the discount.”  
  
Annie glanced to the customer – a man in his thirties – then to the grey pea coat on the counter. “I can probably do it.”  
  
Hitch backed away from the computer.  
  
Annie pulled her gold membership card out of her pocket and swiped it through the system’s slider. She pretty much had access to whatever she wanted at this point, but she made a few pointless mouse clicks and keyboard clicks. She made a fake frown (which apparently wasn’t hard since she had what Jean called a ‘resting bitch face’?). “I can’t give you the twenty percent off, but I think I can get up to seventeen. Is that fine?”  
  
“Yes,” the customer said with a smile.  
  
Soon enough, he left very pleased, feeling like he just scored big time.  
  
Annie could have given him twenty but she cut corners where she could. Especially after the expensive Rivaille event, it probably was best to hold back just a little.  
  
“Hey…”  
  
Annie looked over her shoulder.  
  
Hitch carefully put a hand on her shoulder and tilted her head. “Um…” She wiggled her lips. “You okay, sis?”  
  
“Don’t call me that,” Annie murmured.  
  
“Come on, I have no siblings.”  
  
“No.”  
  
Hitch caught sight of the smallest of smiles and took it as her victory. “So? What’s up?” She leaned on the counter and ran a hand through her hair. “You look all gloomy.”  
  
“Yeah…” Annie glanced around to make sure no customers needed anything before looking straight at Hitch. “Um…” Where to start, right? “What do you think of Doms and subs who fall in love with each other?”  
  
“Eh?”  
  
“You know, like Jean and Marco.”  
  
“Well I think Jean’s an idiot and I think Marco needs better taste—but!” Hitch turned around and hopped up on the counter. “Sorry, I know Jean’s your best friend, but… Well, okay, I think if they’re happy then why the fuck not, right? Why?”  
  
Annie crossed her arms and looked away. “Nothing…”  
  
“Is it something to do with… you know, you and Mikasa?”  
  
“Yeah.” Annie looked at her feet, to the leather boots that made her a couple inches taller. She adjusted the cashmere scarf around her neck and re-crossed her arms. “She wasn’t speaking to me, but… she said, Doms and subs… we’re not made for a relationship with love. Or something like that, I have no idea, but… where does that leave me?”  
  
Hitch stared for a long while before shrugging. “No idea.”  
  
“You’re no help.”  
  
“Oops!” Hitch laughed. “But even if you’re not made for that kind of relationship, who’s to say it won’t work out, right? I mean, look at Jean and Marco. I’ve known Marco for a while now, but holy shit I’ve never seen him so… _happy_ , you know? And look at his work, his fashion-shit, it’s so much better and alive and he’s so much more creative. And even Jean—from what Mikasa’s told me, he was kind of down about not having his life figured out at twenty-one like they all do in the movies, y’know? But it’s ‘cause of Marco babying him that he’s cool about all of it, right?”  
  
“Maybe.” Annie kept her gaze down. “What would…” She took a breath. “Do you think love could exist between three people?”  
  
“Well duh, why not?” Hitch snorted. “But if you’re talking about some kind of Dom-sub dynamic with three people, then adding those kinda feelings into the mix…”  
  
Annie bit the inside of her cheek.  
  
“Honestly, Annie, I don’t know why you’re asking these weird questions but if they can live with each other fine and people work hard enough, why not right?”  
  
“Hm.” Annie nodded twice. “Sure.”  
  
“You don’t sound convinced.”  
  
“I’m not.”  
  


⁂

  
  
_Eren’s cheeks burned red and he swallowed hard. “I uh, think I’m gonna go to the bathroom… Fuck, you’re really cute you know that?”  
  
“Huh?” Armin paused, “You think so?”  
  
“Yeah… Uh, Levi said sex, but he didn’t say anything about… kissing, so… before I go…”  
  
Armin seemed to understand and he moved over. He was on all fours when he lifted his head and pushed their lips together for a brief moment, before he gave Eren’s lips a playful scrape of teeth that was paired with a little purr.  
  
Cock twitching, Eren’s throat tightened and he moved away, “You two are so cruel!”  
  
Armin burst out laughing, “Sorry!”  
  
Jumping out of bed, he still felt the shivers from that scrape. Eren moved to the door to retreat from the laughing blond, but as soon as he opened it, “Levi, Sir!”  
  
Levi was standing on the other side and he seemed equally as surprised. “I was going to check on you, but looks like you’re already in… bed…” With the light of the hallway his steel eyes could make out Eren’s shirtless body, and his eyes shamelessly drifted down, eventually falling to the tent in loose, dark brown boxers. Levi moved his hand and pushed down on the tip of Eren’s dick, forcing it down, before letting go and watching it spring right back up, “Well hello there.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened; he was utterly mortified.  
  
Levi blinked twice upon seeing Eren’s face, “What?”  
  
“Nothing, Sir!” outside voice again, “I need to relieve myself, Sir!”  
  
Levi was unfazed as Eren bolted right passed him. He heard snickering from inside and he leaned in, “What was that?”  
  
Armin was laughing so hard his chest hurt, but he forced himself to catch his breath. “I think,” he took another breath, “We’re teasing him too much, Sir.”  
  
“I’m not stopping. It’s entertaining.”  
  
Armin grinned, “But, can you at least wait until he’s dropped the chastity, Sir? Please, Sir?”  
  
“Fine,” Levi rolled his eyes, wishing he was as immune to Armin’s charm as much as he pretended he was. “I suppose that’s fair. He hasn’t even been here for twelve hours. He’s got my respect, at least.”  
  
Armin snickered and soon the snicker became a chuckle, and as soon as he thought back to what just happened he was rolling on the bed with laughter again._   
  


⁂

  
  
She walked into the grocery store and felt the rush of cold air. Hanji didn’t know why she always felt cold air when she walked in but like hey whatever cold air had the right to be cold during summer right? Nobody could tell cold air not to be cold. If they did, Hanji would give a stern talking-to to that person. She grabbed a green basket with her left hand and used her right hand to pull out her phone, glancing to her quickly typed-out grocery list.  
  
Eggs.  
  
Milk.  
  
Anal lube.  
  
Chinese broccoli.  
  
That was the nice thing of living in a townhouse, Hanji thought to herself, that since the stores were so close she could go whenever she wanted, never had to buy anything in bulk, or plan too far ahead. She was never good at planning ahead anyway. She lived in the present, even if ‘lived’ is technically past tense. Hanji never cared about grammar. She had eggs, milk, anal lube, and Chinese broccoli to buy—she didn’t have time for grammar.  
  
She turned the corner to the dairy aisle and her eyes widened. “Mommy!”  
  
A woman who (by no means) was her mother blinked several times before a subtle smile appeared on her lips. It was unique and yet it reminded Hanji of Levi. The way their lips quipped ever so slightly at the edges, gracefully curving despite protest. “Hanji,” Nanaba said with tenderness in her voice. “Don’t do that.”  
  
“Aha! Sorry! I just gotta force myself in the family, you know?”  
  
“Is that it?” Nanaba let a light laugh leave her lips as she grabbed a one litre carton of two-percent milk. “You make it sound like I begrudgingly adopted you.”  
  
“Nanaba, no one in their right mind would adopt me, because, you know… I’m…” Hanji’s face darkened before her eyes burned with overwhelming light. “Thirty!”  
  
Nanaba chuckled and turned to face Hanji fully. “You’re in an awfully good mood, even for you.”  
  
“Of course!” Hanji grabbed a two litre carton of whole fat milk (homo milk). “Today’s the big day, you know? The big day! Big! Day! The!”  
  
“The big day?” Nanaba tilted her head ever so slightly, a blonde strand of hair shifting with the movement. “What’s happening today?”  
  
“Well, you know how Levi and the rest of us are into this whole Bulgarian thing, right?”  
  
Nanaba nodded. She had long since learned Hanji considered ‘Bulgarian thing’ to be an adequate way of saying ‘BDSM’ in public places. She attempted to understand the logic but Levi had assured her that there was no point.  
  
“Well, today’s the day Levi’s seeing if he wants to keep Eren.”  
  
“Eren,” Nanaba repeated. “I like him…”  
  
“Oh?” Hanji’s eyes sparkled. “You’ve met him too, huh?”  
  
“I have, yes. Only once, but… he seemed polite, but… how should I put this?” Nanaba glanced to the right. “He was glued to the window, kind of like a puppy. It was the restaurant, first time seeing the view, I don’t blame him but it was awfully… cute, in some ways. And yet he manned up and became proper when Levi needed him. Levi… likes that kind of versatility, right? I don’t know much about how it works,” she admitted, “But I think if Eren is someone Levi can depend on, then…?”  
  
“Your diagnosis is quite right indeed.” Hanji laughed. “Yes.” Her laugh faded and she smiled, sincerely. “Eren’s dynamic, and he can change accordingly to a situation. Not perfect, of course, but he’s reliable. Levi’s quite taken with him, I think.”  
  
“Not just Levi.” Nanaba glanced back to the white cartons of milk and cream and whatnots, all colour coded in pinks and reds and purples and blues, light blues, greens, yellows… “Armin had trouble taking his eyes off of him. I caught sight of Armin even feeding him.”  
  
“Adorable!”  
  
“It is, isn’t it?”  
  
“It is.” Hanji nodded. “But you’re right. They both really like him.”  
  
Nanaba’s smile returned. “Then I hope to see him again, Eren.”  
  
“Me too.”  
  


⁂

  
  
_Armin made coffee while they waited and Eren served Levi a cup. Eventually, Armin announced the batter was rested. He gave it a very gentle mix with a spoon then prepared the pan. “Now,” Armin said in a very serious tone, “There are two secrets to crepe. One, the first one always sucks; and, two, the batter can sense fear.”  
  
Eren blinked, “What?”  
  
“Batter can sense fear.” He poured some of the mixture into the pan then tilted it to help it spread. “If you ever hesitate with batter, it will know and it will mess you up. Stay calm and you can do it.”  
  
“Um…” Eren kept staring. “Okay.”  
  
Armin chuckled, “Just watch.” He gave it a minute or two then he shook the pan. The half-cooked crepe wiggled. The underside was solid but Armin waited a little more. He shook the pan again and this time he leaned it towards him. With his fingers, he grabbed the edge of the pancake and flicked it; it landed perfectly on the other side and Armin grinned. “Ta-daa!”  
  
Eren blinked about eight times. “You used your hand?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“But…” Eren swallowed hard. He couldn’t help but notice just how perfect the crepe looked. It was thin and golden. “I can’t do that.”  
  
“Oh hey, I didn’t screw up the first one.” Armin moved the pan, putting the crepe flat on a plate and then poured more of the mixture into the pan. There was a sizzling sound and he swished the mixture around. After a minute he shook the pan and brought the edge of the crepe near the side of the pan. He grabbed it with two fingers and flicked it. “Oh I’m on a roll today.”  
  
Eren shook his head. “No way. I can’t.”  
  
Armin let that side cook for a minute before he slipped it onto the plate with the other. “It’s not too hard. Just stack ‘em. If you can’t do it with your hands you can always flip it, but,” he poured more of the batter into the pan. “I recommend going with smaller crepes. Like this.”  
  
Eren watched: Armin had put about two-thirds of what he usually put and spread it around. It didn’t reach the edges but when Armin moved the pan it wiggled a bit.  
  
Armin thrust the pan forward; the crepe moved along the curve of the pan and flipped in the air before landing on the uncooked side.  
  
“Holy shit,” Eren whispered. “That was awesome!”  
  
Armin’s cheeks warmed and he grinned. “Thanks! It takes a bit of practice, but it’s not too hard. Wanna try?”  
  
Eren bit his lip.  
  
Armin moved the crepe onto the plate and applied a bit more oil. “Come on, just grab the handle. I’ll pour the batter.  
  
“Um, okay…”  
  
Armin let go of the pan and watched Eren grab the handle. He picked up the blender cup and looked at Eren. “Remember. It can sense fear. Just be confident.”  
  
“Okay.” Eren nodded. “I’m ready.”  
  
Armin poured.  
  
The sizzling sound made Eren bite his lip but he kept calm. He moved his wrist to make the pan lean to the sides, spreading the batter. He let it cook for a couple seconds and looked at Armin. Armin didn’t look afraid, so Eren calmed down bit. He waited as the underside cooked. “So when do I flip it?”  
  
“Little more.”  
  
“Okay… Now?”  
  
“Little more.”  
  
“Now?”  
  
“Shake it a bit?”  
  
Eren moved his wrist and watched the crepe move. “Now?”  
  
“Yep.” Armin nodded. “Just sort of throw it forward.”  
  
Eren tensed. He closed his eyes. He took a deep breath then opened them again. “Ah, ah, ah, uh, ah, uh… Tuna salad!” He jerked his wrist with force and watched the crepe flip and land perfectly flat. “Holy shit! I did it!”  
  
Armin clapped his hands together. “Awesome! But, what was that about tuna salad?”  
  
“Nothing…” Eren felt his cheeks redden. He remembered that his tendency to blurt random things out had only really come out near Levi before. He moved the crepe over the others, stacking it. “Another?”  
  
“Sure!”  
  
The second one didn’t go as well. When he flipped it ended up folding and looking like a half circle. Armin quickly leaned in with a fork and flipped it open. Eren tried again and it ended up working.  
  
Armin smiled and leaned on Eren a bit. “Wanna try a third?”  
  
“Yeah, I think I’m getting the hang of this.” He watched Armin pour and he moved his wrist as usual. When Armin told him to, he shook the crepe to make sure it wasn’t stuck to the bottom.  
  
“Just remember to flip with more force this time.”  
  
“More force,” Eren nodded. “Okay. Here we go!”  
  
Too much force.  
  
The crepe flipped in the air, flipping over and over, flying higher and higher.  
  
Blue and green eyes widened as the crepe suddenly stopped. They both looked up at it expectantly but it didn’t budge.  
  
“Eren,” Levi’s voice was smooth and dangerous, “Did you just get a pancake stuck on my ceiling?”  
  
“M-M-M-Maybe!” Eren turned around and started laughing._   
  


⁂

  
  
The store smelled of leather. There were toys and costumes along the walls, some in racks, some in the display cases. She sat alone on a stool. It wasn’t hard to manage the shop alone, especially since it wasn’t necessarily a busy time. No sales were going on, no new equipment had come in, nothing to rearrange in the back room.  
  
Just a quiet day.  
  
Mikasa closed her eyes.  
  
Leather Bound.  
  
Truth be told, she had applied online for the job thinking it was a bookstore. The pay was above average, hours flexible, everything she could want. When she got the job and actually stepped in, looked around, and realised the truth… It was the confirmation she needed that no one could tell the difference between her normal look and her poker face.  
  
She had excused herself to the bathroom, quickly searching up BDSM and basic facts and that’s how she ended up bullshitting her way through her first few days. She got the hang of it quickly and ended up taking interest in it herself.  
  
The door opened, but Mikasa didn’t hear the chime.  
  
She opened her eyes and stared at her lap, until she saw a gold yellow draped over the glass counter in front of her.  
  
Krista had lowered her head to try and look up at Mikasa. “Spaced out?”  
  
“Yeah. Yes.” Mikasa moved her hair out of her eyes. “Sorry. Hi.”  
  
“Hi.” Krista giggled and moved back, putting her hands behind her together. “Long day?”  
  
“Slow day,” Mikasa offered instead. “You’re my first customer.”  
  
“Lucky you!”  
  
Mikasa snorted.  
  
Krista grinned and tilted her head. “You okay?”  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“Convincing.”  
  
Mikasa smiled, but it was forced with her forehead in creases—she looked like cracked glass.  
  
“Mikasa,” Krista spoke softly, “I’m not going to pretend I know what’s going on, but if you want someone to talk to, you know I’m here. And it’s convenient because I’m literally right here.”  
  
She closed her eyes for a moment, shoulders rocking with silent laughter, before she looked up again. “Thank you. I’m just, scared I think. How…” She put her hands together, in her lap, fingers lacing between one another, squeezing. “How do you stop someone from making a mistake? How can you let someone do something when you know it’s a mistake—even if other people don’t think it is, but you know it is?”  
  
“Well…” Krista contemplated for a bit, crossing her arms. “You gotta let people make their own mistakes, right?”  
  
“I know that, but…”  
  
“Hmm… I think… I think there are a lot of sayings we ‘know’, but… sometimes we just say them so much that they kinda don’t mean anything to us. We overuse ‘em, you know? People really have to make their own mistakes. I mean, unless it’s going to put them in physical harm like addiction or risky stuff, but… What are we talking about?”  
  
“I don’t want to see them make a mistake.” Mikasa knew it wouldn’t go unnoticed, but she dodged the question anyway. “How can you be okay with someone making a mistake?”  
  
“So…” Krista pursed her lips. “This person, they know you think they’re going to make a mistake?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“So if they’re essentially going to do something that they’ve been warned against… they must really want to do it, right?”  
  
“Well… yes.” Mikasa frowned. “He’s just throwing himself at heartbreak!”  
  
“I don’t know.” Krista did a little twirl and looked around the shop. “Maybe things have to break to be fixed?—I don’t really know what we’re talking about (though I’ll be honest it’s not too hard to narrow it down…) but…” She moved her hip to the side and clasped her hands in front of her. “I think everything is going to be okay.”  
  
Mikasa’s expression slowly faded to neutral.  
  
“You know what I think?” Krista did another spin and began walking around the counter, glancing at the display cases. “If things were going to break, they would have probably broken by now. And even if they do break later on, that doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. It’s kind of like best friends.” She looked up. “When friends fight, they get closer. They let out their feelings and they understand each other. Fights, breaking, that’s good for people… It helps you see reality, I guess.”  
  
“But—”  
  
“Sh!” Krista put a finger to her own lips. “Listen.”  
  
Mikasa stared, silent.  
  
“And part of being a good friend, and a good sister, is letting people break, letting them make mistakes. Being compassionate, being caring… that’s dangerous. It’s dangerous when you care. Not for you, but for the people you care about. If you coddle them, if you protect them, then you’re the one putting them in a bubble. I mean—look at Ymir and me. Smooth sailing isn’t what I would call our relationship, we’ve hit so many bumps along the way, and we’re still going to hit more, but we care about each other enough to overcome them. So, if you love Eren—then let him do his own thing.”  
  
Mikasa winced, looking away. “What if they get too… involved, with each other? What if their feelings… don’t match?”  
  
“Then I’ll give you the Pacific Ocean.”  
  
“Huh?” Mikasa blinked, looking straight at her. “What?”  
  
“Mikasa…” Krista laughed, carefree. “Next time you get a chance, just look at the way Armin and Eren look at each other. Levi… well, he’s a bit harder to read, I think… but you have to admit, I mean, come on… I’m pretty sure there’s no way Levi would admit it, Armin probably not too, but…” She grinned. “I think the three of them are already a lot closer than they should be.”  
  
Mikasa’s hands squeezed into fists, shoulders shaking. “But…”  
  
“Just look.” Krista nodded. “I’m serious, next time you get a chance, just… just look. Look at them. Look at them looking at each other. Plus, maybe he knows something you don’t know.”  
  


⁂

  
  
_“Sorry.” Armin turned around, hands fumbling together. “I just kind of… I guess, I’m going to miss you. You’re like my teddy bear… I get to hug you every night.”  
  
“Aww.” Eren washed his hands before pulling Armin into a squeezy hug.  
  
Armin hugged him back, closing his eyes. “See?”  
  
“Well… It’s only a few days.” Eren kissed the top of his head four times. “Don’t you have a stuffed animal or something?”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
“Well… cuddle a pillow until I come back!”  
  
“I will.” Armin pulled away and went on his tippy-toes, pressing their lips together for a short kiss. “Thanks, by the way… for paying attention to me, too. I know your contract’s with Levi, so you don’t have to but…”  
  
“Are you thanking me for being a decent person?”  
  
“No, I mean… Other subs didn’t ignore me, but they didn’t jump for joy to spend time with me either.”  
  
“Well, Armin, they’re dumb. I honestly have no idea how someone cannot just utterly fall in love with you, or whatever.”  
  
Armin froze, eyes wide.  
  
Eren’s jaw twitched and he snapped his jaw shut. His cheeks burned. “A-Anyway, the f-food!”  
  
“Food!” Armin yelled and turned around._   
  


⁂

  
  
Eren.  
  
Eren got up early that day.  
  
Mikasa left for work without saying a word, Annie made small talk before doing the same, and that left Eren alone. He didn’t have anything to do in particular, so he distracted himself. He reorganised some of the plates and wiped down the counter. He tidied up the entire house (even sneaking into Mikasa and Annie’s room to fix a couple things and wipe the bedside table, vacuum, mop, etcetera—but he didn’t do too much in fear of nipple tassels).  
  
Nipple tassels were the enemy.  
  
When the whole apartment looked and felt clean, he felt better.  
  
But that left him with nothing to do.  
  
He opened his laptop, checking a couple sites. He considered getting caught up on shows but he figured he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on them too long, so he checked some social media sites. Some friend requests poured in and he hit accept on them all, since they were all from the community.  
  
“Hm.” He tilted his head, thinking about everyone he’d met in the past thirty-one days.  
  
It was… weird.  
  
So much to think back on and yet, yet… nothing really stood out.  
  
Maybe the past thirty days were nothing but a blur, but…  
  
It was life.  
  
It was getting up every morning and going to bed every night, and every moment with Levi and Armin in between. Every dish he cooked with Armin, every second he spent with Levi, but the times he had with both were the best.  
  
There was a time he thought he had the best of both worlds…  
  
He was wrong.  
  
Eren put the laptop down and stood up. He walked over to the window and stared outside. The sun was out, giving a warm glow to the hustling and bustling city below.  
  
He was wrong.  
  
It _wasn’t_ the best of both worlds.  
  
He thought back to Armin’s breakdown during the Rivaille event…  
  
He thought of the time Levi seized when he touched his scar…  
  
It was the best _and worst_ of both worlds.  
  
But he wouldn’t have it any other way.  
  
He had to prepare for trouble, and make it double. He had to protect them both from devastation, and to unite the household with negotiation, to denounce the evil of truth and love, to extend his reach to the stars above…  
  
Levi…  
  
Armin…  
  
Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!  
  
Surrender now, or prepare to fight!  
  
“Meowth!” Eren yelled, “That’s right!”  
  
A soft, “What?” came from behind him.  
  
“Holy—!” Eren twisted his body so fast his socks slipped on the smooth floor and he crashed to the ground. “B-Buckets…”  
  
Mikasa put her keys down on the counter and began tugging off her thin red sweater. She stared at Eren and blinked. “Are you okay?”  
  
“I’m fine!” Eren shot to his feet. “Hi!”  
  
“Hi.” Mikasa stared for a moment longer before looking away and pulling her hair out of a ponytail. “I’m taking a shower.”  
  
“O-Oh, okay!”  
  
Mikasa gave a little wave before she walked to her room and closed the door behind her.  
  
Eren dusted himself off and coughed.  
  
His pocket vibrated.  
  
Eren blinked and pulled out his phone. It was a phone call from… Eren swallowed hard and slid his thumb across the touchscreen. He brought it to his ear and tried to sound cheerful. “Hey mom!”  
  
 _“Hi Eren,”_ her voice was as warm as always. It was warm in a way that reminded him of the hot chocolate she would make on frosty winter nights. _“It’s been a while since we’ve talked…”_ There was hesitation there too, Eren realised, but he wasn’t surprised considering how they had both burned the bridge and let it dangle by a couple cords destined to snap with time. _“How are you?”_  
  
“I’m good,” Eren admitted, unsure what else he could say to that question. “How are you? How’s work? Finally over, right?”  
  
Carla laughed at the other end of the line. _“Yes, finally. Submitted my marking two days ago, spent the past day answering emails from students.”_  
  
“Ouch.” Eren laughed, a little forced. He looked around the apartment. What the hell else was he supposed to say. “So it’s vacation time for you? You’re still taking fall off?”  
  
 _“Actually I’ll be working through fall. I’m going to take spring off this year.”_  
  
“Oh, nice.” Eren smiled. As a professor, she only had to work two terms out of three a year. Carla has always gone with spring, which was January through April, and Summer, which was May through August, and then took September to December off—usually to help deal with the back to school transition when he was younger. Now that Eren had left the cuckoo’s nest, it was natural that change happened.  
  
 _“So,”_ the awkward feeling in Carla’s voice was hard to ignore, _“Mikasa says you’ve found new roommates. You two aren’t living together anymore?”_  
  
“Oh, well, um, I’m actually at Mikasa’s place right now… but I’m…” Eren couldn’t exactly say his Sir wanted a few days off so he looked around the room for some kind of inspiration. “I’m picking up a couple things I forgot. I didn’t bring everything when I moved in with them ‘cause I didn’t know if it was long-term, right? But we’re getting along.”  
  
 _“That’s good, that’s good. Are you working now?”_  
  
“Uh. In between jobs.” It wasn’t completely a lie… “But I’m looking!” That was a lie.  
  
 _“Your roommates don’t mind?”_  
  
“Nah, they’re cool about it. They’ve got the expenses covered, but anyway yeah.”  
  
 _“Expenses covered… how old are they?”_  
  
Eren almost meeped, but he stopped himself. “Well one of them is, uh… thirty-one.”  
  
 _“Thirty-one… and is this person a man?”_  
  
“Um.” Eren knew his mother knew about his thing for older men so he swallowed hard. “Yeah—the other one’s nineteen. Kind of a nice mix of ages, I guess.”  
  
 _“I see… as long as you can trust them.”_  
  
“Well Mikasa was the one who introduced me to ‘em! And she trusts them.”  
  
 _“Oh!”_ the upbeat tone was like a knife in Eren’s heart. He was jealous of how much more Carla and Grisha trusted Mikasa compared to him (but when Eren thought about all the stupid shit he had done… he couldn’t exactly blame them). _“Well, I’m glad you’ve found good friends then. Your dad’s here if you want to talk to him?”_  
  
“Sure!”  
  
 _“Alright dear… I love you.”_  
  
“I love you too, mom…”  
  
There was a moment of passing phones before the voice on the other end changed, _“Hello?”_  
  
“Hey dad!” Eren forced a smile.  
  
 _“Eren!”_ He chuckled. _“It’s been a long time. How are you?”_  
  
“Good, I’m good.” He closed his eyes, thinking back to the time when the three of them were closer. It was easy to just, pretend… “How are you doing?”  
  
 _“I’m alright. Making a lot of progress at work, so that’s always good… What have you been up to?”_  
  
Submitting to older men, y’know, no biggie.  
  
“Nothing too much.” Eren opened his eyes and looked around. “Just the same old, same old.”  
  
 _“That’s always good…”_  
  
Shit.  
  
What the fuck else was there to say…?  
  
A small silence passed before Grisha spoke again, _“Eren?”_  
  
“Yeah, dad?”  
  
 _“I just want you to know… and I mean this, sincerely… whatever you do with your life, you know your mother and I will always love you, right?”_  
  
Eren’s eyes widened, feeling his throat tighten. “Y-Yeah.” He smiled, closing his eyes again. “Thanks, dad… really. I love you too.”  
  
 _“Mm, good. Well, I don’t trust your mom with the chili so I have to get back to cooking. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”_  
  
“Okay! Bye.”  
  
 _“Goodbye.”_  
  
Eren moved his phone away from his ear and hit the red ‘end call’ button. He stared at his phone’s lock screen for a while before there was a soft knock. He looked up.  
  
Mikasa was dressed, but her hair was a little damp. She had knocked on the doorframe between her room and the living room. “Parents?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  


⁂

  
  
_“You still have another seven days here, Eren. You’re not leaving anytime soon.”  
  
“Yeah, I know… I guess, I don’t know. It feels like… wow, my days are numbered. It’s kinda a sucky feeling.”  
  
Levi cringed.  
  
“Sorry.” Eren smiled. “I know you’re doing it for a good reason, and I agree with that reason, Sir… I guess I’m just, bummed out.”  
  
“I think, I am too…”  
  
Eren blinked. “Really?”  
  
Levi bit the inside of his cheek. “I don’t know why… every other sub just took it in shitty strides. Sure, some handled it better than others, but none of them…”  
  
“Oh geez.” Eren bit his lip. “I’m not clingy, am I?”  
  
“No, well…” Levi smiled. “You always want to spend time with me, like a puppy would.”  
  
Eren smiled wide. “But… that’s not clingy or bad is it?”  
  
“No, of course not. I love it.”  
  
Eren’s eyes widened.  
  
Levi realised what he said._   
  


⁂

  
  
Mikasa finished drying her hair and ran a hand through it. She stepped out into the living room. She glanced over to see Eren pouring from a pot of tea. Eren. Pouring. Tea. What. the. fuck. She tilted her head. “Didn’t you call that an old lady drink?”  
  
“Well, Levi will still kiss me if I’m an old lady,” Eren assured. “So it’s okay. Want a cup?”  
  
“Sure…”  
  
Eren grabbed another mug and poured some of the earl grey. “Milk? Sugar?”  
  
“Sugar, no milk.”  
  
“Weirdo.” Eren added a teaspoon of white sugar and handed it. “Here.”  
  
Mikasa walked across the room and grabbed the mug. She felt the heat between her fingers and looked down at her drink. “You’ve… changed.”  
  
“Nope.” Eren tugged his shirt. “Same clothes”  
  
“I’ll fucking hit you.”  
  
“You’ve changed too.” Eren snorted. “You sound like Annie,” he muttered as he grabbed his own mug. “So… I’ve changed, huh?”  
  
“Hm.” Mikasa sipped her drink, surprised that it was… good. “Yeah.” She leaned against the fridge and took another sip. “I’m not sure how to… describe it, though. You’re really different, but you’re the same too…”  
  
“I’m…” Eren leaned on the kitchen counter across from her. “I’m happier.”  
  
“Happier,” Mikasa repeated. “Are you… really?”  
  
“Really.”  
  
“Really really?”  
  
“Really really really.”  
  
“Huh.” Mikasa sipped her drink again. “Can I ask you why you’re doing this?”  
  
“Hm.” Eren closed his eyes and thought about his answer. That was kind of unusual for him, but hey maybe he did change (nope, same shirt). “Well… I just really want to. I know you don’t approve, and it’s not like I don’t care. It hurts that you don’t approve, to be honest. But I honestly like them, maybe a little too much but I think if I do it right then nobody has to get too hurt.”  
  
“Do it right?” Mikasa’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”  
  
“Well… it’s not like I’m going to go over there and just blurt out ‘I love you’ or anything like that.” Eren smiled. “It’s not happening anytime soon, but one day I’ll say it. Probably not for a couple more months, which sucks, but hey I can hold out. You know, I think they like me back, so I guess I’ll spend those months making sure. If they don’t feel about me that way, then I’ll just leave on my own.”  
  
“Eren.” Mikasa shook her head. “You can’t just—”  
  
“Stop.”  
  
She paused, looking at him in confusion.  
  
“Mikasa… I think you’re right. I am diving into this headfirst, and no I wasn’t thinking about the consequences… to be honest, not at all. I was so caught up in how good love feels that I was kind of an idiot. So… thank you. Thank you for telling me.” Eren’s smile turned into a grin. “Now I’ll be better equipped to deal with it—plus two to defense, you know?”  
  
Mikasa’s eyes narrowed again. “Eren…”  
  
“Okay, okay, jokes aside.” Eren shrugged. “But I’m not going to run away just because it hurts. I don’t want to end up like you, you know?”  
  
“Wait,” Mikasa whispered. “Me?”  
  
“Yeah. You.”  
  
“What do you mean by that?”  
  
“You’re the one who’s running away from love, Mika.” Eren sipped his tea. “I mean, have you ever said ‘I love you’ to Annie?”  
  
“Of course not!” Mikasa put her cup to the side. “Her and I—We’re not—I mean… I don’t, I don’t love her…”  
  
“But you wouldn’t mind spending the rest of your life with her?”  
  
“If it works out, then sure.” Mikasa turned away, busying herself by grabbing the sealed letters of mail. “Double income.”  
  
“You’re an idiot.”  
  
Mikasa looked over her shoulder. “What?”  
  
“You’re a fucking idiot.” Eren put his mug down and walked away from the counter. He stretched and made a little noise before turning back towards her. “You know what I think? I think the movies got it wrong, about love and shit like that.”  
  
Mikasa frowned. “What are you even talking about?”  
  
“Well, you know… I mean—yeah, your heart flutters and you feel all funny, but that’s not love is it? I mean yeah that’s having a crush and infatuation and stuff but… It’s not about fireworks or going on really nice dates… Loving someone isn’t the high points or the exciting times…” Eren put both of his hands behind his head and shrugged. “I kinda think it’s the downtime.”  
  
“Downtime?”  
  
“Like when it’s just the two, or three, of you… When you both have nothing to do, and you’re being silly, making inside jokes… It’s the stupid minutes that fill up the day, you know? I mean, when I think about Armin and Levi… I could think about Rivaille or Lolfa or any of the fancy dinners and nice dates, but… I always think of the small stuff. I think of how Levi always calls me pet names, or how Armin just loves being by my side… always. I kinda think… that’s more important. I mean, I’m sure you need both, you need the fireworks and the stay at home nights, but…”  
  
Mikasa stared.  
  
“If you can spend time with each other, if you can waste time with each other, that’s the important part. Sure you can take someone to see fireworks or a movie and you’ll both be entertained and have a good time, but anyone would have a good time watching a good movie. If you put Armin and I on a park bench for two hours, we’ll be able to entertain ourselves, we’d snuggle, make stupid jokes, laugh, probably go on our phones a bit too but that’s… companionship, right? Being able to entertain ourselves with only ourselves. We don’t need fireworks to have a good time. It would be nice, and it would be cool if we talked about it later, but… I don’t know how to say it besides that: I don’t need fireworks to have a good time with them.”  
  
Mikasa’s eyes softened. “Companionship, huh?”  
  
Eren nodded.  
  
“I guess that makes sense… Maybe that’s why we seek it.”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren grinned. “Levi wants companionship too. He doesn’t want a sub who’s great when they’re having sex but hard to be around when they’re not. I mean, look at Jean and Marco—those two are so cute together, always. I mean Jean’s not cute, but I gotta admit he’s cute with Marco.”  
  
“Hm.” Mikasa grabbed a towel rag and began wiping down the clean counters, just to busy her hands. “Maybe… you’re right.”  
  
“Well I’m not left, that’s for sure.”  
  
Mikasa snorted.  
  
Eren grinned. “You and Annie… what are you so afraid of?”  
  
Mikasa’s eyes widened and then she brought her shoulders together, making herself small. “I don’t know.”  
  
“Well, I don’t think there’s any rush but… think about it, Mikasa.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Mikasa had gone silent, so Eren decided to take a walk. He still had another hour before the meeting about the contract. He walked around downtown and eventually made it to the harbour. The ocean rippled and the tides moved, but for the most part it was calm. He closed his eyes, feeling a breezy gust of wind flutter his clothes.  
  
Eren realised he hadn’t eaten anything.  
  
He saw a crepe place and thought back to Armin. Smiling, he ordered one with tons of strawberries, asking for two sets of extra strawberries, and paid. The girl making it found it cute and funny and smiled as she handed it to him. “Have a good day,” he offered before walking back to the ocean. Strawberries weren’t sweet, he realised. They were sweet, but compared to other fruits, compared to candies, they weren’t, but they had a flavour that paired so well with the whipped cream and dark chocolate drizzle, and the crepe itself, that he practically melted.  
  
He took his time, but soon enough it was all gone. He used the napkin to wipe his face and tossed it in the trash.  
  
The sun faded behind clouds, everything turning grey and murky.  
  
Eren walked towards the ocean again and saw a park bench. A couple guys were sitting two park benches away, talking about something or another, but he tuned them out. He stared out into endless blue. Across the ocean he could see couple islands, green as could be, littered with thousands of trees. It was home, but it wasn’t. It was a kind of home, a general home, but he wasn’t… it wasn’t… he just…  
  
He heard a creak.  
  
One of the guys stood up and walked away.  
  
It was just the bench.  
  
Eren crossed his legs and put his hands in his lap. It wasn’t a pose he usually took, but his foot began to wiggle a bit. He switched to sitting criss-cross apple-sauce, feeling the cold metal through his jeans, but he didn’t really care. He put his hands in the open circle of his lap. He hummed, several times, until something caught his attention.  
  
A grey rock skipped across the water’s surface, once, twice, then it fell and disappeared into the blue below.  
  
The man couple feet away from him threw another.  
  
It skipped once, twice, three times.  
  
Another.  
  
Once, twice.  
  
Another.  
  
Eren’s eyes widened.  
  
Once, twice, three times, four, five—six – seven – eight, then fell.  
  
“Whoa!” Eren wanted to whistle, but he had no idea how. Instead, he just started clapping. “Nice!” He turned to the person next to him and his hands stopped.  
  
The man had been smiling as well, until he turned to face Eren. Smile breaking, slowly, like cracks moving through glass until it crumbled and his face dropped. “You.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard.  
  
 _Dieter Arlert._  
  
“You’re…” Dieter’s eyes narrowed. “You’re Levi’s new sub, aren’t you?” He frowned. Frown soon deepened into scowl.  
  
“Yeah,” Eren said softly. “I am.”  
  
“I’m Dieter.”  
  
“Armin’s older brother.”  
  
Dieter knew it wasn’t a question, but he replied with a simple, “Yeah. How did you know that?”  
  
“Armin…” Eren felt a chill race through him. “Armin told me about you, a lot about you. I saw a couple pictures.”  
  
“He…? He told you? You? _You?_ About _me?_ ”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren nodded. “He told me a lot actually, about his family… his life.”  
  
“Why the fuck would he tell you?” Dieter stood up and pointed at him. “How long have you even known him?”  
  
“A month, actually.” Eren shrugged. “I know that’s not a lot of time, but… He and I, we really clicked.” He shrugged again, not knowing what to do, what to say. Dieter didn’t say anything either, so Eren scratched the back of his head. “Look, I… I know this isn’t really my place to speak.”  
  
“If you’re about to say what I think you are—then like hell it isn’t.”  
  
Eren paused, hand still in his hair. He brought his hands back in his lap and looked up at Dieter. “He really cares about you.”  
  
Ever so slightly, Dieter’s eyes widened.  
  
The action reminded Eren of Armin.  
  
It was almost… identical.  
  
Eren smiled. “He does. When he talks about you, God, you should just see how he lights up. He told me a lot of things, from how you had to take care of him, to how you were Raichu and he was Pikachu, to a lot of things, man… I don’t really know where I’m going with this, but… I think you need to give him space, okay?”  
  
“Space?” Dieter’s hands squeezed into fists. “Space? I don’t—I can’t leave him with Levi.”  
  
“Levi’s taking care of him,” Eren said firmly. “If you were his sub once, then you know he doesn’t take that responsibility lightly.” Eren frowned. “I know you don’t like him, and that’s cool – but don’t. Don’t. Don’t think he won’t take care of Armin.”  
  
“But it’s Levi’s fault that Armin won’t talk to me.”  
  
“It is.”  
  
“But—” Dieter frowned. “Did you just agree with me?”  
  
“I did.” Eren nodded again. “I talked to him about it, actually. Armin, I mean. But I think he’s on the right track now, he’s really considering talking to you again, and probably soon if my hunch is right. But I think now more than ever he needs space, space from you and space from Levi.”  
  
“But I…” Dieter squeezed his eyes shut and turned away. He brought a hand up to wipe his eyes. _“Fuck,”_ his voice cracked. “All I’ve ever had was Armin—I’ve tried so hard to take care of him all these years! You know? Even when our parents… even when we…”  
  
“Hey…” Eren pushed himself off his seat and stood. “Look… I know you want to see him too, but… He’s doing well. His expenses are paid for, he’s enjoying his hobbies, he’s having fun—he’s happy.”  
  
Dieter turned back to him, eyes narrowed in a vain attempt to hide the tears.  
  
“Everything you did,” Eren said with a smile, “It paid off.”  
  
Dieter’s mouth dropped, jaw wiggling. He stared, no words coming, though faint attempts at a voice started and stopped.  
  
“Hey,” a third voice called. “I got us… food.”  
  
Eren turned.  
  
Dieter swallowed hard and turned to the other guy. “Thanks.”  
  
“Hey, man, you okay?”  
  
“I’m good. I’m great. Just good news.” Dieter smiled softly, pretending he wasn’t still crying. “Hey, what’s your name kid?”  
  
“Kid?” Eren pouted. “Eren.”  
  
“Eren,” Dieter repeated.  
  
“Whoa, wait.” The third guy tilted his head. “Eren? Like Levi’s Eren?”  
  
“Uh, yeah. That’s me.”  
  
“Man, Eld told me about you. Oh, I’m Gunther.” He smiled. “Nice to meet you.”  
  
“Yeah.” Eren smiled. “Nice to meet you guys too.”  
  
Dieter tugged Gunther’s arm. “Let’s go.”  
  


⁂

  
  
Mikasa’s car was pretty nice, Eren guessed, but he couldn’t focus much on it. He watched the scenery blur. All he could really think about was the last time someone drove him to Levi’s place. It was Marco, and Eren sat in the back seat. It was strange, and odd, and it was impersonal. He didn’t know Marco, then. Now it was Mikasa in the driver’s seat, and Eren at her side. He looked out the window. It had been half an hour since he’d seen Dieter, but the words were still fresh in his mind.  
  
It reminded him a lot of things.  
  
It reminded him that Levi wasn’t perfect and that he had flaws. It reminded him that Armin wasn’t perfect either. It reminded him that the relationship between Levi and Armin—while producing more good than bad—that wasn’t necessarily perfect either.  
  
But it made him think, too.  
  
How he wasn’t perfect, how his relationship with Armin wasn’t perfect, how his relationship with Levi wasn’t perfect…  
  
He closed his eyes and thought back.  
  
 _“What are we going to do?” Eren asked as they stepped into the kitchen.  
  
Armin grabbed a very wide cookie tray. “Well, it’s a good thing we made all those crepes, could you bring them out?”  
  
“Sure!” Eren opened the fridge and grabbed the plate of stacked crepes. He brought it to the kitchen counter and placed them down. He glanced to the side, watching as Armin covered the tray with a spray oil. “What else do you need?”  
  
Armin paused, thinking about it. “The cold cuts—all of them, cheese, eggs, peppers, mushrooms, leek – no,” he corrected himself, “Marco doesn’t like leek. And spinach.”  
  
Eren chuckled.  
  
Armin glanced up. “What’s funny?”  
  
“Nothing, just…” Eren grinned. “The way you multitask, you’re so into it. It’s awesome.”  
  
Armin smiled shyly and looked at the tray. “Thank you.”_  
  
They didn’t need fireworks.  
  
 _Another smack shook his whole body and Eren whimpered. “Thank you!”  
  
“Eighteen! Nineteen!”  
  
“Thank you! Thank you, Sir!”  
  
Levi raised his arm high.  
  
Eren closed his eyes and cringed.  
  
With a chuckle, Levi lightly tapped Eren’s ass. “Twenty.”  
  
“Huh?” Eren looked over his shoulder. “That wasn’t a spank. Way too light.”  
  
“I apologise.” Levi’s face fell and he smacked Eren’s ass hard.  
  
“Ouch!” Eren wiggled.  
  
“Now what do you say?”  
  
“Thank you, Sir!”_  
  
It wasn’t that they didn’t like the fireworks or the bells and whistles…  
  
 _Eren had finished dusting all three floors and he was walking up the stairs to his room when he saw a sleepy blond walking down the stairs from the third floor. “Morning, Sunshine.”  
  
“Sunshine,” Armin mumbled. “You call me that a lot lately.”  
  
Eren stepped onto the second floor and Armin did the same. He opened his arms and Armin instantly found his rightful place inside them. “I do. You don’t like it?”  
  
Armin shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I like it. I’m just curious why.”  
  
“You’re like sunshine.” Eren shrugged and hugged him. “It just fits.”_  
  
It was just that…  
  
 _He grabbed his phone. He pressed the button.  
  
“Nya,” he whined from the bright light then blinked a couple times.  
  
It was four in the morning.  
  
He put his phone down and stepped outside the room. He walked down the halls, slowly, making sure none of his footsteps made a sound, then walked down the stairs. He scratched his nose and walked to the T.V. room, where indeed there was a movie playing. He closed the door behind him and noticed Levi sitting in the sofa chair. “Sir?”  
  
Levi turned his head quickly. “Shit.” He grabbed the remote and lowered the volume. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”  
  
“No, it’s okay.” Eren rubbed his eyes and eventually slipped into Levi’s lap.  
  
Levi pursed his lips. “Eren. Off.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Eren. Off. Now.”  
  
Eren pouted. “Do you know how many guys your age would die for a half-naked hot stud muffin like me to just drop in their lap at four in the morning?”  
  
Levi chuckled and sighed in defeat. “Eren…”  
  
“You woke me up. It’s only fair.”  
  
“Fine.” Levi rolled his eyes and slipped an arm around his pet. “You make an awful sub sometimes.”  
  
“Hmm.” Eren closed his eyes and leaned into Levi’s neck. “I think you’re just a bad Dom if you can’t contain me.”  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
Eren chuckled. “But it’s okay, you’re allowed to be a weak Dom at four in the morning.”  
  
Levi considered it then shrugged. “Hm. Maybe you’re right.”  
  
“Just don’t think and let me stay here.”  
  
“Okay,” Levi said in defeat._  
  
It was just that…  
  
Eren closed his eyes and smiled.  
  
They were their own bells and whistles.  
  
 _“Piggy back ride!” Armin shouted with a squeal. “My package is here!”  
  
Eren practically flew forward, but he managed to catch his footing. “Armin!”  
  
“Package! Package! Package! Package! Package!”  
  
Eren rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. Geez. Calm down. It’s just a package!”  
  
“Package! Package! Package!” Armin chuckled. “Let’s open it!”  
  
“Oy, calm down for half a second,” Eren chuckled. “Levi’s going to be home soon, shouldn’t we have a late lunch ready for him, or something?”  
  
“Package…”  
  
Eren shook his head. “Weren’t you asleep?”  
  
“Well Levi called, woke me up.”  
  
“Oh, I’m guessing right after he spoke to me?”  
  
“I have no idea. I hung up on him.” He paused. “Package!”  
  
“Armin!”  
  
“But, package!”_  
  
Every day…  
  
 _“Well, um, last time I tried, I… uh, well, I forgot to put the top on the blender.” Levi looked away. “So pink shit sprayed everywhere. It was like Kirby had diarrhoea all over my kitchen.”  
  
Eren irked. “Did you have to give me that mental image?”  
  
“Yes.” Levi stared at him. “I want my fucking milk.”  
  
Eren pouted. “No reward?”  
  
Levi swore he could see Eren’s puppy ears droop. “Just give it to me.”  
  
“Yes, Sir!” Eren turned around and reminded himself not to open his mouth and ruin moments. He grabbed the glass jar and then grabbed two cups. The smooth pink liquid poured easily into the cups and Eren put the jar down. He grabbed both cups and offered one to Levi.  
  
Levi took the glass and drank. His eyelids slid to half-mast, fluttered, closed.  
  
Eren held back his urge to laugh and he sipped his drink. The smooth, creamy strawberry taste washed over his tongue and he moaned. “Oh wow, this is great.”  
  
Levi finished his cup with a breathy moan and nodded. “Another.”  
  
Eren put his cup down on the counter and grabbed Levi’s cup and the pitcher. “Here you go, Sir.’  
  
“Sweet Jesus,” Levi whispered. “Blow me while I drink this.”  
  
Eren chuckled.  
  
Levi blinked. “I was being serious. Now.”  
  
Eren dropped to his knees. “Yes Sir!”_  
  
  
Every single day, they made their own fireworks.  
  
  
“Eren,” whispered Mikasa.  
  
“Hm?” He glanced away from the window and stared at her. “What?”  
  
“About what we talked about…” Mikasa peeked at him for a moment, making sure he was paying attention, before her eyes locked back on the road. She pulled over, in front of Levi’s house, and shifted the gear to park. “I really think you should reconsider.”  
  
“I’m not talking about this with you,” Eren decided as he opened the door.  
  
Mikasa’s hand hit the button to lower the window, so when Eren closed the door they could still see each other. “Eren!”  
  
Eren squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. He leaned on the car and glared at her. “What?”  
  
“About what I said before, I really think you should—”  
  
Both of them paused as the sound of thundering steps caught both their attention.  
  
Eren had barely enough time to turn when the blond blur blasted down the steps and jumped at him. “Arm—”  
  
“Eren!” Armin tackled him with enough force that Eren actually slid back against the asphalt. His legs wrapping tight around Eren’s waist, he hugged Eren’s shoulders and nuzzled deep into Eren’s neck. “I missed you,” he whispered, “I missed you so much.”  
  
“Army…” Eren closed his eyes then nuzzled Armin back, but—“Imposter!” Eren reared his head back and gasped. “You’re not my Armin!”  
  
“I-I am…” Armin blinked twice then looked away. “You don’t like it?”  
  
“Your hair…” Eren’s eyes widened. “It’s all gone…”  
  
“It’s not all gone,” Armin assured. He brought one hand back and ran his hand through the short blond strands of hair. “I just got a haircut. I had to get one eventually—and you know, lots of hair is heavy during summer, so… It’ll grow back! You… you don’t like it?”  
  
“Of course I do!” Eren blinked once, twice. “I can see your face for once! Oh my God, Armin, I knew you were cute but…” It was true, with short hair, Armin’s face was completely exposed. “Holy buckets bathing in sweet soy sauce with dancing silverware… You’re so cute!”  
  
Armin’s cheeks warmed and he moved his head to the side; it was an action that would have caused his hair to hide his face, but when he realised he was still ‘exposed’, he dove into Eren’s neck.  
  
“You’re so cute, oh my God. You look like a kitten that got its first haircut, oh gosh, oh Jesus and Lana and sweet agave nectar. Look at me, please?”  
  
Armin backed away and smiled. “You like it?”  
  
“Yes!” Eren laughed. “I liked you as a mushroom but now you look like a… Oh my Lana you look like a puppy! You look like those cats that don’t know how to cat, oh my jolly roger bucketeers, oh my God! You’re like a taco stand selling burritos!” Eren grinned wide. “But…” His face dropped. “The fairies…”  
  
“My hair will grow back,” Armin assured.  
  
“But the fairies, where did they go? Are they safe?”  
  
“Yes, it’s uh… migration?” Armin laughed. “Like fish, you know. They lay eggs and then they hatch and flow away for a while.”  
  
“You got salmon fairies.”  
  
“Exactly, Eren. That’s exactly what kind of fairies I have in my hair.”  
  
“You’re amazing.” Eren chuckled. “Kiss me?”  
  
Armin cupped his face and pressed their lips together—finally, together. He closed his eyes firmly and felt Eren’s lips against his, rough but softer than Levi’s. Eren’s arms around him tightened and Armin swore everything was right in the world. He broke the kiss and then kissed Eren’s cheek twice, then his jaw once. “I missed you.” He screwed his eyes shut and kissed Eren’s forehead. “I missed you so much.”  
  
Eren kissed Armin’s neck, then shoulder through his shirt. “I missed you too, honestly… I missed you so much.”  
  
Armin grinned and kissed the top of Eren’s head. He ran a hand through Eren’s hair, ruffling it once, before he wrapped his arms around Eren’s neck. “Eren.” He rested his chin on Eren’s shoulder. “You’re perfect.”  
  
“Mhm, I am,” Eren agreed. “But, that’s only ‘cause I learned from your example.”  
  
Armin laughed and hugged him tighter. “I’m so glad you’re back.”  
  
“Here to stay…” Eren winced. “Hopefully.” He pulled Armin closer. “Has Levi said anything about me?”  
  
“I…” Armin giggled—actually giggled—“This morning, I showed him a certain… video, you and I made a while back, you know?”  
  
“Oh?” Eren grinned. _“Ohh?”_  
  
“He liked it. A lot.”  
  
“Even the dolphin bit?”  
  
“Especially the dolphin bit.” Armin grinned, backing away ever so slightly. “You know how he is… He’ll never admit he missed you, but…”  
  
“I know.” Eren nuzzled Armin’s cheek then kissed his button nose. “I missed him so much, fuck.”  
  
Armin kissed Eren’s forehead. “We should go see him.”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Eren,” a third voice reminded them the car was still there.  
  
Armin hopped out of Eren’s arms. “H-Hi Mikasa!”  
  
“Hi Armin,” she said softly, “Eren.”  
  
Eren swallowed hard and ducked down to peek through the window. “Yeah?”  
  
“About what we talked about earlier…” Mikasa smiled, closing her eyes. “Forget it. All of it.”  
  
“Eh…” Eren’s eyes widened. “Huh?” he slammed his hands on the car. “Really?”  
  
Mikasa nodded slowly, opening her eyes. She turned to him, smile turning to a grin. “You’re right. About all of it.”  
  
Eren’s lips tugged upwards. “You mean that?”  
  
“You do your best to do what you need to for you,” Mikasa whispered, “And I’ll promise to do the same for me. Annie and I… it’s time I tell her something.”  
  
“Hell yeah!” Eren backed away from the car and threw his hands in the air. “You go!”  
  
Mikasa nodded once before she shifted the gear from park to drive.  
  


⁂

  
  
“What was that about?” asked Armin, very gently. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”  
  
“I wish I could,” Eren admitted, “But it’s personal. Mikasa would throw me out a window.”  
  
Armin smiled. The two of them walked past the cherry blossoms that had bloomed, up to the house. They removed their shoes and Armin took his hand. He tugged Eren to the television room, the den, and told him to sit. “Just sit here and Levi will be with you in a moment. Can I get you anything to drink? Soda, juice, water?”  
  
“Wow.” Eren laughed. “This is pretty familiar.”  
  
Armin laughed as well.  
  
The door opened.  
  
Eren couldn’t help but think the one thought that ruined the moment for him.  
  
Not at all like Shrek.  
  
“Fuck!” Eren smacked his head.  
  
Levi stared, eyes wide.  
  
Armin tilted his head. “Huh?”  
  
“Sorry! Shrek, just—fuck Shrek!”  
  
“Well…” Levi cocked his head to the side. “I don’t know if I can get you to fuck Shrek, but if you’re so inclined I can arrange to have someone in a Shrek costume fuck you.”  
  
“No!” Eren meeped. “God no…”  
  
Armin snorted and quickly turned away to cover his mouth.  
  
Levi’s lips tugged into a smile as he sat across from Eren. He took a moment to just… to just look at Eren, take in the sight of him again. His heart swelled, fingers twitched, and his throat tightened. Levi glanced to the side. “Armin.”  
  
“Yes, Sir?”  
  
“Leave us.”  
  
Armin nodded his head politely and—  
  
“Wait,” Eren said as he raised a hand, as if in class. “Does he have to leave?”  
  
Levi eyed Armin for a moment before glancing back to Eren. “No. This contract is between you and me, and it’s a private affair; that being said, if neither of us have a complaint, he can stay. I have no problem with it.”  
  
Eren did grabby hands for Armin.  
  
Armin snickered and sat in his lap, side-saddle.  
  
“However…” Levi’s voice became dark, “I want you to know that this isn’t a trading system. Don’t think because you let Armin sit in your contract meeting that he’s obligated to do the same for you.”  
  
“Oh, nah I figured.” Eren ruffled Armin’s short hair. “I bet you two have enough kinky secrets to give me nightmares for half a fortnight.”  
  
“Eren,” Armin raised his voice gently. “Half a fortnight is just a week.”  
  
“Yeah but it’s cooler if you say fortnight.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes. “How quaint.”  
  
“Oh shut up,” Eren teased, “Mister _Nebula.”_  
  
Levi’s lips tugged ever so slightly upwards, quipping into a concealed smile. “Check and mate there, I suppose… but let’s move on to business.”  
  
Eren straightened his posture and nodded. “Right.”  
  
“I have a template second month contract here… if you’re interested.” Levi pushed a few papers, stapled together, across the table between them. “This is generally what I expect from the second month. I’ve made several changes, as you’ll see. That being said, there are some bigger things I want to discuss with you.”  
  
Eren grabbed the papers slowly and glanced. “Ah, yes, Times New Roman, my favourite.”  
  
Levi rolled his eyes.  
  
Armin smiled.  
  
Eren read, slowly—reading every change, every little discrepancy. It took a while. But, eventually, he read every page. He glanced back to Levi and pushed it back. “It’s good, as a starting point.”  
  
Levi smirked and cocked his head. “You’ve given it more thought than I expected you to.”  
  
“Well, if I’m not firm on this contract, then I can’t expect you to fulfil me as a Dom even if you try your hardest.” Eren glanced to Armin, before looking back to Levi. “There are changes I want to make.”  
  
“Name them.”  
  
“Well, one…” Eren took a deep breath, feeling his shoulders tense. He willed them to relax, but it didn’t work for long and they soon re-tensed. “During the second week of our contract you pit me against Armin in a competition for our place in the household. You did the right thing to stop it part way, because you didn’t realise how much it would distress us. If I’m going to be your sub, then I want to know that I won’t have to make an enemy out of anyone of this household—not you, not Armin.”  
  
Levi’s eyebrows rose slowly. “I see.”  
  
“I want cooperation above competition,” Eren said. He mentally made a note about how cool that sounded, because wow yeah that sounded pretty cool. Sorry Elsa, Eren wasn’t going to let that one go. “If we get someone else, and Armin’s cool with being pitted against that person then fine but leave me out of it. If you can’t guarantee you’ll put the household first, then I just, I can’t, Levi…”  
  
“And you shouldn’t,” Levi replied. “You’re right. That was wrong of me.” He grabbed the contract and in black pen he wrote a note on the first page. “I have nothing against your change. I’ll add it to the revision.”  
  
Eren breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
Levi looked at him. “What else?”  
  
Eren smiled. “We should change the safewords.”  
  
Armin blinked. “Huh? To what?”  
  
“Well instead of green, yellow, and red… why don’t we go with, cucumber, zucchini, and pickle?”  
  
Levi’s jaw twitched.  
  
Armin gigglesnorted. “How does that make sense?”  
  
“Well cucumbers are like hell yeah, right? Zucchinis are pretty good, you know, they’re okay. But pickles? No way I’m shoving _that_ up my ass!”  
  
“Eren!” Levi yelled.  
  
Armin burst into laughter, throwing his head back as he struggled to breathe from laughing so hard.  
  
Levi scowled. “Don’t encourage him, Mutt!”  
  
“But!” Armin said between bouts of laughter. He couldn’t complete his sentence as his giggling and chuckling and roaring laughter continued for several minutes. At the end he was so out of breath he had to take big gulps of air. He put his hands to his cheeks, feeling how red they are. “P-Pickles,” he breathed out.  
  
“Useless,” muttered Levi.  
  
Eren laughed. “Sorry.”  
  
Levi shook his head. “I’ll have to say no to that change.”  
  
“Sorry,” Eren said in a chuckle. “I only had one big thing, that was it.”  
  
“Eren, if you can’t take safewords seriously…” Levi frowned. “Though I suppose it’s fair considering you’ve never had to call out ‘Red’.”  
  
“I did,” Eren corrected. “With Armin.”  
  
Levi’s eyebrows shot up before he frowned. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”  
  
“Oh.” Armin breathed once more. “It wasn’t anything major… it was my first time with Eren. I was impatient for the lube, so I told him to just skip it and take me dry… I guess I got a little too forceful in my request, and Eren had to call ‘Red’ on me.”  
  
Levi glanced to Eren, eyes softening slowly.  
  
Eren nodded. “After that we had mind-blowing sex so I guess I forgot to tell you. Sorry.”  
  
“That’s… fine, actually.” Levi glanced to the contract. “Can we move on? I only have two big changes myself.”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
“One of them is from Armin, actually…” Levi glanced to Eren again. “Though I think it’s a good idea.”  
  
Eren blinked and looked at Armin.  
  
Armin nodded.  
  
Eren looked back at Levi.  
  
“Mine is concerning the part about keeping yourself spiritually ready for me, at all times.”  
  
“By not allowing any fears or negative emotions to build up,” Eren recited from memory, “I understand that in Him and other members of the household I may confide and speak of my worries, fears, or problems.”  
  
“Yes.” Levi nodded. “I think you have a problem there. I want to make it so neglect of that specific area is enough to warrant and void our contract. I’m not saying it’s the end of our relationship, but if you’re unable to calmly deal with your building emotions and your fears… then I think it’s best we break the dynamic of Dom and sub, deal with it, and then reinstate the contract afterwards… if we’re both willing.”  
  
Eren looked away, mildly ashamed, but he nodded. “You’re right. That’s something I have to work on.” He smiled. “I accept.”  
  
Levi wrote another note on the contract. “The second suggestion comes from Armin. If you want to say no to it, that’s fine, but I think it’s worth looking into.” He glanced back to Eren. “I told you once, that one of my slaves, Petra, kept a journal?”  
  
Eren blinked. “Yeah.”  
  
“That was part of our contract, actually,” he explained, “I noticed pretty early your problems are a bit like what hers were, different, but a bit like them. She wouldn’t let worries boil in her like you do, but they seemed to come out all at once. I ordered her to keep a journal. Some form of creative, artistic, emotional release. You can write whatever you want, so long as you write in it a minimum of three times a week. They could be all on the same day, or spaced out.”  
  
“So…” Eren tilted his head. “Just a way to kind of, put my feelings into words, and sort of deal with it myself instead of ignoring it and kinda just letting it build up?”  
  
Levi nodded. “Exactly.”  
  
Armin nodded too. “And if anyone reads your journal without permission we’ll consider it breaking a safeword. You need to be able to feel as open as you can.”  
  
“Given,” Levi spoke softly, “If you go missing or whatever, we might give it to the police, but outside extenuating circumstances that journal will be yours only. We’re not teenagers. We’ll leave it alone.”  
  
“That sounds kind of cool,” Eren admitted, “And I’m guessing it’s going in the contract so I don’t neglect it.”  
  
Levi smiled. “Sharp.”  
  
“As always,” Armin whispered as he kissed the side of Eren’s head.  
  
“Then…” Levi looked at them. “If no one else has anything else they want to add, I’ll add the revisions and print it out.”  
  
Armin shook his head.  
  
“I’m good,” Eren said with a smile.  
  
Levi breathed a sigh of relief. “How long are we going to sign for? Until the end of the month.”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“First to thirty-first?”  
  
“Thirtieth,” Eren corrected. “It goes thirty-one, thirty, yadda yadda, because February, days, jalapenos.”  
  
“Right,” Levi said with a smile. “Thirty more days, huh?”  
  


⁂

  
  
_**The Contract**  
  
This Contract establishes the relationship of Dominance and submission between  Levi Rivaille and Eren Jaeger, from the day of April 1st, 2016 to April 30th, 2016. This Contract is not a legal one and will not hold up in the court of law. This Contract wishes for both parties to reach mutual understanding of the objectives and expectations of this Dom/sub relationship, as well as ensure the safety of both parties. The parties will hereafter be referred to as the ‘Dom’ (stylisation: capitalised) and the ‘sub’ (stylisation: lower-case).  
  
This agreement must be entered voluntarily.  
  
This Contract is written for guidance, betterment, and the benefit of the Dom/sub relationship, as well as seeking to guide, better, and benefit both the Dom and sub individually.  
  
  
 **The Relationship**  
  
Dominance and submission as a whole is both a behaviour and an expectation which involves the giving by the sub to the Dom complete control over them in either episodic times or as a lifestyle. The relationship outlined in this Contract is that of lifestyle Dom/sub. It will exist beyond the bedroom, to all aspects of the relationships, within the limitations of the Contract.  
  
The sub is the one who gives consent for the Dom to do as He wishes to them. They wish to maximise their Dom's pleasure, happiness, and well-being.  
  
The Dom is the one who dominates for order and control. His goal is to help His partner find and achieve pleasure through submission.  
  
The Dom/sub relationship is designed for both parties to take innocent and erotic pleasure from it. Though obedience and submission to the Dom is mandatory, the safety (both physical and psychological) of all parties involved is far more important. In the household, there are three words (known as ‘safe words’) that will trump any authority.  
  
"Green" means that everything is fine. The act may continue.  
  
"Yellow" means that everything must come to a pause. Something is wrong.  
  
"Red" is an emergency exit. When Red is called, consent is removed.  
  
Any violation of the safe words will call for immediate termination of the Contract.  
  
  
 **Termination of the Contract**  
  
This Contract may be broken at the will of either party at any time. There is no need for a specific reason.  
  
  
 **Changes to the Contract**  
  
This Contract may not be changed; however, it may be terminated in a mutual agreement to draft a new, better suited Contract. The newly drafted Contract may have the same end-date as the original Contract did, or a different one.  
  
  
 **The Role of Submission / Expectations of the submissive**  
  
A submissive is not the same as a bottom or slave.  
  
A submissive is the member who takes the role of being obedient in a relationship of Dominance and submission. They willingly give power over themselves to the Dom and seek to please the Dom. They can expect to be subjected to acts of servitude, in all forms. The sub agrees to submit to the Dom's every desire, as the sub belongs to the Dom. The sub will keep themselves and their bodies ready for the Dom at all times.  
  
The submissive is only allowed to have sexual relations with those that the Dom approves of. The submissive is free (and encouraged) to engage in sexual activity with the other members of the household, should they wish to. Should the submissive break this rule and have sex with anyone not approved, they must inform the Dom. Should the submissive have unprotected sex with anyone not approved, they are to immediately inform all members of the household and be tested for any sexually transmitted diseases/infections.  
  
During their stay, the sub is free to pursue paid occupation, volunteering jobs, and education. They are entitled to the time needed for those events, as well as all of their salary.  
  
If the Contract is terminated and there are no plans to draft a new one, the sub can expect the Dom to house them for a minimum of 30 days if they have nowhere else to go. At this point, the ex-submissive may request help finding a place from the ex-Dom. The ex-Dom will comply.  
  
  
 **The Affirmations and Promise of the submissive**  
  
I,  Eren Jaeger, of my free will, agree, swear, and affirm that I am willingly giving myself into a state of submission to Levi Rivaille. My signature at the end of the Contract signifies my full acceptance to this agreement, as well as my full participation.  
  
As I am owned by Him, I vow to submit myself for His pleasure, well-being, and enjoyment.  
  
I vow to keep myself physically ready for Him at all times, I will keep all body hair in order and pubic hair trimmed at the minimum, and I will bathe or shower at least once a day. I vow to keep myself mentally ready for Him at all times, always willing to learn how to better myself as a sub for His enjoyment. I vow to keep myself spiritually ready for Him at all times by not allowing any fears or negative emotions to build up. I understand that in Him and other members of the household I may confide and speak of my worries, fears, or problems.  
  
I understand that failure to keep myself ready means immediate termination of the Contract.  
  
I vow to call him "Sir" at all times, except when it may be socially unacceptable to do so, such as in the presence of those who are not aware of our relationship; at those times, I shall use my judgement.  
  
I vow to keep a journal/diary and to write in it a minimum of three times a week.  
  
I vow to reshape myself in habit and attitude so that I may best serve Him.  
  
I vow to attempt all of His orders or commands to the best of my abilities.  
  
I vow to conceal nothing and to never lie to Him.  
  
I vow to be humble and thankful for Him and His patience. I will accept His corrections, and listen to His criticism. I will accept His punishments and understand that they are to better me as a sub.  
  
I vow to never use a safe word meaninglessly.  
  
I vow to use a safe word when necessary.  
  
I vow to respect the safe words of my Dom, or any other member of the household.  
  
I understand that violation of the safe word means immediate termination of the Contract.  
  
I understand that I must work with the other submissive to ensure the pleasure of my Dom. I understand that if I need time off for work, volunteering, education, or to visit family, that my Dom will be understanding. I understand that if I have any concerns, my Dom wishes to hear them.  
  
I understand that I have the right to cry, scream, or beg, in both pain and/or pleasure, but I accept the fact that my Dom may choose to ignore them. Further, I accept that if my Dom tires of my noises, he may gag me or demand my silence  
  
  
 **The Role of Dominance / Expectations of the Dominant**  
  
A Dominant is not the same as a Top or Master.  
  
A Dominant is the member who takes the role of being controlling in a relationship of Dominance and submission. They take the active role of owning the sub, and give duties to the sub. The Dom wishes to help the sub find pleasure in their submission, and wishes to help correct the attitude and habits of the sub, so that they may further work in harmony. It is a Dom's duty to correct a faulty sub, punish an out of line sub, and reward a pleasurable sub.  
  
The Dom will not have sexual relations with anyone outside of the household. Should they break this rule and have sex with anyone outside the household, they must inform all their subs. Should the Dom have unprotected sex with anyone outside the household, they are to immediately inform all members of the household and be tested for any sexually transmitted diseases/infections.  
  
For the safety of His submissives and slaves, the Dom may not engage in sexual activity while intoxicated, nor will they be allowed to engage in any activity that may be dangerous for their partners during that time due to intoxication.  
  
If the Contract is terminated and there are no plans to draft a new one, the Dom must offer the sub a minimum of thirty days of food and shelter if they have nowhere else to go. If the ex-submissive requests help to find a new place, the ex-Dom must comply.  
  
  
 **The Affirmations and Promise of the Dominant**  
  
I,  Levi Rivaille, of my free will, agree, swear, and affirm that I am taking Eren Jaeger into a state of voluntary submission to Me. My signature at the end of the Contract signifies My full acceptance to this agreement, as well as My full participation.  
  
I vow to take responsibility of him, and secure his needs. This includes food, water, shelter, as well as emotional support, direction, and guidance. I will allow My sub to confide in Me his fears and worries. I vow to enrich his life through My Domination.  
  
I vow to establish a clear set of rules that are easy to understand and firm. I understand that My sub's failure may come from a miscommunication error from My part.  
  
I vow to take into respect the rules of life and society when interacting with My subs.  
  
I shall use My subs body as I wish, being only limited by My responsibility to not damage his essential being physically, mentally, or spiritually.  
  
I will undertake the task to train My sub, guiding him towards a state of complete obedience and true submission. I will be a responsible Dom: I will not discipline him for foolish reasons, and I will discipline when it is necessary so that he becomes a better submissive.  
  
While My sub is only an object to Me, he is My most prized possession. I will treat him honourably, and I will treat his body honourably.  
  
At My discretion, I may administer pleasure or pain at any time, within the limits set by this Contract.  
  
I may instruct him any way I feel appropriate, within the limits set by this Contract.  
  
I may never force him to compete against any member of the household.  
  
I vow to never use a safe word meaninglessly.  
  
I vow to use a safe word when necessary.  
  
I vow to respect the safe words of My sub, or any other member of the household.  
  
I understand that violation of the safe word means immediate termination of the Contract.  
  
I understand that if My sub needs time off for work, volunteering, education, or to visit family, that I must work with them to allow this.  
  
I will gift My sub "Free periods" in which he may express himself openly and freely, with no punishments; however, the dynamics of Dom/sub still remain. A sub is free to request a free period.  
  
  
 **Correction, Punishment, and Reward**  
  
Correction: It is assumed that a submissive wishes to perform a task to the best of their ability for their Dom. Therefore, if a submissive fails a task, it is initially assumed that the failure is not intentional, and that the failure itself was due to a lack of understanding or instruction. It is for that reason the Dom must help the sub to see what it is they are doing wrong. A correction is usually a verbal remark, possibly paired with either words of encouragement or a threat of disappointment depending on the context of individual occurrences. For small corrections, it may be also accompanied by a quick spanking or lecture.  
  
Punishment: Punishment is not the same as Correction. Where Correction is for occasional and unintentional failures, Punishment is for either failures done on-purpose, done repeatedly, or are very severe. Punishment will not be a pleasurable activity. If the Dom finds the punishment of His sub to be pleasurable, then the Dom may be more willing to punish and less willing to understand. If the sub finds the punishment given to him by his Dom to be pleasurable, the sub will be more willing to break rules for those punishments. It is for that reason that punishment is not to be enjoyed by either party. Possible punishments include: Being forced to stand in a corner, more tasks or work, being confined to the 'dark room', or anything else the Dom wishes.  
  
Rewards: As unruly subs are punished, good ones are rewarded. To complete a complicated task or to have a record of excellence is worthy of rewards. Rewards can include jewelry, trinkets, a night out, a dinner date, free time, or a possible request of any kind.  
  
  
 **Limitations of the Contract**  
  
All actions by the sub are limited to safe words.  
  
All actions and orders by the Dom are limited to safe words.  
  
At no point may the Dom inflict any serious damage or permanent bodily harm to the sub. This includes any act causes a loss of circulation, causes a loss of consciousness, cutting or pulling of the sub's hair without permission, leaving visible marks outside of normal public or work clothing (this does not include bathing suits, unless the sub is a lifeguard or such).  
  
For either pleasure or to administer pain, the Dom may engage in sadomasochistic actions. They may draw blood, but not to the point where it is medical risk.  
  
All forms of bondage are allowed.  
  
Humiliation is allowed in this contract with discretion.  
  
  
 **Signatures**  
  
The submissive:  
  
I have read everything in this Contract. I fully understand this Contract. I agree to give everything I am to my Dom, and I agree to accept His claim and ownership over me, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I understand my duty is to be trained. I will accept all punishments and rewards. I will be true to my promise and do my best to fulfill His wishes, to further His pleasure.  
  
I understand I am able to withdraw from this Contract at any time.  
  
Sub’s signature:  Eren Jaeger.  
  
  
The Dominant:  
  
I have read everything in this Contract. I fully understand this Contract. I agree to accept this sub as My property and to care for him to the best of My ability. I shall provide him with security, food, shelter, and all emotional and psychological needs. I will train and command him. I understand My responsibility and will have no harm come to My sub as long as he is Mine.  
  
I understand I am able to withdraw from this Contract at any time.  
  
Dom's signature: Levi Rivaille._   
  


⁂

  
  
“Eren, this way.” Levi led the two of them to the kitchen and then pointed at the table. “That came for you.”  
  
Eren blinked at the brown cardboard box. “What is it?”  
  
“Package,” Armin said simply.  
  
Eren pouted and then walked over to it. “Can I open it?”  
  
“It’s yours.” Levi crossed his arms. “Go for it.”  
  
Eren tugged the scotch tape holding it together then pulled apart the brown cardboard. Inside the box, was another box, but this one was bright green and colourful. Eren put the box down on the table and turned around. “You…”  
  
Levi shrugged.  
  
Armin grinned wide.  
  
“You actually got me the limited edition Yoshi Nintendo 3Ds?”  
  
“And a couple games,” added Armin. “And something else in there.”  
  
Eren searched the box and pulled out a Yoshi-stylised journal with a lock. “I even get this guy on my diary! You two…” Eren put down the journal and took a deep breath. He made sure the box was safe on the table before he threw himself at Levi and Armin, an arm around each of them, pulling them into a hug.  
  
Armin laughed and nuzzled him before pulling away. “And we got another surprise for you.”  
  
Eren hugged Levi tight, leaning on him. “Another one?”  
  
Levi smiled. “I even helped. Mostly the knife stuff.”  
  
Armin came back with a large platter _fucking filled—overflowing—with cucumber sandwiches._  
  
“Oh my Lana Del Ray on a Betty Boop Sadness Cucumber Wheel.” Eren sniffled, wiping the tears out of his eyes. “I missed you, both of you.” He grabbed Levi’s face and kissed him rough, careless, reckless, crazed. Eren pulled away and kissed his face about eighteen times more. And, for once, Levi didn’t fight back. He just soaked it up like the emotionally constipated kitten he was, and Eren took full advantage, kissing every ounce of his face. “You’re the best Dom ever, Sir!”  
  
“Sir,” Levi repeated. “I missed how you called me that.”  
  
“Sir,” Eren repeated. He kissed Levi’s lips softly, gently. “ _My_ Sir.”  
  
Levi smiled, closing his eyes, letting out a laugh through his nose.  
  
“Eren,” Armin sang from the table. “Maybe I’ll eat all these sandwiches without you.”  
  
Eren bolted back to the table and shoved five in his mouth, chewing on them and swallowing with ease.  
  
“Wow,” Armin whispered. “He really doesn’t have gag reflex.”  
  
Eren grinned. “These are even more delicious than usual.” He smooched Armin’s cheek. “Thank you.”  
  
Armin laughed and ruffled Eren’s hair. “Master helped too.”  
  
“Mhm, but I bet you had to have patience to deal with him in the kitchen.”  
  
“Oh yeah I did.”  
  
“I’m right here.”  
  
Eren turned around. “Thank you… seriously.”  
  
“Don’t get too cocky, Eren. Most people who make it to the second month usually drop out.” Levi cocked his head. “I want you to know the past thirty days was easy. Your real training begins now, got it? I plan to find your limits, reach them, and carefully expand them. Safewords will protect you, but most subs don’t enjoy the idea of reaching the yellow stage every night.”  
  
“Well…” Eren smiled. “I trust you. I mean that.”  
  
“Lovely.” Levi crossed the distance and raised his hand slowly. “I can’t wait, Pup.” He scratched the underside of Eren’s chin. “To make you a perfect sub, _crushed_ under my heel.”  
  
Eren meeped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I set out writing this because a lot in this fandom is sad and overloaded with angst, so I wanted to write a happy story that was about nothing and about life. The thing about life, though, is that life goes on. Remember to take care of yourself, to love yourself, and to remind yourself that you matter because you do. Thank you for reading. 
> 
> Haha, well… I’ve only got one more thing to say, and that’s… 
> 
> The End.


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